Instant Pot Gumbo Recipe

What's better than an Instant Pot recipe? Nothing! When it comes to great household appliances, the Instant Pot is one of our faves. We love this magical little kitchen helper that can do so much. If you have a soft spot for gumbo and love cooking with your Instant Pot, then we have the perfect recipe for you. The recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep and 32 minutes to cook and the Instant Pot basically does all the work for you.

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn of YouCare-SelfCare is a pro when it comes to great dishes and her gumbo is no exception. "I love this recipe because it has so much flavor and is a delicious one-pot meal. It is also nice because you can make it the traditional way or make it a little healthier by using a plant-based sausage and omitting the butter step," Hahn explains.

Keep reading to find out how to make this spectacular dish. 

You will need quite a few items for this recipe, so start by making a list and then heading to the store. First, pick up some oil and 14 ounces of sausage. When you hit the produce aisle, be sure to pick up some onion, garlic cloves, red pepper, and celery. You will also need to get butter, flour, and broth. Check to see if you have any of those items at home, as they're pretty common. 

Then, grab a few things in the spice aisle, including oregano, salt, thyme, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. You also need to get some fire-roasted tomatoes, green chilies, and frozen sliced okra. The recipe also calls for a few optional ingredients like rice, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Start by adding the oil to the Instant Pot, and turn on the sauté setting. Next, add in the sausage. Hahn notes that you can select any type of sausage you'd like, even meatless options, just be sure to slice it ahead of time. Cook the sausage and oil together for about 6 minutes, and be sure to stir, so it cooks on both sides. Once you finish, remove the sausage from the Instant Pot.

Go ahead and add all the freshly sliced and diced veggies to the Instant Pot. As a reminder, you should have chopped them ahead of time. "I usually dice things pretty small, but more of a 'chop' works fine too," Hahn shares. "I have an awesome chef's knife that makes it super easy. Or you can use your food processor to chop."

Toss in the onion, garlic, and the red and green peppers. The last thing you need to add is the celery. Leave the Instant Pot on the sauté setting and cook for 6 minutes. Be sure to stir the veggies frequently so nothing sticks to the bottom. Then, remove the veggies from the Instant Pot and set aside.

Now, add butter and flour to the Instant Pot to create a roux. Cook for 3 minutes, and be sure to stir continuously. If you want to keep the gumbo a little healthier side, you can skip this step. 

Now, add in the items you set aside and throw in the broth. Next, toss in the creole (or Cajun) seasoning, oregano, salt, thyme, and pepper. "It is pretty spicy, but you can tame it down by cutting [back] on the creole or Cajun spice," Hahn shares. 

"Creole spice and Cajun spice are pretty similar. Creole spice has oregano and thyme in it, so if you use that blend you can omit adding those separately. Although having more of these is totally fine, too," Hahn adds. "I say, use whatever you have, but it is pretty important to have one of them in here for the true gumbo style."

Stir to combine, then add the can of fire-roasted tomatoes on top. Once you add the tomatoes, don't stir in order to prevent the burn setting from coming on. Select the cancel button and put the lid on the Instant Pot. Then, set the nozzle to "sealing."

Select the pressure cook button and make sure it's set to high pressure. Set your timer for 20 minutes and once it dings, switch the nozzle to "venting." Stand back as the steam releases out of the Instant Pot — you don't want to get burned.

Finally, add the okra and select "sauté" again. Cook for another 5 minutes without the cover on the pot.

Once the okra has cooked, you can remove the gumbo from the Instant Pot and serve it to your lucky guests. This is wonderful when it comes fresh out of the Instant Pot. Hahn recommends topping with jalapeños and cilantro if you'd like. You can also add rice to the gumbo to make it more filling. "I like to serve this with rice or quinoa. It is nice to serve it with a huge green salad, but it is totally complete all on its own," Hahn says. And if you have any leftovers, don't worry — the dish keeps well. "You can freeze leftovers for up to 2 months," Hahn notes.

We hope this hearty gumbo hits the spot.