Bring the taste of New Orleans right to your own kitchen with this Pappadeaux's Style Seafood Gumbo made with shrimp and creole sausage flavored with bold Zatarain's seasonings!
Pappadeaux's is a very seafood-centric restaurant. You'll see that this recipe may not be your typical Gumbo...but more of a seafood-focused version. I loved every visit I've had to Pappadeaux's, so it was my mission to do this Creole cuisine recipe justice!
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How to Make a Roux
DON'T RUSH IT. A good gumbo needs a good roux. And the best way to do it is with patience. For the best results, you'll need to stir it continuously. Grab a cold beverage, talk to your roux and tell it it's beautiful, because you'll be here hanging out for a minute.
THE COLOR. The darker and more cooked your flour is, the richer the flavor comes through in your roux. I like to shoot for a milk chocolate dark brown color.
Step 1: Melt 2 tablespoon of butter with 2 tablespoon of Oil (can be vegetable or lard).
Step 2: Use a Dutch oven to avoid scorching your roux. Cooking at a medium-low heat is vital! You don't want to risk burning the flour.
Step 3: Use a whisk or wooden spoon to mix in your 1 cup of flour into the pot with melted butter. SLOWLY sprinkle in the flour.
Step 4: Cook to your preferred color. If making a gumbo, you'll then add in your "holy trinity" of veggies (onion, celery, and bell pepper). Note: for this recipe, we're adding more.
The Colors
Blonde - Takes 3-5 minutes. Light Golden. Great for sauces
Peanut Butter Brown - Takes 10-12 minutes. Used for most gumbos.
Chocolate Brown - Takes 20-30 minutes. Used for the best of gumbos!
Ingredients
To make your Pappadeaux Style Seafood Gumbo, here's what you'll need:
- Proteins - Andouille Smoked Sausage, Shrimp, and Crab Meat (optional)
- Roux - Flour, Butter, and Olive Oil OR Vegetable Oil
- Broth - I used Seafood Broth. You can also use chicken or vegetable broth
- Beer
- Vegetables - Green Onions, Celery, Bell Pepper, Onion, Garlic Cloves, Corn, and Okra
- Worcestershire
- Diced Tomatoes
- Creole/Cajun Seasoning - I used Zatarain's. Rajun Cajun is another great brand!
- Herbs - Thyme and Bay Leaves. Can also use Fresh Parsley instead of Thyme.
- Salt and Pepper
- White Rice for a balanced serving of Gumbo
- Additional Flavoring - Although the Zatarain's has Paprika in it, adding more to your gumbo brings out a more smoky flavor. Adding in Cayenne Pepper or Chilis in Adobo Sauce can kick up the spice in a way you won't regret!
See recipe card for quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Prep Ingredients: Cut corn kernels off of the cob, rough chop bell peppers and onion, slice celery into half moons, cut okra into circles, and dice up garlic cloves. Cut sausage on a bias (diagonal 45° slices).
- Step 2: In a large pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoon Olive Oil. Cook sliced andouille sausage for 5 minutes or until browned. Add in corn, bell pepper, and onion, and cook for another 5 minutes. Then, add in garlic and okra.
- Step 3: Once all of the vegetables are soft, remove everything from the pot.
- Step 4: Make Roux: Melt 2 tablespoon of butter with 2 tablespoon of Olive Oil on medium-low heat. Add in 1 cup of flour and stir continuously until it's a milk chocolate color. This takes about 15 minutes.
Tip: When cooking the roux, you're looking for a dark brown color similar to milk chocolate. For this amount of flour, it should only take about 15-20 minutes. If making a larger portion, allow more time.
- Step 5: While still on medium-low heat, slowly add in the broth, stirring continuously. This should be done over the course of 10 minutes.
- Step 6: Stir beer into the mixture.
- Step 7: Add in sprigs of thyme, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. (Don't add in sausage and vegetables yet)
ProTip: If the liquid isn't looking thick when you add in the broth and beer, it's okay! The gumbo will thicken when it simmers for 45 minutes.
- Step 8: Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the gumbo stew. Turn the heat up to a medium heat and add in shrimp, crab meat, and sausage/vegetable mixture. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the shrimp is fully cooked. Top with green onions and serve with white rice.
Equipment and Supplies
- Zatarain's Creole Seasoning - New Orleans style seasoning with a perfect blend of chili peppers, garlic, sugar, and paprika.
- Flint and Flame Knives - These are the everyday knives that I love! Use code ChefTim40 for 40% off your set.
- Hexclad Wok - Great for making stews and soups! Link gives you 10% off your order 😉
- Tiger Hot Sauce - We enjoy topping our gumbo with a hot sauce.. specifically Tiger Sauce, because it has a great sweet heat.
Substitutions and Additions
Make this Pappadeaux Gumbo recipe the way you want it! Spice it up and swap out ingredients to satisfy your taste buds! Here are some further ideas:
Broth - If you're looking to step back on the seafood flavor, sub out the seafood broth for a vegetable or chicken broth. Both work great!
Proteins - I found that using quality crab meat for this recipe is vital. You don't want it tasting "fishy". If you aren't able to find good crab meat, omit it completely.
Seasonings - Although the Zatarain's has Paprika in it, adding more to your gumbo brings out a more smoky flavor. Adding in Cayenne Pepper or Chilis in Adobo Sauce can kick up the spice in a way you won't regret! In our Italian household, we love adding extra Garlic Powder to all stews and soups we make and serving them with a side of Hot Sauce.
Toppings - Topping with Fresh Parsley and green onions brightens up the dish and makes it more appealing. To me, the scent of the fresh herbs like parsley, smells like comfort in a bowl!
Storage
Allow the leftover Gumbo to cool before storing in an airtight container. Good for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in a pot, covered on medium-low heat until warm throughout.
Good news! Gumbo freezes well, too! To freeze, portion out the Gumbo and place it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating in your pot.
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
Although they started in Texas, you can find a Pappadeaux's in 8 states in the United States now! Find a location near you HERE.
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Video of Recipe
Recipe
Pappadeaux's Seafood Gumbo (with Shrimp and Sausage)
Equipment
- Wok or large pot
Ingredients
Roux
- 8 tablespoon Butter
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Flour
Gumbo
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 14 oz Andouille Sausage
- 1½ Bell Peppers chopped
- ¾ Cup Celery diced into half moons
- ½ lb Okra cut into circles
- 1 Cup Onion chopped
- 1 Ear of Corn kernels only
- 4 Cloves Garlic diced
- 5 Cups Seafood Broth or Chicken Broth
- 18 oz Beer
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 Sprigs Thyme
- 8 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 lb Shrimp shells removed
- 1 lb Crab Meat optional
For Serving
- 2 Green Onions sliced
- 6 Cups Cooked Rice
Instructions
- Prep Ingredients: Cut corn kernels off of the cob, rough chop bell peppers and onion, slice celery into half moons, cut okra into circles and dice up garlic cloves. Cut sausage on a bias (diagonal 45° slices).
- In a large pot or dutch oven on medium high heat, heat up 2 tablespoon Olive Oil. Cook sliced andouille sausage for 5 minutes or until browned. Add in corn, bell pepper and onion and cook for another 5 minutes. Then, add in garlic and okra.
- Once all of the vegetables are soft, remove everything from the pot.
- Make Roux: Melt 2 tablespoon of butter with 2 tablespoon of Olive Oil on medium low heat. Add in 1 cup of flour and stir continuously until it's a milk chocolate color. This takes about 15 minutes.
- While still on medium low heat, slowly add in the broth, stirring continuously. This should be done over the course of 10 minutes.
- Stir beer into the mixture.
- Add in sprigs of thyme, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes, creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. (Don't add in sausage and vegetables yet)
- Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs from the gumbo stew. Turn heat up to a medium heat and add in shrimp, crab meat and sausage/vegetable mixture. Cook for 5-7 minutes until shrimp is fully cooked. Top with green onions and serve with white rice.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Pappadeaux gumbo is a rich, Louisiana-style seafood stew that combines seafood (like shrimp and crab) with spicy Andouille sausage, a deeply flavored roux-based broth, and a mix of aromatic vegetables. It usually includes the Creole "holy trinity" of onion, celery, and bell pepper, along with garlic, okra, Worcestershire, tomatoes, herbs, and Cajun seasonings.
A well-made roux is slowly cooked until it reaches the right color, with fresh, quality ingredients, layered seasoning, and slow simmering that lets flavors meld over time.
Some frequent pitfalls are - Burning the roux can give bitterness, under- or over-cooking the roux can make it lack body, skipping the holy trinity that is the flavor foundation, using water instead of stock, and not simmering long enough
Filé powder is a traditional Louisiana seasoning made from ground sassafras leaves and is often used to thicken gumbo. However, Tim's version does not use filé powder, relying instead on a well-developed roux and slow simmering for flavor and texture.
Chef Tim Clowers says
This was very seafood forward! If you don’t like crab as much as I do use only half.
Chef Tim Clowers says
Absolutely amazing recipe with lots of seafood which I won't complain about at all.
Kyle Kay says
As someone who used to go to Pappadeaux all the time back when I lived in Texas, this recipe hits all the right notes. The flavors take me straight back—rich, bold, and packed with that classic seafood-and-sausage combo I loved. If you’re craving real Pappadeaux gumbo at home, this one delivers.