Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee Recipe

This easy crawfish etouffee recipe is loaded with fresh crawfish and the holy trinity of onion, celery, and green bell peppers.  Cooked in a simple roux, serve your homemade etouffee over rice with plenty of Old Bay seasoning. 

 

My Love Affair with Fresh Crawfish

My husband and I lived in Houston, TX for 7 years and absolutely fell in LOVE with Cajun food. Crawfish (AKA crawdads or mudbugs to some Southerners!) are basically just itty bitty lobsters with a slightly stronger flavor.

Crawfish boils were popular down there and fans were quickly divided into 2 categories…those that suck the head and those that do NOT. I am of the NOT category…just seemed kind of icky but there are people that swear by it!

We moved to Georgia 12 years ago and while they have some great peaches and make some killer fried chicken, sadly the crawdad is not real popular here. We had to start learning to make our own Cajun food and found a few shortcuts along the way!

What is Etouffee?

Crawfish Etouffee is a classic Louisiana recipe typically served over rice. It is a rich, flavorful dish made with crawfish, spices, and vegetables. The history of etouffee is unclear, but it is thought to have originated in the Acadian region of Canada.  

Etouffee translates to “smothered” in French, which likely refers to the cooking method of stewing the ingredients until they are very tender.

This dish is traditionally made with a roux, which is a mixture of flour and fat that is used to thicken soups and stews. The roux is cooked until it is a deep brown color and then the vegetables and spices are added. The crawfish are then simmered in the sauce until they are cooked through.

Crawfish etouffee is often served over rice, but it can also be served with potatoes or other side dishes. This Crawfish Etouffee Recipe is a hearty dish that is perfect for a winter meal.

Tips for making homemade etouffee

In order to make really supreme etouffee, you really need to invest in some Old Bay Seasoning. This is key to getting the true flavor of this dish! It is easily found in the seasoning section of your local grocery store.

When buying crawfish, I have found that it is easiest to buy the frozen tail meat that is already cooked. Keep your eyes open from February through April when they are in season in Louisiana and stock up on it. It keeps just fine for 6 months or more in the freezer. READ THE LABELS or you will be buying crawfish meat from China. While Louisiana isn’t exactly LOCAL, it is a lot closer than China!

And, don’t skimp on the butter! The flavor of this meal is awesome and deserves nothing less than real butter!

Most of the work is just the dicing of the veggies and the steaming of the rice. Do this the night before and this meal will take you less than 30 minutes from start to finish!

Crawfish Etouffee Ingredients

Quality ingredients matter when making etouffee.  Don’t skimp.  Look for fresh crawfish if possible.  If that isn’t available, look for frozen crawfish sourced from the Gulf  of Mexico, not imported from China.  yes, I am very picky about my seafood!  

Here is what else you will need:

• White rice
• Chicken stock
• Butter
• Onion
• Celery
• Green bell pepper
• Crawfish tail meat
• Flour
• Bay leaves
• Cayenne pepper
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Salt
• Fresh parsley  

How to make This Easy Crawfish Etouffee 

This etouffee is a one-pot meal, other than steaming the rice.  Here are the simple directions to follow.  Print out the recipe below to try it for yourself!

1. Steam the 2 cups of rice with approximately 2 cups of chicken stock until done. You can do this on the stove top or the oven as well, whichever is your preferred method of cooking rice!
2. Heat the butter in a large sauce pan (about an 8-cup size pot) over medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery, and pepper and saute until tender (about 10 minutes)
3. Add the crawfish tail meat and bay leaves and simmer 3 to 4 more minutes.
4. In a small bowl, add the flour and slowly whisk in the stock until smooth. Add this to your pot along with the remaining seasonings.
5. Let simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes to blend all the flavors. Make sure you remove the bay leaves before serving!
6. Serve over rice with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for decoration.

 

 

Crawfish Etouffee Recipe

Crawfish étouffée is an easy cajun recipe using fresh crawfish that is served in a rich, flavorful gravy made from a quick roux loaded with butter and cajun seasoning. If you want more Cajun recipes, try my easy dirty rice recipe. 

Yield: 4 servings

Crawfish Etouffee Recipe

Print

Crawfish étouffée is an easy cajun recipe using fresh crawfish that is served in a rich, flavorful gravy made from a quick roux loaded with butter and cajun seasoning.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 4 cups chicken stock (divided...I used Knorr Homestyle Stock)
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups chopped bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 pound crawfish tail meat
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to your taste)
• 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• pinch salt
• fresh parsley (chopped) for garnish

Instructions

1. Steam the 2 cups of rice with approximately 2 cups of chicken stock until done. You can do this on the stove top or the oven as well, whichever is your preferred method of cooking rice!
2. Heat the butter in a large sauce pan (about an 8-cup size pot) over medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery, and pepper and saute until tender (about 10 minutes)
3. Add the crawfish tail meat and bay leaves and simmer for 3 to 4 more minutes.
4. In a small bowl, add the flour and slowly whisk in the stock until smooth. Add this to your pot along with the remaining seasonings.
5. Let simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes to blend all the flavors. Make sure you remove the bay leaves before serving!
6. Serve over rice with a sprinkle of fresh parsley for decoration.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 888Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 223mgSodium: 989mgCarbohydrates: 108gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 42g

Nutrition information not always accurate