One-Pot Chicken Gumbo Pasta
I don’t like recipes that are too fussy.
You know, the ones with a ton of random ingredients or those that leave you with a sink full of dirty dishes.
I like my meals quick and simple, with an easy clean-up, which is why this recipe is clutch.
This One-Pot Chicken Gumbo Pasta requires exactly what it says — one pot. Disclaimer: you’ll need a couple cutting boards too, but come on, that’s a given.
Everything from the chicken to the veggies to the pasta goes in the same pot, making this recipe super simple to follow and a breeze to cleanup.
It also requires only one spice blend.
I got the idea after stumbling upon a packet of gumbo seasoning I’d purchased in New Orleans while visiting for my friend Katie’s wedding in October.
Naturally, I tossed it in my pantry and totally forgot about it (along with about fifty other spice packets I’ve accumulated while traveling over the years). Anyone need a gallon bag of cumin seeds?
When I found it, I was inspired by the challenge of trying a new type of cuisine. Traditional Southern cooking isn’t usually a great fit for #WhitsKitch with its typically greasy, fried foods and sausage-heavy dishes.
As you’ll see with this recipe though, you can totally invoke the flavors and feeling of Creole cuisine and keep a healthy nutritional profile.
Taking your usual Gumbo suspects — bell peppers, onion, and celery — I created this dish by swapping out sausage and rice for lean chicken and whole wheat pasta.
The Gumbo Filé Powder, made of ground sassafras leaves, adds an authentic Louisiana taste, and combined with the tomatoes and light coconut milk, gives the pasta sauce a thick, creamy consistency.
The best part — the leftovers are just as tasty as the first batch.
The seasoning really soaks in with time and makes a delicious lunch to bring to work the next day — adding yet another time-saving element to this easy dish!
- 1 lb Chicken (2 large breasts)
- 3 T. Gumbo or Creole Seasoning*
- 2 T. Oil of choice
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Green Bell Pepper
- 1 Onion
- 5 Celery Stalks
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- ½ C. Light Coconut Milk
- 2 C. Whole Wheat (or Gluten Free) Pasta, uncooked
- 2 C. Low-Sodium Vegetable Stock
- 1 C. Diced Tomatoes
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt
- Parsley, chopped (optional garnish)
- Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add 1 T. oil.
- Chop chicken into chunks and coat with 1½ T. Gumbo seasoning.
- Add chicken to hot pan and saute until all sides are browned and chicken is cooked through (about 8-10 minutes).
- While chicken cooks, chop your veggies.
- Remove chicken from pan. Add 1 T. oil. Once oil is hot, add garlic. Cook garlic for about 1-2 minutes, until browned.
- Add the rest of the vegetables to the pan. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, until browned.
- Stir in the pasta, coconut milk, vegetable stock, tomatoes, salt and remaining gumbo powder.
- Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Bring the mixture back down to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 12-15 minutes, until liquid has absorbed and pasta is al dente.
- Add chicken back to the pan, stir, and serve.
*If you can’t find Gumbo Filé Powder, feel free to use a “Creole” seasoning.
You can also swap other spice blends to instantly give this dish a different vibe — One-Pot Fajita Mediterranean Jamaican Chicken Pasta anyone?
And if you think Gumbo just isn’t Gumbo without sausage, feel free to add it in as well. I’d go for a organic, minimally-processed option like Applegate Farm’s Chicken Andouille Sausage.
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says:
This looks like an easy dish to make for the rest of my family (not vegetarians) on a weeknight. Thanks for sharing!
Whitney English says:
Totally! You could also make it with veggie sausage though so everyone can enjoy ;)
Amanda Howard says:
I so want to make this but I’ve just got to find 1 of the 2 spice blends here in Australia! Fingers crossed!
Whitney English says:
Just head over to the spice isle in your local grocery store and I’m sure you’ll find something that works! If you can’t find a gumbo/creole/Louisiana-style blend, you can always try it with a different flavor profile like I mentioned in the post – Mediterranean or Southwest/Mexican would work great! xo
Amanda Howard says:
I’ve managed to track it down! I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks so much!
Whitney English says:
Awesome!! Let me know how it turns out!
Patti Cakes says:
Love the. Ingredients and simplicity of this recipe. I will definitely add this to my meal repertoire! Thanks,
Whitney English says:
So simple :) Let me know if you try it!
Kathleen says:
I have to admit, I was originally pulling up your site to find my all-time favorite, Low-Carb Spicy Peanut Pad Thai recipe that uses spaghetti squash, but the One-Pot Chicken Gumbo Pasta caught my eye. Instead of saving this recipe for another day, I decided to be adventurous and give this one a go.
The pictures made it look so incredibly tasty! Before I attempted this recipe today. I’d never eaten gumbo in my life. Wasn’t sure if I’d like gumbo, or even the creole seasoning. Turns out, I loved the final dish. So yummy! So easy to make! I worried it would be too spicy, but it has just the right amount of heat. I used sausage instead of chicken and used quinoa penne noodles. I’m already looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow. Thanks for another great recipe Whitney!!
Whitney English says:
This makes me so happy to hear! Way to be adventurous!! I am pretty routine in the kitchen too – outside of recipes for the blog I eat a lot of the same meals over and over again. It’s always fun to branch out :) And I love that you customized it with quinoa noodles and sausage – your pic on Twitter looked delish!
Krissy @ Pretty Wee Things says:
Yum! I’m with you on the uncomplicated recipe front! One pot wonders are definitely my favourite! I think this one would be a huge family hit so I will definitely put it on the list next week! xx
Whitney English says:
Yay! Let me know how it turns out! xo