Crawfish Etouffee

Crawfish etouffee is a Cajun classic that's loaded with meaty crawfish tails smothered in a buttery sauce with a little kick! It's a rich, dark stew that is started with a good old-fashioned roux and sauteed veggies then served over a steaming bed of white rice. Tasty crawfish etouffee is a prime example of why Cajun and Creole cooking are so delicious.

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• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 How To Make Crawfish Etouffee
• 💭 Tips & Notes
• 🍲 More Cajun Recipes
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Reviews

'Etouffee' translates to 'smothered' and it doesn't get more delicious than some meaty crawfish tails smothered in a buttery etouffee sauce. It's a surprisingly easy recipe that packs a little heat and a lot of Cajun flavor.

The crawfish season runs January through July, but you can get frozen cooked tails all year long. Crawfish etouffee is another quick and easy weeknight dinner for you to add to your repertoire.

🥘 Ingredients

In Creole and Cajun cooking, diced bell pepper, onion, and celery are often referred to as the 'holy trinity'. It's the base for many soups and stews from the area, and it's used so often they had to give it a name.

• Crawfish – 2 pounds of cooked crawfish meat, thawed (*see note).
• Cajun Seasoning – 2 teaspoons. See recipe or use your own.
• Herbes de Provence – ½ a teaspoon.
• Vegetable Oil – 1 tablespoon.
• Chicken Stock – 1 ¾ cups, as needed.
• Butter – 3 tablespoons.
• Onion – ½ cup, diced.
• Green Bell Pepper – ½ cup, diced.
• Celery – ½ cup, thinly sliced.
• All-Purpose Flour – 2 tablespoons (*see note).
• Tomatoes – ½ a cup of canned or fresh tomatoes, diced.
• Worcestershire Sauce – ½ a teaspoon.
• Hot Sauce – 1 dash of your preferred hot sauce, or more to taste.
• Salt – To taste.
• Green Onions (optional) - ¼  cup sliced, for garnish.

🔪 How To Make Crawfish Etouffee

If you have a package of cooked crawfish tails, half the work is done for you. You just need to grab a colander, a large heavy-bottomed skillet, and a wooden spoon for stirring.

Prep & Saute the 'Holy Trinity'

1. Drain. Place 2 pounds of crawfish meat in a colander in the sink. Let it drain for 15 minutes, then transfer it to a paper towel-lined bowl. Set aside.
2. Saute. In a large heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering hot, add ½ cup onion, ½ cup green bell pepper, ½ cup celery, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of butter and let it melt, then continue to cook the veggies until softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning and ½ a teaspoon of herbes de provence.
3. Make a roux. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the sauteed vegetables and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until combined. Then, add ½ a cup of diced tomatoes and saute for another 3 minutes until the juices start to brown.

Simmer & Serve

1. Simmer. Whisk in 1 ¾ cups of chicken stock until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue simmering until it has thickened to a gravy-like consistency, roughly 3-5 minutes. Then stir in ½ a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce and 1 dash of hot sauce.
2. Add crawfish. Stir your drained crawfish meat into the etouffee sauce and let it simmer for 1 minute to heat through.
3. Serve. Remove from heat, pour over rice, and serve immediately. Garnish with ¼ cup of sliced green onions, if desired.

Make some white rice, maybe even some crusty French bread, and dig in. Don't forget to keep some extra hot sauce on the table. Enjoy!

💭 Tips & Notes

• Make a slurry of cold water and additional flour to thicken the gravy sauce as needed until it reaches the desired consistency
• If using raw crawfish, cook the peeled tails along with the onions, bell pepper, and celery. Crawfish cooks quickly and will cook the remainder of the way while simmering. 
• This recipe can also be made with shrimp or cooked chunks of browned pork or chicken. 
• Storing: Store leftover etouffee in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Set in the fridge overnight to thaw and reheat on the stovetop over medium heat.

🍲 More Cajun Recipes

• Cajun Shrimp
• Cajun Sausage Pasta
• Instant Pot Jambalaya
• Cajun Fries
• Cajun Seafood Boil
• Cabbage Stew

📖 Recipe Card