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This crawfish etouffee is perfectly rich and buttery with a flavor packed spicy sauce served over steamed rice. It's incredible.
We like it even more than this chicken etouffee - and that is saying a lot. Plus, we use a very similar recipe in the crawfish pie too - so yum!
One of my favorite recipes ever. The rich buttery sauce over perfectly steamed rice gets me every time.
And add a dose of spice on that with some delicious meaty crawfish tails mixed in and I am a lover for life. I really think you'll like this a lot.
Plus, it is simple to make and is ready in under an hour.
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What is Crawfish Etouffee?
Crawfish etouffee is basically the meaty tail meat of crawfish (or crayfish as some call it) smothered in a rich roux-based sauce seasoned with Cajun spices, onions, peppers and herbs. It's rich and delicious and often served with steamed white rice.
Etouffee actually means "to smother" in French. And for those who don't know, Cajun food is largely influenced by French settlers in the Louisiana area.
We LOVE crawfish over here - below are some of the other reader favorite crawfish dishes:
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Why This Recipe Works
- Starting with a roux helps to make a smooth, rich base for the etouffee with an amazing flavor.
- Once you get the roux down, this is a VERY easy recipe to make.
- You can adjust the seasoning to make it as spicy as you want.
- Crawfish makes this dish really special, but you can substitute any seafood (shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels) or chicken and it will still be amazing!
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
The roux is the key to getting that rich consistency an etouffee typically has. You can learn how to make roux here for more tips and tricks, but basically it is flour and oil cooked together until it turns golden brown.
The recipe comes out the best if you use this homemade chicken bone broth and this homemade Cajun seasoning, but you can use store bought and still get amazing results.
I actually find my crawfish tails at Walmart interestingly enough. Depending on where you are located, you may have trouble finding them. You can always substitute shrimp for a similar result.
You can also use whole, fresh crawfish and just remove the tails. Make sure the clean the crawfish thoroughly before using,
*Crawfish season typically runs between November and July in Louisiana, so you'll be more likely to find fresh crawfish during those months.
Celery, onion and green pepper combine to create the Holy Trinity (use often in Cajun and Creole cooking).
I HIGHLY recommend serving this with steamed rice - you can make it ultra easily in the Instant Pot using this instant pot jasmine rice recipe (just substitute long grain white rice for the jasmine).
Step By Step Instructions
Heat the oil and flour in a skillet over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 5-10 minutes. The roux should be a golden brown color.
**Learn more about roux in this Guide to Roux
Add the onions, green peppers and celery and mix to coat with the roux.
Add the spices and Worcestershire sauce and stir together.
Slowly pour in the stock while whisking constantly (to avoid clumps). **If mixture is too thick, continue adding stock while whisking until it resembles a very thick stew.
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the crawfish tails, cook 1-2 minutes, until heated through and remove from heat.
Serve with steamed white rice, green onions and Louisiana hot sauce (optional).
Expert Tips
- Add additional Cajun seasoning for more flavor.
- Amp up the spice factor by adding ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or using hot paprika instead of regular.
- ALWAYS watch the roux while cooking it. It can burn quickly then you have to start over again. It should be a golden brown when done.
- You can also use whole, fresh crawfish and just remove the tails. Make sure the clean the crawfish thoroughly before using,
- Substitute shrimp for the crawfish tails if you can't find them. You can also use chicken or fish.
- You can also use seafood stock instead of chicken if you prefer a more seafood forward flavor.
- To make a creole version, add a can of diced tomatoes (drained) when adding the stock.
- Thicken: Add 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to water and then slowly pour the mixture into the etouffee, whisking constantly. Repeat to get the desired results.
- Thin: Whisk in additional stock until it reaches the desired consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is made with a roux for the gravy base, cooked with onions, green peppers and celery in a savory rich and spicy gravy like sauce studded with crawfish tail meat.
Gumbo tends to be more of a stew and etouffee is in a sauce that is more similar to a gravy. The base is typically a roux cooked with stock and Cajun seasonings for both, but the consistency of the end product is different.
The most popular way to serve it is over steamed white rice. You can also serve it with a side of:
air fryer garlic bread
air fryer cornbread or instant pot cornbread
roasted jalapenos
air fryer okra
sous vide mashed potatoes (or any mashed potatoes)
dirty rice
The roux gives is a deep almost nutty undertone and is what adds the amazing flavor to the etouffee. The remaining Cajun seasonings, chicken stock and herbs transform the gravy into a spicy, flavor packed sauce.
If your etouffee is toot thin, mix 1 tablespoon of flour in with stock and slowly whisk it into the mixture. Repeat until the desired thickness is reach.
You can also use cornstarch in place of the flour and it will thicken faster without a raw flour taste.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store the leftover etouffee in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on a skillet on the stove. If it's too thick, you may need to add additional broth to thin it out.
You can also freeze it, but the texture of the crawfish will become mushy. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then heat according to the above instructions/
If you love this recipe, leave a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂
Recipe
Crawfish Etouffee
Ingredients
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup oil
- ½ onion diced
- 1 green pepper diced
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 pound crawfish tails
- Green onions for serving
- Steamed white rice for serving
- Hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil and flour in a skillet over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 5-10 minutes. The roux should be a golden brown color.
- Add the onions, green peppers and celery and mix to coat with the roux.
- Add the spices and Worcestershire sauce and stir together.
- Slowly pour in the stock while whisking constantly (to avoid clumps). If mixture is too thick, continue adding stock while whisking until it resembles a very thick stew.
- Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the crawfish tails, cook 1-2 minutes, until heated through and remove from heat.
- Serve with steamed white rice, green onions and Louisiana hot sauce (optional).
Expert Tips:
- Add additional Cajun seasoning for more flavor.
- Amp up the spice factor by adding ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or using hot paprika instead of regular.
- ALWAYS watch the roux while cooking it. It can burn quickly then you have to start over again. It should be a golden brown when done.
- You can also use whole, fresh crawfish and just remove the tails. Make sure the clean the crawfish thoroughly before using,
- Substitute shrimp for the crawfish tails if you can't find them. You can also use chicken or fish.
- You can also use seafood stock instead of chicken if you prefer a more seafood forward flavor.
- To make a creole version, add a can of diced tomatoes (drained) when adding the stock.
- Thicken: Add 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch to water and then slowly pour the mixture into the etouffee, whisking constantly. Repeat to get the desired results.
- Thin: Whisk in additional stock until it reaches the desired consistency.
Nutrition
Stephanie Vadnais
Delicious! Added lime juice to the sauce at the end at the zest of one lime to the rice which to my taste, made it perfect. Will definitely make this yummy easy recipe again!
Danielle
So happy to hear it!
Fanny
I am a huge fan of crawfish etouffee too and was so happy to see this pop up on the site (I love your site). It came out great!
Danielle
So glad to hear it! Thanks for being a loyal reader 🙂