The ultimate in game day nachos, Louisiana Gumbo Nachos are what real football food is all about! These nachos are made with crisp tortilla chips smothered in a shrimp and sausage gumbo toppping, melted colby jack cheese and jalapeno slices.
Throw the best tailgate or Super Bowl party by serving Chunky Tex Mex Guacamole, Creole Sausage Balls and Roasted Peanuts and Coconut Cookies with Pecans with these gumbo nachos.
Gumbo + Nachos!
Everybody knows that nachos are an all-time favorite concession stand food. Cheesy, crunchy, salty, they satisfy every junk food craving we have. It’s not a real game, until someone shows up with the nachos.
And nachos + gumbo? Well, that’s pure genius. Absolutely loaded with flavor and chock full of shrimp, sausage, tomatoes with just enough thick, savory roux to hold it all together… piled high on crunchy tortilla chips. Snacking heaven.
What’s better is that you and your team don’t have to be from Louisiana to love or serve this recipe. It’s made with a version of my easy gumbo recipe and comes with plenty of options so that you can make just like your fans will like it!
What Food Is Louisiana Known For? Must-Have Mardi Gras Recipes
Ingredients & Recipe Overview
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- butter
- all-purpose flour
- onion, celery, green bell pepper (the holy trinity of Louisiana cooking)
- minced garlic
- chicken broth or chicken stock
- diced tomatoes with green chilies
- beef smoked sausage
- okra (frozen or fresh)
- bay leaves
- all purpose Creole seasoning (or your favorite store brand)
- medium shrimp, tail off, peeled and deveined
- colby jack cheese
- green onions
- jalapeno
Nacho Topping Ideas & Recipe Variations
I love topping these loaded nachos with chopped fresh parsley leaves, green onions, a dollop of sour cream or a hit or two of Louisiana hot sauce.
Want a little more New Orleans?
- Turn this into a seafood gumbo nachos recipe by adding 6-8 ounces of crawfish tails.
- Spice it up with Andouille sausage instead of beef sausage.
- Add a splash or two of hot sauce and a teaspoon or so of creole seasoning to your sour cream for a little cajun sour cream dip to serve with these nachos with.
Can you make these nachos with Doritos? Uh, yes you can!
How to Make These Loaded Gumbo Nachos
Easy Gumbo Instructions. In a large skillet, melt butter and whisk in flour, cooking until your roux is the color of peanut butter. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, cooking and stirring until onion becomes translucent.
Add broth, tomatoes & green chiles, sausage, okra, bay leaves, and the Creole seasoning. Let simmer for 10 min. Stir in shrimp. Cook for 3-5 min. until the shrimp are pink and firm.
Assemble the Nachos. Line a large rimmed baking sheet or oven safe platter with tortilla chips. Spoon gumbo over chips. Sprinkle cheese over top of nachos and place under oven broiler just long enough to melt the cheese.
Serve! Garnish with sliced jalapenos and green onion and serve!
Tips for Making the Best Gumbo Nachos
- For a smooth melt and the best cheese pull, grate your own cheese. I use a box grater, and it’s easy and quick!
- To make the okra the perfect size for nachos, I slice them thin. As a result, fresh okra is my favorite to use. But when it’s not in season, I buy frozen whole okra, run them under warm water for a few minutes, then they are ready to slice!
- Thicker, yellow corn tortilla chips work best for these loaded jumbo nachos!
How to Serve Nachos on Game Day
Make game day and tailgates extra fun by serving these nachos as:
- A nacho bar spread! Fill 9×13 aluminum pans with tortilla chips, gumbo, cheese, then follow with all the topping options- parsley or cilantro, jalapenos, green onions and sour cream. Don’t forget the hot sauce!
- Walking Nachos! Serve with individual bags of Doritos, tortilla chips and corn chips. Guests can open the bags, spoon in gumbo, cheese and finish with toppings. Don’t forget the plastic spoons or forks for digging in!
Ways To Make Nachos
Skillet Nachos: Make your gumbo in a large sauce pan. Lightly spray the bottom of 12-13 inch cast iron skillet with non stick spray. Fill with chips, top with gumbo and cheese and place under the broiler for 3 minutes or so. If you like that, you’ll like my Dorito King Ranch Chicken Skillet recipe too!
Sheet Pan Nachos: This recipe uses a sheet pan cooking method like my Sheet Pan BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos.
Foil Packet Nachos: Make these nachos on the grill or around the fire pit using easy, zero clean up foil packets like my No-Mess Chicken Nacho Foil Packets.
The Day Before: Pull out the big pro move by making your gumbo the day before. On the day of the big game, simply assemble your nachos using your preferred cooking method. For sheet pan and skillet, bake at 350° Fahrenheit until gumbo is warmed through.
Other Game Day Recipes You’ll Love
- Best Cheesy Beef Enchilada Dip
- Million Dollar Shrimp & Crab Dip
- Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- New Orleans Muffuletta Skewers
- Spicy Italian Crescent Ring
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW!
RATE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT OR SNAP A PHOTO.
Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo Nachos
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cupe diced green bell pepper
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 C chicken broth
- 1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 8 oz smoked sausage sliced
- ½ C sliced okra frozen or fresh
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon all purpose Creole seasoning
- 10 oz medium shrimp tail off, peeled and deveined
- 4-5 cups tortilla chips
- 8 ounces colby-jack cheese blend grated
- 1 jalapeno sliced
- 3 green onions sliced
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook for 5 minutes, whisking constantly until roux is the color of peanut butter.
- Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent.
- Add broth, tomatoes & green chiles, sausage, okra, bay leaves, and the Creole seasoning. Let simmer for 10 min.
- Stir in shrimp. Cook for 3-5 min. until the shrimp are pink and firm.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet or oven safe platter with tortilla chips. Spoon gumbo over chips. Sprinkle cheese over top of nachos and place under oven broiler just long enough to melt the cheese.
- Garnish with jalapeno slices and green onions and serve!
Notes
-
- For a smooth melt and the best cheese pull, grate your own cheese. I use a box grater, and it’s easy and quick!
-
- To make the okra the perfect size for nachos, I slice them thin. As a result, fresh okra is my favorite to use. But when it’s not in season, I buy frozen whole okra, run them under warm water for a few minutes, then they are ready to slice!
-
- Thicker, yellow corn tortilla chips work best for these loaded jumbo nachos!
Ways To Make Nachos
Skillet Nachos: Make your gumbo in a large sauce pan. Lightly spray the bottom of 12-13 inch cast iron skillet with non stick spray. Fill with chips, top with gumbo and cheese and place under the broiler for 3 minutes or so. If you like that, you’ll like my Dorito King Ranch Chicken Skillet recipe too! Sheet Pan Nachos: This recipe uses a sheet pan cooking method like my Sheet Pan BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos. Foil Packet Nachos: Make these nachos on the grill or around the fire pit using easy, zero clean up foil packets like my No-Mess Chicken Nacho Foil Packets. The Day Before: Pull out the big pro move by making your gumbo the day before. On the day of the big game, simply assemble your nachos using your preferred cooking method. For sheet pan and skillet, bake at 350° Fahrenheit until gumbo is warmed through.Nutrition
Rate & Comment