Crawfish Etouffee Recipe
Discover a rich, easy crawfish etouffee recipe with bold Cajun spice, tender tails, and a silky roux. Ready in 35 minutes—perfect comfort dinner.
Servings 6 peoples
Calories 480kcal
Ingredients
Main Components
- 1 lb 450 g frozen Louisiana crawfish tails, thawed and drained
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large onion diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
Seasoning & Liquid
- 2 ⅔ cups seafood or chicken stock low-sodium
- 2 tsp Cajun seasoning homemade or store-bought
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper reduce for mild heat
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp hot sauce optional but traditional
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Finishing Touches
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 green onions sliced thin
- Steamed white rice for serving
- Extra hot sauce & lemon wedges on the side
Instructions
Make the Roux (5 min)
- In a heavy 4-quart Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Sprinkle in the flour, whisking constantly until the mixture turns peanut-butter brown, about 4–5 minutes. This quick roux lays the nutty backbone of true crawfish etouffee.
Sauté the Holy Trinity (4 min)
- Add diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Stir to coat with roux; cook until vegetables soften and edges turn glossy—roughly 4 minutes.
- Toss in minced garlic; cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
Build the Flavor Base (2 min)
- Sprinkle in Cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne, and bay leaf. Stir well so spices bloom in the hot fat; this step unlocks deep Louisiana aroma.
Deglaze & Simmer (10 min)
- Gradually pour in stock while whisking to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to medium-low heat.
- Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Add the Crawfish Tails (5 min)
- Fold in thawed crawfish tails plus their juices for extra flavor.
- Splash in hot sauce, then taste; adjust salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes more, just until crawfish heat through. Overcooking can make tails chewy.
Finish & Serve (2 min)
- Remove bay leaf. Stir in chopped parsley for fresh lift.
- Ladle the etouffee over rice; garnish with green onions. Offer extra hot sauce and lemon wedges tableside.
Notes
Nutrition Information (per serving)
- Calories: 480 kcal
-
Total Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat 8 g
- Protein: 24 g
-
Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber 3 g
- Total Sugars 4 g
- Sodium: ≈ 780 mg
-
Cholesterol: 135 mg
(Values are calculated from typical ingredient data and are for guidance only.)