Stewed Okra & Tomatoes with Chicken Sausage
Stewed Okra & Tomatoes with Chicken Sausage is an easy recipe that combines everyday ingredients (like okra, corn, lima beans, sausage, and tomatoes) into a dish that has been served in the South for decades. It’s flavorful enough to eat alone or enjoyed on a bed of rice.
This particular recipe brings back great memories and takes me to those special moments I spent with my grandmother. She would always make this dish on Sundays after church, and I loved every minute of it!
The funny thing is growing up, I was not too fond of vegetables, but dishes like this changed my mind. The awesome Cajun and Creole flavors you get from this combination of goodness can make anybody forget how light this recipe actually is.
This Stewed Okra & Tomatoes with Chicken Sausage is both a combination and a twist of two recipes I grew up on — stewed okra & tomatoes and succotash. Succotash is made using okra, sweet corn, lima beans, turnips (sometimes), and tomatoes. Stewed okra & tomatoes are just that — okra and tomatoes — it’s so simple but oh so good. My twist comes in with the addition of juicy chicken sausage.
Succotash is a staple in the South and has a long history. A dish filled with inexpensive ingredients was food that fed a lot of people through some really tough times.
Okra, originating in Ethiopia, is perfect for stews (it acts as its own thickening agent), and its mild yet earthy flavor is enhanced when cooked with tomatoes. I especially like to use stewed tomatoes as the juices become the tasty base of the dish. Okra and tomatoes are the perfect match; they come into season at the same time, and when prepared together, it is one of the simplest dishes you can make.
Now on to the recipe…
Ingredients you’ll need to make stewed okra:
- You can use fresh okra and cut them into 1- to 2-inch pieces, or you can purchase them frozen and pre-cut. Of course, pre-cut okra would be the easiest to use.
- The same goes for the corn; you can use fresh corn, remove the kernels from the cob, or go with frozen corn. When I can, I prefer to use fresh corn on the cob as it seems to add a bit of texture to the recipe.
- Lima beans are my bean of choice (mostly because it’s how I make succotash, as I mentioned earlier). You can opt to leave these out if you like.
- Adding roasted chicken sausage makes this dish even heartier.
- Fire-Roasted crushed tomatoes combined with tomato sauce serve as the base and helps create that wonderful stew consistency.
- Can you really make any stew without minced garlic? That’s probably a “no”.
- I blend Creole seasoning, black pepper, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, basil leaf flakes, red cayenne pepper, and sea salt for my seasonings.
How to Make Stewed Okra with Chicken Sausage:
- You will begin this recipe by slicing the chicken sausage into small pieces. Cook your sausage for around 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Ensure your cooking pan is set to medium heat, then add butter and stir in the minced garlic. Add the okra to the pan and cook them down for 7 minutes. Note: I cook the okra by itself before adding any other ingredients to remove some of the “slime” that comes from the okra. Sauteing at very high heat, roasting, or searing in a hot cast-iron pan are all ways to ensure when you add cooked okra to your recipe, there will be hardly any slime at all.
- Remove the kernels from the corn cob (if you are using fresh corn) from the cob into a large bowl.
- Add the corn, tomato sauce, and lima beans to the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add all remaining ingredients to the pan and cook covered for another 10 minutes.
- Once complete, you can serve this dish with or without rice. I enjoy it both ways.
I really have a love for okra so all of the flavorful additions to this dish are like what JJ on Goodtimes would call “dynooomite”. The fire-roasted crushed tomatoes along with the roasted chicken sausage make the perfect team.
I hope you give my twist on stewed okra and tomatoes a try. And if you are looking for a great Sunday dinner idea this recipe will certainly do the job!
Here are a few more low-carb dinner ideas:
- Creamed Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Creamy Tuscan Steelhead Trout
- French Onion Gouda Stuffed Meatballs
- Honey Balsamic Steelhead Trout
- Creamy Cast Iron Tuscan Chicken
- Foil Baked Chilean Sea Bass with Lemon Parmesan Cream Sauce
Stewed Okra & Tomatoes with Chicken Sausage
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Stewed Okra & Tomatoes with Chicken Sausage is a flavorful combination of okra, corn, lima beans, chicken sausage, and crushed tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 26 oz. Roasted Chicken Sausage
- 1 cup Sweet Corn
- 24 oz. Cut Okra
- 1 tbsp. Butter
- 3 tsp. Minced Garlic
- 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
- 28 oz. Fire-Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
- 8 oz. Tomato Sauce
- 8 oz. Lima Beans
- 1 tbsp. Creole Seasoning
- 2 tsp. Black Pepper
- 2 tsp. Oregano
- 1 tsp. Paprika
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp. Basil Leaf Flakes
- 1 tsp. Red Cayenne Pepper
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Slice the chicken sausage. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set to the side.
- Remove the kernels from the corn and set to the side (if using fresh ears of corn).
- Ensure the pan is set to medium heat. Add butter and minced garlic, frequently stirring for 1 minute.
- Add okra to the pan and season with sea salt. Cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes to help eliminate some excess slime.
- Add chicken sausage, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, lima beans, and all seasonings to the pan. Cook covered for 15 minutes.
- Serve alone or with rice.
Notes
You can use frozen corn and lima beans for this recipe.
You can use whole un-cut okra as well. You can add it to the recipe whole or cut it into smaller pieces.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Creole
Nutrition
- Calories: 226
- Fat: 6.3g
True comfort food! Had andouille, so o used that instead. Solid recipe! Thank you! 🙂
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it, Julia!
I loved this recipe! The only thing is that I’m not a fan of Lima beans, so can I substitute those with lentils?
Hi, Michele! As long as the lentils are pre-cooked, the cooking time should remain the same. I see no reason why lentils wouldn’t work, but I have not tried or tested this ingredient in this recipe.
Can you please clarify what is “tomato sauce”? Is it tomato paste? Pasta sauce? Pizza sauce? Canned crushed tomatoes?
Also, if creole seasoning is not available where I live, is it okay to skip it, or is there something I can substitute it with? Thanks!
Hello Marie. Sorry for the confusion about the tomato sauce. It’s canned tomato sauce for one ingredient and canned fire-roasted crushed tomatoes for another. This helps with moisture and flavor in this stew. If you can’t find Creole seasoning, you can use a combination of black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and red pepper, with equal parts for each (maybe less on the red pepper if you don’t like the heat). I hope this helps!
Looks great (without the Lima beans though). Cant wait to try it
Thanks, Michele! Please let me know what you think about it.
This was so good! Found the recipe while looking for some way to use fresh okra for the first time and this was great. I tossed in some celery and Zucchini, served over brown rice, and enjoyed every bite!
Nice additions! Glad you enjoyed it!
I grew up on a dish that is very similar to this and I’m so happy I found this recipe! I love the combination of okra and lima beans! your directions are super-easy to follow. Thanks for sharing!
Enjoyed it! Thanks
Awesome! Thanks, Angela!
It says “first Cook the Okra by itself for 10-15 minutes to remove the slime” … but doesn’t say HOW …
Hi, Mel. Let me provide a few more details. You will need to cook it uncovered in a pan at medium heat. You don’t need to add any other ingredients to the pan. Place the cut okra in the pan and cook it while stirring occasionally.
As one who loves all things Cajun or Creol I loved it.
Thanks so much, Gregory!!
This was delicious! I made it easy with one 12oz bag of each of the frozen vegetables and one pack of chicken andouille sausage. The okra trick was excellent! No sliminess. Just a nice level of complexity from the okra. Served with cornbread. Deeelishious! Note that on my iPhone the recipe makes it seem like the Cajun seasoning is in addition to the other spices. In reality the other spices are the Cajun seasoning. Is there a way to show the other seasonings as a subset of the Cajun?
Hi Bettina, and thanks for stopping by! Yes, the okra trick works every time. 🙂
The Creole seasoning ingredient is actually a separate ingredient from the others. I use Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. I added it to the equipment section on the recipe card above so you could link directly to the brand I use.
I’d put in a quarter of the amount of oregano and basil called for. Makes this dish taste more Italian and less Cajun. The main flavor coming through for me was the oregano. Good dish with a few changes.
Thanks for your feedback, Shelly. Glad you still enjoyed the dish.
Growing up in Baton Rouge, Creole and Cajun cuisine were a part of my everyday. Where Cajun flavors are typically based on spices (you’ll find ingredients and seasonings like the holy trinity, cayenne pepper, and garlic used heavily), Creole flavors have more emphasis on herbs like oregano, thyme, and basil. Ingredients like oregano and basil are associated with other cuisines aside from Italian.
This recipe did NOT disappoint. What’s so unique about this deeply flavored dish is that it comes together in a reasonable time! Perfect for a weeknight meal and my family DEVOURED it. Adding this to the list!
This is so awesome! Thanks for giving the recipe a try and we’re glad it was a hit!
I just finished making this dish minutes ago! I had a spoonful to taste, and it was incredibly flavorful and comforting. I hope I can get a good IG picture of it quickly so that I can enjoy a proper bowl soon 😂🤤
Awesome! I’d love to see how it turned out. Be sure to tag me on IG!
Will be making this over the weekend for sure…yum! Does this dish travel well? We have a potluck at work next week, and I would like to double it. Glad I stumbled onto your site!!! Looking forward to exploring and trying out the goods! Cheers!
It absolutely does! Just make sure you pack it in a container with a tight lid. I hope everyone enjoys it!
Wow, what an unusual and I’m sure delicious dish! I haven’t made it yet but fully intend to make it. I love that you used okra. I love lots of vegetables, but okra is rarely used in one pan dishes.
Keep up the good work!
Rita
Thanks a lot Rita! I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try.
nice one
Thanks a lot Anderson!