Instant Pot Gumbo – Tasty Tuesday
A few weeks back I decided to give gumbo a try in the instant pot . While I have thrown together a quick so/so gumbo in the past, I really wanted to try and make this one super hearty and flavorful.
While I found several recipes which looked promising, all seemed to be missing a little or were not specific to the instant pot. I also wanted to include a touch or two from my mother-in-law’s homemade gumbo because Keith loves it so.
I knew I lucked out when I realized one of the quickest ways to Keith’s heart is through his stomach! When we were dating we spent time in the kitchen side by side cooking new dishes or adding new flavors to old favorites. We still love being in the kitchen together but sometimes I really do like to take the lead and make something to put stars in his eyes!
Putting together this recipe and having him try it was a must before I could share with my readers. He loved it so much! And he was not disappointed to find me making it again this weekend.
If your family isn’t much on spicy food, sub the Rotel tomatoes for plain diced tomatoes and skip the cayenne pepper. We love okra in our gumbo but it can eaisly be left out. Using chicken, sausage and shrimp is also our preference but this recipe works even if you only use one or two of these.
Picky eaters can sometimes balk about the onions and peppers but this little Kitchen Aid chopper purees everything so well my family barely even notices they are present.
If using shrimp, please pay close attention to the directions as you do not want to add the shrimp until the very end. Cooking the shrimp too long will make them mushy and that is never very tasty. Using a quick release on the instant pot and then immediately turning the pot back to sauté will allow the gumbo to quickly come to boil and the shrimp will cook firmly.
My mother-in-law’s touch? She always fries up a little bacon to include and I cannot deny everything tastes better with bacon! My touch has been to try to keep this as clean as possible and I will often sub the white rice for cauliflower rice instead.
Not only did this put a sweet smile on Keith’s face but it definitely is the perfect meal to satisfy on cool winter nights!
Instant Pot Gumbo
Ingredients:
2 lbs Chicken Breast cut in bite size pieces
1 Link of Sausage cut in rounds
1 lb Shrimp; peeled and deveined
1 Pkg Frozen Okra
3 Stalks Celery
1 Bell Pepper
1 Small Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Can Rotel tomatoes
1 Can Tomato Paste
1 tbsp cajun seasoning such as Tonys
1/2 tsp pepper
12 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 Bay Leaves
3 Slices Bacon
2 tbsp Butter or Ghee
2 tbsp arrow root or flour
Directions:
Set Instant pot to sauté and add bacon sliced in small bite size pieces.
After browning remove bacon and add chopped celery, onion, bell pepper and garlic to bacon grease and cook until soft. Remove from pot and set aside. Add 2 tbsp butter or ghee and allow to melt. Stir in 2 tbsp arrow root powder or flour and stir to create a paste. Turn instant pot to off and begin adding chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste and return bacon and veggies to the pot. Add both chicken and sausage but do not add shrimp at this time. Turn Instant pot on and press manual and set on high pressure for 30 minutes. Perform a quick release and turn the instant pot back to sauté. When the gumbo begins to boil, add shrimp and cook until shrimp is cooked through; about 5 minutes. Serve with rice.
