Creole gumbo for 12: a peanut-butter-brown oil roux with onion, bell pepper and celery, simmered with chicken thighs, andouille, okra and tomatoes, then finished at the lot with shrimp and spooned over rice. The long simmer happens at home, and gumbo tastes better the next day anyway. At the lot you bring the pot back up and add the shrimp so they're fresh when you serve.
Feeds: 12 · Hands-on: about 50 min · Total: about 2 hours 30 min
Home gear: a heavy 8-quart Dutch oven and a flat-edged wooden spoon
Pack for the lot
- Gumbo, sealed, in the cooler
- Shrimp, sealed, on ice and away from ready-to-eat food
- Rice, in a foil pan with a lid
- Green onions, parsley and hot sauce
- Big pot and a ladle
- Propane burner or a grill with a grate that holds a pot
- Instant-read thermometer
- Fire extinguisher
- Bowls and spoons
Lot notes
- Our go-to rub: 2 Gringos Chupacabra Cajun seasoning. We put it on popcorn, gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp Creole and anything that needs a kick.
- Tiger Stadium: LSU's grill rule reads "Contained grills, smokers, fryers and Blackstones, no bigger than a 55-gallon drum. Attended, 10 feet from buildings, extinguisher on hand." A propane burner under the pot fits that rule, so keep someone with it.
- Holding hot: keep the pot over low heat at 140°F or above. Once it's off the heat, eat within 2 hours, or 1 hour over 90°F, and toss the rest.
- Rice: cooked rice cools fast and gets reheated to 165°F, never left warm. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
- Fridge life: the gumbo keeps 3 to 4 days. Raw shrimp keeps 1 to 2 days, so buy it close to game day.
- A propane grill for the rice: the Monument G22 is a two-burner tabletop propane grill that comes with a hose for a standard 20 lb tank, per Monument. Warm the covered rice pan over one low burner with the lid down while the gumbo heats, and keep it attended and 10 feet from buildings under the LSU rule.
Can you make gumbo ahead for a tailgate?
Yes. Make it up to 2 days ahead, keep it cold and add the shrimp when you reheat it at the lot. The roux and spices settle overnight, so it tastes better the second day.
How do you keep gumbo hot at a tailgate?
Keep the pot on low heat at 140°F or above, or move it to a slow cooker on warm if your lot has power. Don't heat cold gumbo in a slow cooker; bring it to 165°F on the burner first.
How much gumbo do you need for 20 people?
Make 2 batches for up to 24: 1 cup each of oil and flour, 2 onions, 2 bell peppers, 4 celery ribs, 2 packages (24 to 28 oz) of andouille, 3 lb of chicken thighs, 16 cups of stock, 2 cans of tomatoes, 4 cups of okra, 3 lb of shrimp and 6 cups of rice (dry). You'll need a 16-quart pot, or cook it in 2 Dutch ovens.
Can you cook gumbo at Tiger Stadium?
Yes, if your setup meets the rule. It reads "Contained grills, smokers, fryers and Blackstones, no bigger than a 55-gallon drum. Attended, 10 feet from buildings, extinguisher on hand." Keep the burner contained, staffed and clear of buildings.