12 Ingredients To Upgrade Your Gumbo

Gumbo is one of those comfort foods that hits all the right notes. Both meat and seafood-heavy gumbos have a savory complexity to them, with a variety of textures and a slew of seasonings that keep things interesting well past the first few bites. And if you've made this recipe at home before, then you know that making a proper gumbo involves some steps that you absolutely can't skip — that "holy trinity" base of celery, onions, and bell peppers, for example, can't be ignored. But just because there are some ingredients that you absolutely have to include in your gumbo doesn't mean those are the only ingredients you should incorporate into your recipe.

By thinking creatively — or just by reading through this list — you can give your gumbo a non-traditional spin that makes one of your favorite dishes even more interesting than it already is. Of course, we understand if you like to stick to tradition. After all, why mess with a good thing, especially when it comes to a dish as delicious as gumbo? But for those who feel adventurous, creative, or just bored with the same old recipe they follow every time, this list of ingredients can help you upgrade your gumbo into something seriously special.

White meat can take your gumbo to a whole new level. You can use it to add more protein to your recipe to make it heartier or more filling, or just as a way to use up some of the leftover meat you have in the fridge. Although it's not always super traditional, you may find that some gumbo recipes call for chicken. So, why not try your recipe with a different kind of white meat? Turkey makes for a solid addition to any pot of gumbo. You can shred the breast or chop up pieces of dark meat and add them to the stew to either join forces with seafood and sausage or take center stage.

You can add turkey to your gumbo whenever you get the craving for a more filling version of the classic recipe, but we think this is a particularly good idea when you find yourself with too many Thanksgiving leftovers. Leftover turkey can be notoriously difficult to work with because of its tendency to dry out, especially after it's been hanging out in the fridge for a day or two. By incorporating it into a stew like gumbo, you'll avoid those sad, lifeless leftovers and will get to enjoy a standout gumbo instead.

If you have a particularly well-stocked bar or bar cart in your home and a penchant for savory drinks, there's a good chance that you always keep some bloody mary mix on hand. It's a popular cocktail for all the salty beverage lovers out there, and that mix can make for a particularly exciting brunch. But just because bloody mary mix is specifically designed for making a cocktail doesn't mean you can't use it for other purposes. Perhaps one of the best ways to employ this pre-made ingredient is to add some to your gumbo.

Think about it: Gumbo harnesses a lot of the same flavors you'll find in bloody mary mix. There's that tomato-y savoriness that combines a complex umami flavor with just the right amount of acidity and subtle sweetness. So, why not add some of the mix right into your gumbo? It's one of the fastest and easiest ways to ensure a more flavorful stew without having to go wild with every dry spice you have stocked in your pantry. You may never look at bloody mary mix the same way again.

Any good gumbo recipe will call for a flavorful stock to create the base of the dish. This stock is all-important, since it imparts a ton of flavor to the other ingredients. And although you can use pretty much any stock you have hanging out in your kitchen (or any stock you can make yourself on the stove), shrimp stock makes for an especially flavorful gumbo. Depending on the grocery stores you have access to, you'll likely be able to find shrimp stock at the store. However, we prefer to source our shrimp stock a different way: by making it ourselves using leftover shrimp shells.

DIYing your own stock has a few benefits. First of all, you'll cut back on the amount of money you're spending on the dish because you don't have to buy a separate ingredient. And secondly, it allows you to avoid food waste by putting those shrimp shells to good use. Sure, making your own shrimp stock can be time consuming, but it lets you have ultimate control over the flavor of your finished gumbo. If you ask us, that extra bit of time and effort will be worth it once you taste the flavor of your fresh, from-scratch gumbo.

There are few ingredients that can automatically add a burst of savory, umami flavor to any dish they touch — and fish sauce is definitely one of them. If you're not familiar with the ingredient, you may be hesitant to add it to dishes that don't specifically call for it. Despite its strong aroma, it does add a salty, umami, and savory component to anything it touches. That makes it a prime addition to a wide variety of dishes, including various stews, like gumbo. Just a dash of the stuff can add all the complexity and saltiness you're craving. 

The trick with fish sauce is to taste as you go. If you're not too familiar with the ingredient, start by adding just a small amount to your simmering gumbo. Give it a taste, and if you think it can still use more, add some extra fish sauce in. Continue this process until you're left with the most interesting, salty, and umami stew you can imagine. You'll never leave fish sauce out of your gumbo (or any other stew you make) ever again.

If you've eaten gumbo your whole life (or grew up around people who cooked it on a regular basis), then there's a good chance you already know what file powder is. However, for those of us who encountered the dish later in life, it's an ingredient that may seem less familiar. It's made from sassafras leaves ground into a powder. It plays multiple roles in gumbo, including lending a subtle sweetness to the dish, balancing out all the other savory flavors at play, and thickening the broth from a soupy consistency into something that's thicker and more stew-like.

That being said, you have to pay careful attention to when you add the file powder to the dish. If you do it too soon, it will turn into thick strings with a goopy texture — which is probably not what you're going for in your pot of gumbo. Rather, you should add the file powder right before you're finished cooking the gumbo. That way, you'll be able to capture those desirable flavors without yielding an odd, less-than-appetizing texture.

Take a look at your favorite gumbo recipe, or think back to versions of the dish you've made in the past. There's a good chance that you used ground black pepper in the gumbo. We're not telling you to omit that spice — far from it, actually. Black pepper lends the gumbo an earthy flavor that makes every bite that just more delicious. But you don't have to — and probably shouldn't — stop at the black pepper alone. That's because there's a different kind of pepper that may just take your gumbo to the next level. It's white pepper, and it's a dried spice you should definitely have on hand.

White pepper is less pungent than its darker counterpart, and it has an arguably more subtle flavor profile. Plus, it's generally ground into a powder, unlike black pepper, which is more commonly seen in larger, flakier forms. Therefore, white pepper mixes into the broth of your gumbo better, creating a more consistent, even flavor. It's a subtle addition, sure, but that extra bit of flavor goes a long way and offers the broth in your gumbo just the right amount of earthiness and complexity. If you don't have any white pepper in your spice cabinet yet, make sure you grab some the next time you're at the grocery store or market. It can upgrade your gumbo and so many other dishes.

You've heard it once, and you'll hear it again: Fat is flavor. Don't skimp on that fat when you want to make the richest, most flavorful, and ultimately the most delicious gumbo (or any other dish) possible. Of course, there are countless types of fat you can add to your gumbo recipe. For instance, you may start cooking your vegetables with olive oil or butter. But if you want to infuse your gumbo with even more of a meaty, intense, and savory flavor, then you may want to consider using bacon fat in addition to or in place of that olive oil or butter.

Bacon fat is extra rich, and it has a smokiness to it that you won't find in every type of cooking fat. Plus, it's an ingredient that you probably throw away anyway after you're done making breakfast on a weekend morning. By utilizing it in your gumbo, you get to cut down on food waste and make your stew more flavorful in the process. What's not to love? Plus, it gives you an excuse to cook some bacon in the morning before you get started on your gumbo. After all, you're going to need plenty of sustenance to cook all that stew.

If there's only one additional ingredient you decide to add to your gumbo, it should be monosodium glutamate (MSG). There are a few reasons why MSG just makes sense as an ingredient addition to your gumbo. First of all, it's easy to keep it on hand whenever you need it. You can find it at most grocery stores, and it can just hang out in your spice cabinet until you're ready to use it. But perhaps more importantly, it's the simplest way to add some much-needed umami complexity to any pot of gumbo you make.

What is MSG, you ask? It's a salt-like powder that delivers a shockingly flavorful umami quality to whatever it touches. That's what makes it so perfect for gumbo — it helps you achieve that beautiful, mouthwatering flavor profile without having to do much work on your part. And don't believe the negative hype you may have heard about the ingredient. It's not really bad for you when eaten in reasonable amounts (just like any ingredient), and ultimately, MSG's bad reputation is largely a result of anti-Asian racism. Once you see how amazing it can make your gumbo taste, you're never going to want to omit it from your recipe again.

Depending on what type of gumbo you grew up eating or the variety you now prefer to make, you may or may not consider tomatoes a necessary addition to a pot of gumbo. If you're in the camp of people who do enjoy a tomato-y gumbo, though, it's an ingredient you're going to want to have on hand whenever you plan on making the recipe. However, our kitchens aren't always well-stocked, and if you're craving gumbo anyway, you can make a makeshift version of the classic by using ketchup in place of or in addition to tomatoes.

Is this an unconventional addition to gumbo? Sure. But it captures those tomato-forward flavors and gives your stew's broth more flavor without much effort on your part. However, ketchup has a lot more sweetness to it than plain tomatoes do, so you'll want to make sure not to add too much. You should also balance that ketchup out with more savory and acidic ingredients. That being said, if you like a little extra touch of sweetness in your gumbo, then this may just be the addition you have to try the next time you make the celebrated Southern stew at home.

If you ask us, gumbo is delicious on its own. It doesn't need any other accoutrements to make it an incredible meal that we could eat any day of the week. But if you want to make your gumbo into a more balanced and filling meal, then you'll probably want to combine it with a carb of some type. Rice is the classic option here; it makes for a neutral base for your stew. But rice isn't the only type of starch you can use as a backdrop for your gumbo. If you're looking for an alternative, you may want to turn to grits.

If you think about it, grits just make sense. After all, shrimp and grits work exceptionally well together, right? So it's fitting that another seafood-heavy dish would perform well with the iconic Southern breakfast staple. Using grits as the base for your gumbo dish makes for a simple twist on the classic recipe. Plus, if you use instant grits, it cuts down your prep time considerably. Give it a try the next time you want to switch up your gumbo game.

Every dish, regardless whether you're making a gumbo, a salad, or a sandwich, needs to have a balance of flavors. And one element that's often lacking in dishes is acid. Without bright, fresh acidity, a dish can taste flat, bland, and boring. Luckily, there are a ton of different ways to add acidity to a dish. For example, tomatoes can offer acidity, as can citrus fruits. But perhaps one of the easiest (and most shelf-stable) ways to add an element of acidity to a dish is through the addition of vinegar. Since you can keep it in your pantry to use whenever you're missing that acidity, you don't have to make a separate trip to pick up fresh citrus at the store.

And it turns out that one of the cheapest and most easily accessible types of vinegar, white vinegar, can make a big difference in your gumbo. You don't need to use a lot of it — just a capful of the stuff will do — but once you add it in, you'll realize that your gumbo just isn't the same without it.

Many recipes for gumbo will call for sausage, which can make for a flavorful and hearty addition to this otherwise seafood-focused stew. But there may be times when you can't get your hands on any sausage, or you may just want to add an extra layer of meatiness to your stew. In those cases, you might want to consider adding ground beef to the mix. This may not be the most traditional ingredient in gumbo, but believe us when we say that it takes the dish to a whole new level. It makes every bite richer and more substantial, and it can even make your gumbo stretch further so you can feed more people.

Luckily, ground beef is exceptionally easy to work with. Just brown it in the pan along with your veggies before adding in your stock or broth. This heartier version of the classic is especially delicious on cold nights when you just need a little something extra to fill your stomach.