August 27, 2021

Quick Kielbasa and Shrimp Skillet Gumbo Rice

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Home » Quick Kielbasa and Shrimp Skillet Gumbo Rice

This Quick Kielbasa and Shrimp Skillet Gumbo Rice is the perfect dinner to feed a family on a budget during a busy weeknight. The creole flavors in this dish accentuate the smoky kielbasa and succulent shrimp perfectly. This will become a fast family favorite.

gumbo skillet rice with kielbasa, shrimp and okra on white marble plate with navy background

This is one of those amazing recipes that is perfect for a busy weeknight meal but it does not skimp on big flavor. It takes a fraction of the time that a traditional gumbo does. The rice base for this dish will come together quickly and easily in your rice cooker. Then everything will come together and the magic will begin in an extra large skillet.

Gumbo is a very traditional Louisiana-style dish. It consists of kielbasa, shrimp, okra and cajun/creole seasonings. For this recipe, I add two chicken flavored bouillon cubes to the rice that will cook in the rice pot. This really lends so much overall incredible flavor to the skillet gumbo rice.

Everyone knows that when it comes to getting dinner on the table during a school/work night that speed is key. This recipe uses kielbasa and shrimp which are two very quick protein options. Shrimp takes roughly 5 minutes to cook which makes dinners like Shrimp Scampi come together in a flash. And kielbasa is a winner thatcomes precooked. They are the stars of this dish. The smokiness of the kielbasa paired with the juicy and succulent shrimp, will make this a superstar in your busy weeknight dinner rotation.

This dinner isn’t just all about the proteins though. You get amazing deliciousness from the green pepper, onion and diced tomatoes. This combination of veggies always packs a lot of flavor. It’s the secret to my New England Style American Chop Suey. The standout veggie here is the okra. Fresh is always fabulous. However, my store does not have fresh okra very often so I opt for frozen and I love the result just the same.

Quick Kielbasa and Shrimp Skillet Gumbo Rice is a fabulous time saving dinner. You will get all of the delicious and classic flavors of a delicious gumbo but in less time and with less work. You won’t have to make a roux for this recipe. A roux is a flour and butter mixture that is used as the base to thicken a traditional gumbo.

What can I use in place of the kielbasa and/or shrimp?

You can add shredded chicken to the existing proteins in this dish or you could make this recipe with only chicken, if desired. Steak or even ground beef would also be delicious and would be a fresh take for this classic dish.

What can I use if I can’t find okra?

In this recipe, you can use fresh or frozen okra. If you can’t get your hands on okra, you can try substituting with eggplant, zucchini or green beans. They will all absorb the delicious gumbo flavors well.

Instructions

Add the jasmine rice to the rice pot. Fill the rice pot with cold water and stir the rice around. Empty most of the water to reduce the amount of starch. You will fill and drain the rice pot a few times until the water is running fairly clear and is a lot less cloudy. It is important to rinse the rice as starch can make for a gummy or clumpy rice. The water will not be completely clear. Add cold water to just cover the rice and move the pot so that the rice is level. Place the tip of your index finger so that it’s just barely covering the rice. Fill with water until the water level reaches the first joint of your finger. Add the chicken bouillon cubes. Cover the rice pot and follow the cooking instructions for your rice cooker.

black rice pot with jasmine rice and two chicken bouillon cubes

Using a large pan sprayed skillet, add butter. Once close to fully melted, add shrimp, 1 tablespoon lime juice, ½ tablespoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook the shrimp for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Cook until opaque in color and transfer the shrimp and butter into a bowl and set aside.

shrimp frying in large skillet with butter, salt and black pepper

Chop the kielbasa, green pepper, onion and garlic. Using the same frying pan, add vegetable oil, kielbasa, green pepper, onion and garlic. Stir for 3 minutes. Add the frozen okra and stir and allow everything to cook for an additional 8 minutes.

kielbasa, green pepper and onion in frying pan

kielbasa, green pepper, onion and garlic frying in skillet. shrimp that has already been cooked is in a blue bowl beside the pan.

Add the cooked rice and shrimp (butter and all) to the skillet. Then, add the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Also, add canned diced tomatoes (including the juice), chicken broth, creole seasoning, chili powder, dried oregano, garlic powder and crushed red pepper. Stir constantly until everything is completely combined for 5 minutes.

large skillet with rice, green pepper, diced tomatoes, shrimp and kielbasa with chicken broth being poured in

rice, kielbasa, shrimp, green pepper, okra and diced tomatoes in skillet. seasonings over the top of cumin, chili pepper, creole seasoning, garlic powder, salt and black pepper

Let me know in the comments below how your Quick Kielbasa and Shrimp Skillet Gumbo Rice turned out. As always, thank you very much for supporting Spice and Sugar Mama!