This authentic Crawfish Étouffée brings the soul of Louisiana right to your kitchen in just 55 minutes. The rich, buttery sauce smothers perfectly seasoned crawfish, creating a masterpiece that’s both comforting and elegant.
At 370 calories per serving, this classic Cajun dish strikes the perfect balance between indulgence and mindful eating. The velvety texture and complex flavors make it a showstopper for family dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients Section
- Vegetables: 1 diced yellow onion, 1 diced green bell pepper, 2 ribs diced celery, 5 minced garlic cloves, 1 bunch chopped green onions
- Base Ingredients: 12 tablespoons butter (divided), 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Liquid & Seasoning: 4 cups seafood stock, 2 teaspoons lobster base, 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- Spices: 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Main Protein: 1 lb Louisiana Crawfish Tails
- For Serving: 4 cups hot cooked rice or grits, hot sauce
Instructions Section
- Prepare the Holy Trinity: Melt 3-4 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic for 5 minutes until translucent. Set aside.
- Create the Roux: Lower heat to medium-low. Melt remaining butter (8 tablespoons), add flour, and whisk continuously for 10-15 minutes until golden peanut butter color appears.
- Make the Gravy: Reduce to low heat. Gradually whisk in seafood broth until smooth. Return vegetables, add seasonings and bouillon. Simmer 10 minutes until gravy consistency forms.
- Add Crawfish: Incorporate crawfish tails and heat through. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Final Touches: Serve over hot rice or grits. Top with fresh green onions and offer hot sauce on the side.
Making the Perfect Roux
The heart of any good étouffée is its roux! Think of it as a warm, golden base that brings everything together. Getting that peanut butter color might take a few tries, and that’s totally okay.
Keep your heat medium-low and keep whisking – your arm might get tired, but those 10-15 minutes of stirring will give you the rich, thick sauce that makes this dish special. If your roux gets too dark or starts to smell smoky, just start fresh – even seasoned Louisiana cooks do this sometimes!
Smart Substitutions
Can’t find crawfish? Shrimp works beautifully in this recipe! For the seafood stock, you can use shrimp stock or even chicken stock in a pinch. No Better than Bouillon lobster base? Try fish sauce or a seafood bouillon cube.
The “Holy Trinity” (onion, celery, and bell pepper) is pretty important, but if you’re missing celery, just add extra onion and pepper. The dish will still taste amazing!
Serving Your Étouffée
While hot rice is traditional, this sauce is so good you’ll want to try it different ways! Serve it over grits for breakfast, pair it with crusty French bread for lunch, or spoon it over roasted potatoes for dinner.
Add a shake of Crystal hot sauce if you like heat, and don’t forget those green onions on top – they add the perfect fresh crunch. For a true New Orleans touch, serve with ice-cold beer or sweet tea!
Storage Tips
Made too much? Lucky you! This étouffée gets even better after a day or two in the fridge, where all those flavors mix and mingle. Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a splash of water or stock to thin the sauce if needed.
The sauce might look separated when cold – just give it a good stir while reheating. You can even freeze portions for up to 2 months in freezer-safe containers.
Crawfish Étouffée
Equipment
- 12-inch cast iron skillet or dutch oven
- Whisk
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 whole yellow onion diced
- 1 whole green bell pepper diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 12 tablespoons butter divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups seafood stock or a little more as needed
- 2 teaspoons Better than bouillon lobster base
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ground, or more to taste
- 1 bunch green onions chopped
- 1 lb Louisiana Crawfish Tails
For Serving
- 4 cups hot cooked rice or grits
- Hot sauce Crystal brand recommended
Instructions
- Sauté ‘Holy Trinity’ Veggies: Add 3-4 tablespoons butter or oil to a 12” cast iron skillet, or dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, add onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Remove veggies to a bowl.
- Roux: Reduce heat to medium low. Add 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter to the pan. Once melted, add flour, and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking continuously, for about 10-15 minutes, or until it turns golden, the color of peanut butter. Be careful not to let it burn.
- Finish Gravy: Reduce heat to low and slowly add the seafood broth, using a whisk to constantly stir as you pour a slow and steady stream into the pot. Whisk until completely smooth. Add veggies back to the sauce, along with seasonings and bouillon. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. You want the consistency of gravy. If needed, add 1 – 2 tablespoons more flour by ladling out a big spoonful of the broth into a cup, stir in the flour until smooth, and return to the pot. Cook until thickened.
- Crawfish: Add cooked crawfish tails and cook until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve over hot cooked white rice, or cooked grits. Garnish with green onion, and serve with hot sauce.
