Description
This classic Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee is a rich, flavorful dish featuring tender crawfish tails simmered in a savory roux-based sauce with the holy trinity of Cajun cooking—onion, celery, and bell pepper—and seasoned with Creole spices. Served over steaming white rice, it’s a comforting and authentic taste of Southern cuisine perfect for seafood lovers.
Ingredients
Scale
Roux Base
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter or oil
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Main Ingredients
- 12 to 16 oz Louisiana crawfish tail meat, thawed if frozen
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (you can use up to 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1– 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained (for Creole version)
- 2 Bay leaves
Liquids and Seasonings
- 2 to 2.5 cups seafood or chicken stock, or homemade crawfish stock
- 1/2 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s salt-free Creole seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, adjust to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
- Hot sauce, as required (optional)
To Serve
- Cooked rice, about 3 cups
- Chopped parsley and scallion greens for garnish
Instructions
- Make the Roux: Heat butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the all-purpose flour until smooth. Continuously stir to cook the roux until it achieves a peanut brown or caramel color. Turn off the heat and keep whisking until it darkens slightly. Set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In another sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add diced onions, celery, green bell pepper, and minced garlic. Cook until the vegetables soften and become fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
- Combine Roux and Vegetables: Add the prepared roux to the cooked vegetables, stirring well. Cook together for another minute to blend flavors.
- Add Stock: Pour in 1 cup of seafood or chicken stock, stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the remaining 1 to 1.5 cups of stock. Season with Tony Chachere’s salt-free Creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, Kosher salt, 2 bay leaves, and the undrained canned diced tomatoes if making the Creole version. Mix well, cover, and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Adjust Salt: If using regular Cajun or Creole seasoning with salt, hold off adding additional salt until the end. Taste and adjust after simmering.
- Add Crawfish Meat: Stir in the crawfish tails, cover, and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Avoid overcooking to keep the meat tender.
- Final Adjustments: Check seasoning and add salt if needed. If the etouffee is too thick, add up to 1/2 cup more stock and heat through. Stir in chopped parsley.
- Serve: Spoon the etouffee over cooked steamed rice. Garnish with additional chopped parsley, scallion greens, and dashes of hot sauce if desired. Enjoy this warm, comforting dish!
Notes
- Use fresh or thawed crawfish tails for the best texture.
- The roux should be peanut brown for authentic flavor; don’t rush this step.
- Adjust cayenne pepper according to your spice preference.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour blends.
- Homemade crawfish stock enhances the flavor if available.
- Do not overcook crawfish meat to prevent toughness.
- The canned tomatoes are optional and used for a Creole variation; omit for a more Cajun style.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Simmering, Sautéing
- Cuisine: Cajun/Creole
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup etouffee with 3/4 cup cooked rice
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
Keywords: Crawfish Etouffee, Cajun Seafood, Louisiana Cuisine, Creole Recipe, Cajun Cooking, Seafood Stew
