This keto gumbo recipe brings the authentic taste of New Orleans to your table without the carbs. Hearty, flavorful, and easy to make, it's a perfect dish for gatherings or a cozy weeknight meal. With a few clever substitutions, you can enjoy all the classic gumbo flavors while staying true to your ketogenic lifestyle.
What is Gumbo?
Gumbo is a quintessential Creole dish that embodies the melting pot of cultures in New Orleans. It's essentially a thickened stew, traditionally featuring chicken, shrimp, and sausage, simmered low and slow to allow the flavors to meld together. The "holy trinity" of Creole cuisine - celery, bell pepper, and onion - forms the base, while spices like thyme, paprika, and cayenne pepper add depth and warmth.
The Keto Challenge: Rethinking the Roux
Traditional gumbo relies on a roux - a cooked mixture of fat and flour - for thickening. However, flour is not keto-friendly. This recipe cleverly bypasses the traditional roux, employing alternative thickening agents to maintain a low-carb profile without sacrificing flavor or texture.
Ingredients: A Keto-Friendly Twist
This keto gumbo recipe features:
- Chicken: Boneless chicken thighs are favored for their flavor and tenderness. You can also use pre-cooked chicken or meat from a rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Sausage: Andouille sausage brings a smoky, spicy kick. Kielbasa can be substituted, but Andouille is more traditional. Smoked turkey sausage can be used instead of andouille sausage.
- Shrimp: Jumbo shrimp, preferably wild-caught, add a touch of seafood sweetness. Use pre-peeled and deveined shrimp to simplify preparation.
- Vegetables: The classic Creole trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper forms the aromatic base. Garlic, diced tomatoes (optional, but add a nice touch of acidity), green onions, and parsley round out the vegetable profile.
- Broth: Chicken broth provides the liquid base for the stew. Some recipes use beef broth, but this may require additional thickening agents.
- Thickeners: Xanthan gum and filé powder are the key to achieving the right gumbo consistency without carbs. Arrowroot powder can be used as another gluten-free thickener, but will add some extra net carbs to the dish.
- Spices and Seasonings: Cajun seasoning, thyme, bay leaves, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, and hot sauce create the signature gumbo flavor profile. Tony Chachere's is a popular brand for Cajun seasoning.
Keto Gumbo Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Sauté the Aromatics: Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and minced garlic and sauté until the chicken thighs are browned (5 minutes). Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
- Bloom the Spices: Add the salt, Cajun seasoning, cayenne, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Build the Base: After adding the crushed tomatoes and beef broth reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, add the Andouille sausage and butter.
- Simmer and Develop Flavor: Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. During the last 2 minutes add Gumbo filé.
- Add the Shrimp: Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes.
- Finishing Touches: Simmering the gumbo longer will intensify the flavor and thicken the stew. We usually add the Gumbo filé early in the process, but some feel it is better for taste and thickening to add the filé at the end. We have tried it both ways and see little difference in taste. Some even add the filé after serving for taste.
Variations and Tips
- Spice Level: Adjust the amount of Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper to your preference. Hot sauce can be added at the table for those who like extra heat. A dollop of sour cream can help cool down the spice for those who prefer a milder flavor.
- Thickening: If you prefer a thicker gumbo, whisk in 1-2 teaspoons of xanthan gum at the end of cooking.
- Slow Cooker Option: To make this in a crock pot or slow cooker, you can cook the shrimp and sausage in a large skillet, then transfer all of the vegetables and other ingredients to the slow cooker dish. Let it simmer on low for a few hours.
- Vegetable Size: Make sure to dice the vegetables small so they can cook, otherwise they'll end up crunchy.
- Filé Powder Timing: Filé powder doesn't hold up well over high heat so add it at the very end, once the gumbo is ready. You can also sprinkle more file powder over individual servings for extra flavor.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve over cauliflower rice for a complete keto meal. Shirataki rice or keto yeast bread are other low-carb options.
The Importance of Filé Powder
Filé powder, made from ground sassafras leaves, is a key ingredient in gumbo. It acts as both a thickener and a seasoning, adding a unique earthy flavor. Add it at the end of cooking, as it doesn't hold up well to high heat.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Making the Most of Your Keto Gumbo
- Make Ahead: Gumbo is often even better the next day, as the flavors have had more time to meld.
- Freezing: This gumbo freezes well. Portion it out for easy weeknight meals or grab-and-go lunches. If you're planning to freeze the gumbo, keep the shrimp separate and cook it when you're ready to eat, as shrimp can become rubbery when reheated.
- Shrimp Selection: Unless you live near the coast and can buy live shrimp fresh off the boat, you’re better off just buying frozen shrimp. Frozen shrimp will taste better than the “fresh” shrimp from the grocery store, which are really just frozen shrimp that were thawed and then set out in an ice boat. Wild-caught shrimp are more flavorful than farmed shrimp.
Serving Suggestions
Real rice is verboten obviously, but you can use cauliflower rice and get a little extra veg in your diet. You could also use a shirataki rice product that Miracle Noodle makes. Or you could eat your Keto Gumbo with a crusty slice of Keto yeast bread, like my recipe for Farmer’s Bread.
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