This is a Creole-style Keto Gumbo made with chicken, sausage, and shrimp. It’s a savory stew with only 188 calories and 5g net carbs per bowl.
🥘 What’s in gumbo?
A better question might be: what ISN’T in GUMBO?
It’s a savory Southern stew made with a plethora of meats or fishes and a boatload of vegetables and herbs. It can be as thin as soup or as thick as thieves. The vegetables should include celery, bell peppers and onion and may or may not include tomatoes, depending on whether it is Creole or Cajun. And it might be thickened by okra, with filé (powdered sassafras leaves) or with a dark roux.
Gumbo can have oysters, shrimp, crab, chicken, duck, squirrel, rabbit, sausage, or ham in it.
🥣 Ingredients
Did you just say squirrel? 🐿️
I did. But don't worry, the gumbo recipe I am going to share with you uses chicken, shrimp, and sausage, so no worries. For the vegetables, I used onions, celery, garlic, bell pepper, and scallions. And the spices are thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, and a bay leaf. The broth is thickened with arrowroot instead of white flour to keep it Keto. And I included tomatoes, to make it a Creole-style Keto Gumbo.
💬 Keto dieters often ask
Yes, even with a white flour-based roux, a cup of traditional gumbo has about 11 grams of carbohydrates. But there is still the small matter of the rice. Gumbo is usually served with a side of white rice, which has about 45g carbs per cup. So classic gumbo is very high in carbohydrates.
Sure, the Keto Gumbo I'm going to show you how to make has just 5g net carbs so it's very Keto-friendly. It has the same ingredients as normal gumbo but is thickened with arrowroot powder instead of a high-carb roux.
That is a very loaded question. My gumbo is based on Creole recipes so it contains tomatoes. But I have gotten such an earful from commenters about it. I am standing by my tomatoes though. They are delish!
If you like this gumbo recipe, then you might like my recipes for Chicken Puttanesca, Beef Vegetable Soup or Chili Con Carne.
📖 Instructions
- In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat olive oil over Medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, celery, and yellow bell peppers and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in spices and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Stir in 2 cups chicken broth and the diced tomatoes. Add chicken in a single layer nestled in the broth. Bring to a simmer then cover with a lid and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, 15-17 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate to cool.
- Once it is cool enough to touch, pull the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Mix together the remaining broth with arrowroot powder to make a slurry and add to the pan. Add sausage to the pan.
- Bring to a low boil and simmer for 25 minutes until thickened.
- Add pulled chicken and shrimp to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes until shrimp is cooked through.
- Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
- Stir scallions and vinegar into the Keto Gumbo and serve garnished with parsley.
🍚 Sides
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.
This Keto Gumbo recipe is very easy to make.
But it does take a little longer than other soups. It takes about an hour and 15 minutes from start to finish, so set aside a good chunk of time to make it. Most of the time is cook time to let the flavors mix and mingle. But soon enough, you’ll have a lovely bowl of Keto Gumbo with only 188 calories and 5g net carbs.
And you won’t need to catch a squirrel to make it. 😉
📋 Recipe
Keto Chicken Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
This recipe makes a big ole pot of Keto Chicken Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo. Perfect for a party.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southern
- Diet: Low Calorie
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, as desired
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth, divided
- 1 ½ pound skinless boneless chicken breast, fat trimmed
- 8 oz andouille sausage, sliced ¼ inch thick
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 6 scallions, sliced
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Step 1. In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat olive oil over Medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, celery and yellow bell peppers and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.
Step 2. Stir in spices and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
Step 3. Stir in 2 cups chicken broth and the diced tomatoes. Add chicken in a single layer nestled in the broth. Bring to a simmer then cover with a lid and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, 15-17 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate to cool.
Step 4. Once it is cool enough to touch, pull the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Step 5. Mix together the remaining broth with arrowroot powder to make a slurry and add to the pan. Add sausage to the pan.
Step 6. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 25 minutes until thickened.
Step 7. Add pulled chicken and shrimp to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes until shrimp is cooked through.
Step 8. Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
Step 9. Stir in scallions and vinegar and serve garnished with parsley.
Nutrition
- Calories: 188
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 17
Keywords: Low Carb Gumbo, Keto Gumbo, Paleo Gumbo
Micole Sanders says
What is the portion size for this recipe?
EmilyKrill says
Each serving has 4oz of meat and 1/2 cup liquid.
Tom says
Any reason not to use xanthan gum rather than arrowroot as a thickener to further lower the carbs?
EmilyKrill says
No reason not to use it at all. I’d use about 1/8 tsp per cup of liquid, so try 1/2 teaspoon and see where you’re at. Then add a little bit more depending on how thick you like it.
Mark says
Argh...no tomatoes in gumbo! 😉
EmilyKrill says
Pish posh! No one likes a spoil sport.
CHRISTINE BEAN says
Tomatoes with okra when in season. No tomatoes with brown rough when gombo is thickened with out okra? Gumbo means okra so it is just low country soup with out okra. I don't mind it is all good just somethin' else. 😄👍
EmilyKrill says
Maybe I should rename the soup gumbo-esque?
Alice says
I love a good gumbo.
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
Me too!