Cajun Crawfish Etouffee, a beloved Louisiana classic, combines crawfish tails with a hearty gravy-style sauce and diced veggies. Its flavorful base lies in a well-crafted roux, while the Cajun seasoning ties all the elements together for a rich and satisfying dish.
Louisiana's Cajun and Creole cuisines feature some of the most delicious food in the world, resulting from the state's melting pot of cultural influence and history, including French, African, Native American, and Spanish. Etouffee is one of the most loved dishes in Cajun cuisine and is an explosion of flavors!
For more Cajun and Creole recipes, check out our Authentic Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and Cajun Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage recipes next!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
- Variations and Substitutions
- How To Make This Recipe
- What Is Etouffee?
- Where Did Etouffee Originate?
- What Is The Difference Between Gumbo and Etouffee?
- What Do Crawfish Taste Like?
- What To Serve With Crawfish Etouffee
- Make Ahead and Storing Instructions
- More Cajun Recipes You Will Love!
- 📖 Recipe
Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
- Unsalted butter. To make the roux.
- All-purpose flour. Also a component of the roux.
- Yellow onion. For added flavor.
- Green bell pepper. For texture and flavor.
- Celery. For texture, freshness, and flavor.
- Fresh garlic. Garlic adds a delicious herbaceous flavor.
- Fresh thyme. For a fresh and bright herb flavor.
- Dried bay leaf. For a subtle bright, minty flavor that keeps the etouffee from being overly heavy.
- Tomato. For freshness and acidity.
- Worcestershire sauce. Adds delicious umami flavor and depth.
- Cajun seasoning. To season the etouffee and give it a little kick. I use my homemade cajun seasoning recipe!
- Unsalted chicken stock. To create the sauce and give it the perfect consistency.
- Salt and cracked black pepper. For additional flavor.
- Frozen or fresh crawfish tails. This freshwater shellfish is a staple in many cajun dishes and has a sweet and briny flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
Etouffee can be made with shrimp, crab, scallops, or lobster. You can also combine different types of shellfish. Shrimp lovers try our Cajun shrimp boil next!
And you don't have to stop with shellfish! Etouffee can also be made with chicken or sausage. Try a combination of shellfish and chicken or sausage for a real Cajun feast!
How To Make This Recipe
- In a medium, heavy-bottom skillet or Dutch oven, melt four tablespoons of butter over medium heat. I love my 10-inch Le Cruset enameled cast-iron skillet for this recipe! Add the flour to the pan and cook the flour with the butter, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone whisk, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it reaches a light peanut butter color and has a nutty aroma. This is a blond roux.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add the thyme, bay leaf, tomato, cajun seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes. Add one cup of chicken stock, give everything a good stir, and bring the sauce to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for 20 to 25 minutes, adding more chicken stock as necessary until the sauce reaches a gravy-like consistency. I prefer a thicker sauce so I ended up using 1.5 cups of stock.
- Stir in the crawfish tails and continue to simmer the etouffee for 3-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, allow the etouffee to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve crawfish etouffee in bowls over buttered white rice.
What Is Etouffee?
Etouffee or Étouffée (pronounced AY-too-FAY) is a popular dish in Cajun and Creole Cuisine that is typically made with shellfish served over rice. The dish is made with a technique called smothering which is also popular in Cajun and Creole cuisine.
In French, Etouffee means "smothered" or "suffocated". The shellfish in etouffee are smothered in a robust sauce made with a light or blond roux. The roux adds a nutty flavor and also thickens the sauce. Try our catfish etouffee pot pie next for another variation!
Vegetables are also an important ingredient in etouffee, and most recipes are made with what is known as the "holy trinity" in Cajun and Creole cooking, or a combination of onion, bell pepper, and celery. I also use the holy trinity to flavor my Louisiana Red Beans and Rice and Cajun Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage.
Where Did Etouffee Originate?
Crawfish etouffee can be dated back to 1920s Louisiana, where it was first made with crawfish tails, crawfish fat, peppers, and onions. Today, etouffee can be found on menus all across Louisiana and in other parts of the south and is typically made with crawfish or shrimp.
What Is The Difference Between Gumbo and Etouffee?
The main difference between etouffee and gumbo is the consistency and the roux. Etouffee has a thick, gravy-like consistency and is made with a light or blond roux. Gumbo has more of a stew-like consistency and is made with a dark roux.
Dark roux has a richer, more robust flavor but does not thicken sauces as well as a lighter roux. Light or blond roux has a lighter, nuttier flavor but has more thickening power.
This is why gumbo usually has a more intense flavor and is not as thick as etouffee. Gumbo usually has okra or file powder added to help thicken it.
What Do Crawfish Taste Like?
Crawfish are small freshwater crustaceans that resemble tiny lobsters. The tails of the crawfish are usually what is eaten, although the claws, legs, roe, and tomalley are also edible.
Crawfish tails have a meaty texture and a mild, sweet, slightly mineral flavor. The most common way crawfish are served is boiled in cajun spices with other ingredients including potatoes, sausage, onions, garlic, and citrus.
You can typically find fresh crawfish year-round in many parts of Louisiana and winter through spring in other parts of the south. Frozen crawfish tails can be found in many grocery stores year-round.
What To Serve With Crawfish Etouffee
While you will almost always see crawfish etouffee served over steamed or boiled white rice, there are also many accompaniments that pair well with etouffee. Try serving crawfish etouffee with some of the following:
- Southern Buttermilk Cornbread
- Southern Spoon Bread
- Southern Hushpuppies
- Crusty French Bread
- Fried Green Tomatoes
- Fried Okra
- French Fries
- Sweet Potato Fries
Make Ahead and Storing Instructions
You can make the sauce for crawfish etouffee a day ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container overnight. Do not add the crawfish to the sauce if making it ahead of time.
When you are ready to serve, warm the sauce on the stovetop over medium heat and add more stock as needed to bring the sauce to the right consistency. Add the crawfish and simmer for a few more minutes and serve as directed.
Leftover crawfish etouffee can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Check for an overly fishy or sour smell before enjoying leftovers.
More Cajun Recipes You Will Love!
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📖 Recipe
Cajun Crawfish Etouffee Recipe
Equipment
- 10-inch cast iron skillet , or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 small yellow onion - chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper - rinsed, seeded and chopped
- 2 stalks celery - chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves - or ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 medium tomato - chopped
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning - store-bought or homemade, my recipe linked
- 1-2 cups unsalted chicken stock - or shrimp or seafood stock
- salt
- cracked black pepper
- 1 pound crawfish tail meat
- Cooked white rice - for serving
- Chopped green onions and fresh chopped parsley - for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium, heavy-bottom skillet or Dutch oven, melt four tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the flour to the pan and cook the flour with the butter, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone whisk, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it reaches a light peanut butter color and has a nutty aroma. Do not walk away from the stove, the roux can easily burn.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add the thyme, bay leaf, tomato, cajun seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly pour in one cup of chicken stock, while stirring, and bring the sauce to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for 20-25 minutes, adding more chicken stock as necessary until the sauce reaches a thick gravy-like consistency. Season with salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
- Stir in the crawfish tails and continue to simmer the etouffee for 3-5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, allow the etouffee to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve crawfish etouffee in bowls over buttered white rice. Garnish with chopped green onions and parsley.
Notes
- You can make the sauce for crawfish etouffee a day ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container overnight. Do not add the crawfish to the sauce if making it ahead of time.
- When you are ready to serve, warm the sauce on the stovetop over medium heat and add more stock as needed to bring the sauce to the right consistency. Add the crawfish and simmer for a few more minutes and serve as directed.
- Leftover crawfish etouffee can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Britney
I made this for dinner tonight and swore up and down that I would be able to have it for lunch tomorrow too - but between my husband and I, we ate it ALL. It was SO good!! Thank you for this phenomenal recipe!
Ashley Boyd
Oh wow, what a huge compliment! The same thing happens in our home Britney! I'm so happy you both enjoyed the recipe and thank you for trying it.