This chicken and okra gumbo recipe is a great choice for outdoor cooking if you are going to be hanging around the campsite for the day or for a rainy day stuck in the camper. It perfectly pairs cajun spices with chicken, sausage and my favorite, okra!
When making this chicken and okra gumbo, I use both my cast iron skillet and dutch oven for different elements of the dish, so a camp stove or cast iron safe hot plate would be helpful for this dish. You want to be able to control your heating temperature.
If doing it over an open fire, just make sure you can control the heat with adjusting the distance to the fire. You do have to make a roux without burning it! The trick is to constantly stir!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken
I use chicken thighs when making this recipe. For ease, when camping, boneless skinless chicken thighs eliminate the need for removing the bones, but I will use bone in chicken thighs today for this recipe.
Smoked Sausage
You will need 1 lb of smoked sausage or andouille sausage for this chicken and okra gumbo. I am using hot smoked sausage today. I would recommend using sausage packaged well, as it will need to be stored in the cooler if you are not camping in a camper with a fridge.
To prepare the sausage, slice into small rings.
Okra
It’s Chicken and okra gumbo! Of course, you need okra. This is one of my favorite fresh ingredients to cook with living in South Carolina.
To prepare the okra, you will need to slice off the tops and slice into small rings.
Green Pepper, Celery and Jalepeno
These three ingredients are a must for gumbo! They add great flavor and taste to the recipe.
To prepare the celery, small dice. To prepare the green pepper and jalepeno, remove the seeds and small dice.
Garlic
Garlic is my favorite ingredient in gumbo. For this recipe, I use about 4 cloves of garlic. You can use as many cloves as you want, but don’t skimp on the garlic!
To prepare the garlic, mince it. You can use a fork to mince fresh garlic, by pressing the fork into the garlic and alternating vertical and horizontal when you press the tines into the garlic. Fresh garlic if in a whole clove, can be stored in a dry box. If you use pre-minced garlic, it does have to be refrigerated or kept in a cooler after opening.
Onion
For this chicken and okra gumbo, I use one sweet onion, Vidalia is my favorite choice.
To prepare the onion, small dice it.
Seasonings
For seasonings for the chicken and okra gumbo, I use Kinder’s “The Blend” Seasoning and Kinder’s “Red Garlic” Seasoning. I also use Cayenne pepper to taste if you like additional spice.
Beer
Yes, Beer! Use an Amber beer for this recipe. You will only need 1 cup of beer, so enjoy a few sips while you are cooking away.
Chicken Broth
You can either buy chicken broth in the container, or for ease of storing, I use chicken bouillon cubes and simply mix with warm water. To make 6 cups of broth, you will need 6 bouillon cubes and 6 cups of water.
Oil and Flour for the Roux
For the roux, you will need even amounts of flour and oil. I use canola oil, as I always have it on hand. You want to make sure that you use an oil that has a high heat temperature. Great alternatives are avocado or grapeseed oil.
Let’s Get Cooking the Chicken and Okra Gumbo
Start with prepping all of your ingredients. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Prepare all the ingredients as described above. It is so important to have everything ready to rock and roll before you start the roux for the Chicken and Okra Gumbo.
Brown the Chicken
In a cast iron skillet, heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.
Pat the chicken dry and season with Kinder’s “The Blend” seasoning.
Add the chicken to the cast iron skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on each side.
Then, add in a splash of beer to carmalize the chicken.
Cook for an additional 2 minutes, flipping the chicken to ensure it is coated.
Start the Roux
Heat ½ cup of canola oil and whisk in ½ cup of flour.
Cook stirring constantly on medium heat.
Do not leave the roux unattended and stir constantly. You want a chocolate colored roux. It will take about 10 minutes to cook, but seriously think of the color of chocolate when judging if it’s done!
Add the Veggies
Once the roux is the desired color, add in the green pepper, celery, onion, jalepeno and okra. Gently mix and allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add in the garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes. The onions should be translucent and the veggies soft. Be careful not to mash while stirring.
Mix it All Together
Then, add in 1 cup of beer. Stir gently and cook for about 1-2 minutes.
Add in the sausage, chicken, chicken broth, Kinder’s The Blend, Kinder’s Red Garlic, and cayenne pepper. Stir gently to mix well. If your spices are limited, I’d recommend at least using salt, ground pepper, cayenne pepper and you can even throw in some cajun seasoning!
Heat the dutch oven until boiling, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours. The longer it simmers the better. Most importantly, you want to make sure the beer has cooked off!
If you used bone in chicken thighs, be sure to remove all of the chicken bones from the gumbo and shred the chicken.
Serve the Chicken and Okra Gumbo Up!
Serve the finished Chicken and Okra Gumbo over rice. I typically serve over white rice, but you can use your rice of preference! If you can boil water, you can make rice!