Easy Healthy Cajun Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Recipe

This non-traditional but delicious and healthy gumbo recipe is a flavorful and hearty thick stew that is lower in calories and fat.

With diced chicken and spicy sliced sausage, it's comforting all year round for a taste inspired by the south of the USA.

If you've never tried real gumbo before, it's a delicious stew with a rich flavor that is one of Louisiana's signature dishes at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, served with white rice.

It's a cajun southern comfort food that's often cooked for hours and made with love, with a selection of delights like shrimp, chicken, sausage and sliced fresh okra to thicken.

But here's my easy gumbo recipe with tomato base that is loosely inspired by the authentic recipe I tried years ago. Although there's no seafood to please those who aren't so keen.

Jump to:

• ✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
• 🛒 Ingredient Notes
• 📋 Instructions
• 👩‍🍳 Substitutions
• ⚖️ Variations
• 🔪 Equipment
• ❄️ Storage
• 💡Pro Tips
• 🍽️ Serving Suggestions
• ❓ FAQ
• 🍽️Pairing
• ➕ Related Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

Here are just a handful of reasons why we think this easy chicken and sausage gumbo recipe will be a regular family feast:

• Minimal prep
• Easy to customise
• Just takes 30 mins to make
• Great for using up leftover meats
• Made with accessible ingredients
• Unofficial Slimming World friendly recipe
• High in fibre, low in fat for a low calorie diet
• No dark roux needed as it is thickened with oats
• Hearty and filling to warm you up on a cold day
• One pan meal that's easy to double for a big batch

🛒 Ingredient Notes

Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities, preparation instructions and nutritional information at the bottom of this post.

Low calorie cooking oil spray - or you can use other oils with health fats such as olive oils or coconut oil

Chicken breasts - diced. This is a lean meat, but you can use juicy chicken thighs

Spicy chicken sausages - I tend to use high protein chicken sausages from Heck, such as Sweet Chilli Chicken or you can use turkey sausage

Red onion - diced and sauteed to add natural sweet flavour and more antioxidants than yellow onions. Or you can swap for shallots with similar health benefits

Celery sticks - chopped and fried to add flavour and texture, but you can swap for celeriac or celery salt

Chopped tomatoes - These are canned tomatoes, or you can swap for passata (tomato sauce)

Bay leaves - for a warming herby taste

Seasoning - this is salt and ground black pepper

Cajun seasoning - you should be able to find cajun spice mix in most supermarkets in the UK, or make your own cajun spices mix. Or use gumbo filé powder for a more smoky and authentic cajun cuisine

Whole porridge oats - instead of using all purpose flour to make a roux, which is a thickening agent and adds fibre and protein. This is a good choice for high blood pressure

Chicken stock - or you can use any stock you wish, such as pork, turkey, bone broth or shrimp stock. Alternatively, you can add stock cubes to root beer

Balsamic vinegar - for sweet acidity, or feel free to use red wine vinegar, Henderson's Relish (gluten free) or Worcestershire sauce

Garlic cloves - minced and fried to add a more complex savory flavor

Thyme - I make it with fresh sprigs of thyme from my herb garden and dried thyme - whichever you have!

📋 Instructions

Tip: keep checking on the pot towards the end and add a splash of water or stock if needed

👩‍🍳 Substitutions

Depending on your dietary needs, here are a few simple swaps you can make:

Oil spray - you can swap for any oil you wish, but I recommend one with a high smoking point and healthy fats for inflammation

Oats - for a low carb good gumbo, you can thicken towards the end with xantham gum or cornstarch. Or add okra to naturally thicken

Chicken - feel free to make it vegetarian with Quorn chicken style pieces, or replace the meat entirely with vegetables such as diced red or green bell pepper, chickpeas, etc

Sausages - use any spiced sausages. I usually use a spicy flavoured sausage like sweet chilli as they are easier to find in grocery stores

Stock - swap for vegetarian, vegan, low sodium or gluten free if needed

⚖️ Variations

Here are some different ways you can enhance and truly personalise this recipe:

Extra hot - feel free to add sliced chili pepper, hot sauce or and cayenne pepper if you want to add heat to the dish

Seafood gumbo - add a selection of fish, prawns (shrimp), crawfish and crab meat if desired

Vegetarian or vegan gumbo - replace the meat entirely with tofu, pulses like lentils and vegetables like bell peppers, aubergine (eggplant), courgettes (zucchini), squash and more

Kid friendly - use a mild creole seasoning, or replace with smoked paprika so it's not too hot for their tastebuds

🔪 Equipment

Please note that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links.

Large heavy bottom pan, dutch oven, slow cooker or Instant Pot - whichever way you want to cook it, you can! (See the recipe card for my general guidelines)

Chopping board and chopping knife - to help dice raw chicken and firm vegetables with ease

Measuring spoons and cups or measuring jug and kitchen scales - my recipe offers measurements in cups, spoons or grams and millimetres, so you can make it wherever you are

❄️ Storage

Storing - if you have leftover gumbo, it can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Freezing - cool to room temperature and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Reheating - If you want to eat the next day, defrost in the fridge if required and microwave until piping hot, or on the hob or stove.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Here are some healthy serving suggestions that you van still enjoy with traditional gumbo recipes:

Rice - cooked rice is the most popular way to creole food. But for more nutritional benefits, I like to eat with brown rice which is high in magnesium, or cauliflower rice which contains sulforaphane to hellp repair cells in the body

Wholegrains - serve with a side of cooked wholegrains to soak up the juices. This could be green lentils or quinoa

Crusty bread - brown bread and crackers is another great way to enjoy gumbo to mop up the sauces, or ladle into homemade bread bowls

Salad - on a warmer day, we like to eat with a fresh leafy green salad, or homegrown sprouts in a jar from lentil or broccoli seeds

Sides - feel free to enjoy with tasty side dishes such as cornbread, prawn fritters, healthy hashbrowns, or homemade potato salad

Gumbo soup - add extra stock and enjoy it as a soup

❓ FAQ

🍽️Pairing

Here are a few dishes that go great with this low fat gumbo:

➕ Related Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

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📖 Recipe