Shrimp, Chicken, and Sausage Gumbo for 300

This is one of my church family's favorite meal all year around. This recipe is much simpler than my previous recipe post. (Do you see how much improved the photos are?) With some prep work ahead, this gumbo is very quick and inexpensive meal to prepare for a large group and you can even splurge a little by adding jumbo shrimp. Sorry that I didn't have the time to convert the recipe to a smaller quantity for home cooks. I hope to do that for you next time I make this delicious one-pot meal.


Up to three days ahead, sausage can be sliced, onions and chicken meat diced. See how we store prepped foods in Ziplock storage bags? It saves so much room in the refrigerators and makes a clean up a snap. These sweet red peppers were cored and ready for quick chopping.


Shrimp is peeled, layered between the plastic films, and frozen several days/weeks ahead. The best way to quickly thaw frozen shrimp is to run cold water over in a large colander


Red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and dried basil is quickly sauteed with olive oil.


Then diced and onions and peppers are added and then minced garlic. Add diced chicken and sausages.


Homemade chicken stock is made from carcasses of rotisserie chickens up to three days and refrigerated. Solidified fat can be skimmed off. Add the broth, canned crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes. Bring it to simmer then add the roux.


Simple white or blonde roux is made with butter and flour to thicken the gumbo. A few photos are missing for adding crushed tomatoes; I got too busy with the food prep.



Simmer for a few hours, add shrimp and fresh chopped basil five minutes before serving. Serve with steamed rice and your favorite hot sauce. I always set some aside without shrimp for non-seafood eaters!

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Shrimp, Chicken, and Sausage Gumbo for 300
Yields about 54 quarts = 216 cups
Served over rice, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup per person

12 Rotisserie Chickens(traditional flavor, do not buy lemon pepper or BBQ), skinned, de-boned, meat cubed into bite size
15-16 quarts of chicken stock made from chicken carcasses
3/4 cup of olive oil, divided
3 heaping tablespoons EACH red pepper flakes, dried oregano, dried basil (divided)
8 large onions, diced
6 lbs of Red Sweet Peppers, shown above or 12 red bell peppers, cored, diced
20 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped in food processor (with a bit of kosher salt, makes it finer)
3-#10 cans of crushed tomatoes
2-#10 cans of diced or whole tomatoes (use immersion blender to blend)
24 lbs of smoked beef sausages (used Eckridge brand), sliced 1/2-inch thickness
2 lbs of unsalted butter
4 cups of all-purpose flour
15 lbs of shrimp, 21-25 count, peeled
1 1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil
Red chili garlic sauce or Sriracha to taste (I usually have this available at the table)


1. Using three 20-quart stock pots, heat olive oil (1/4 cups each pot) and saute red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and dried basil for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add diced onions and sweet peppers for about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic to stir.

2. Divide and add 15 quarts of homemade chicken stock (see note below), add sausage and diced chicken meat. Divide and pour canned crushed tomatoes and pureed diced tomatoes (for fresher tomato flavor; do not use all crushed tomatoes)

3. Add prepared diced chicken and sausage. While the liquid is coming to a boil, make white/blonde roux. In a large cast iron pot, melt 2 pounds of butter until frothy, add 4 cups of all purpose flour. Stir constantly incorporating the flour until well blended, about 4-5 minutes. Here is a great how-to video clip from Chef Susan.



4. When gumbo begins to simmer and liquid is hot, divide and add the roux to the pots. Be careful, not to burn yourself! Stir well. Bring it to boil, then turn down the heat low and let simmer for about two hours, stirring occasionally. About 5 minutes before serving add prepared shrimp and fresh chopped basil, stir to cook. Serve with steamed rice and hot sauce on the side.

Since sausage has enough salt, I do not add salt other thana little kosher when grinding/processing the garlic cloves.

Up to several weeks ahead:
*Peel shrimp, in half steam pans, aligned them in rows, layer plastic films between layers. Wrap well and freeze.

Up to three days ahead:
To make chicken stock (stock and diced chicken can be frozen weeks ahead, if need be, as well)

*Debone, skin rotisserie chickens (easier when still warm); discard all skin,
*Bones in two large stock pots and add about 30 quarts of water and boil until reduced to 20 quarts (onions, celery, bay leaf can be added, optional), cool completely and cover and refrigerate
*Chop white and dark meat to bite size, store in zip lock baggies, refrigerate
*Dice onion, bag, and refrigerate
*Dice sausage, bag, and refrigerate
*Core and wash sweet peppers, dry, bag and refrigerate

On the day of serving:
4 hours prior:
*Dice sweet peppers
*Process garlic with 1 tablespoon kosher salt to grind garlic to finer texture, set aside
*Thaw frozen shrimp by placing shrimp in a colander in a sink with running water; when completely thawed, drain well, set aside in fridge until needed
*Skim and discard solidified chicken fat from stock
*Chop fresh basil, set aside
*Follow above instructions for cooking
*5 minutes prior to serving, add shrimp and fresh chopped basil

*Most ingredients were purchased from Sam's Club