A comforting smoked chicken and sausage gumbo featuring chicken kissed by Traeger's smoke and a rich, chocolatey roux. Perfect for cold weather warmups, this recipe is a labor of love resulting in pure comfort in a bowl.
For the roux: In a large cast iron pan on medium-low heat, whisk flour, bacon fat, and canola oil together. Whisk continuously for over an hour until the color is a deep, rich, thickened chocolate brown. Do not leave unattended. Remove from heat.
For the chicken: Preheat your Traeger grill to 225°F. Season chicken breasts (or thighs) with Creole or Cajun seasoning. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 150°F. Remove chicken from the grill, slice into bite-size pieces.
For the sausage and vegetables: While the chicken is smoking, slice sausage (andouille preferred) into rounds and fry until crispy on both sides. Remove sausage from the pan. Add the diced green pepper, red pepper, onion, celery, and garlic paste into the remaining sausage fat and sauté until softened.
Assemble the Gumbo: In a large pot, add the bay leaves, sautéed vegetables, gumbo filé, smoked chicken, fried sausage, and the prepared roux. Add hot sauce and additional Cajun seasoning if desired, plus salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Serve: Serve the gumbo hot over white or dirty rice, garnished with finely chopped green onions. The roux can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in a sealed container in the fridge.
