Crawfish Etouffee – a classic Louisiana dish with a buttery, rich and flavorful sauce with heaps of fresh crawfish tails, herbs and spices that is guaranteed to have you wanting seconds and even thirds!
I’m a huge fan of quick and easy weeknight meals. But there are recipes that I’m willing to put in the hard work, especially if the outcome is an out-of-this-world dish ready to be devoured in seconds, and since the crawfish season just kicked in, I couldn’t think of a better recipe than a spin-off of my popular Shrimp Etouffee recipe.
If you haven’t tried it, this is the right time to try both wonderful classic meals.
Here in LA, I feel so lucky to have decent seafood on display. But nothing can beat those fresh juicy Louisiana crawfish. I can’t wait to visit during crawfish season so I can indulge.
Crawfish season can last from November to July, but you’ll find that the best crawfish in the springtime and early summer, from late February until May. During Lent is when crawfish season is in full swing.
This Crawfish Etouffee is a perfect Lenten meal or even a regular family weeknight meal. Warm rice is definitely the best with this dish or you can go with a big loaf of hot French bread to mop the sauce clean off the plate. Either way, you’ll be coming back for more of this classic Southern dish.
Etouffee
For those of you who are still new with Etouffee (French pronunciation : [e.tu.fe], English: / AY-too-FAY), it is a French term for “smother or suffocate.” In this recipe, crawfish tails are smothered in a rich, deep and flavorful roux-based sauce, heightened by the Southern holy trinity (onion, celery and bell pepper) with a dash of heat. This dish calls for constant stirring to create a lovely blonde roux and produce a nutty flavor. So if you’re up for the challenge, do a little warm-up with your arms. 😉
Crawfish vs. Crayfish
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters to which they are related. In my research about their differences and based on my understanding, I came up with these answers:
- Nicknames – In the United States, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, mudbugs, or yabbies.
- Local names – Louisianans and Southerners most often call it crawfish and for the Northerners it’s crayfish.
What Does Crawfish Taste Like?
They are meatier than crab and not as tough as shrimp, and crawfish are often described as a cross between shrimp and crab that has a sweet fresh seafood taste.
How to Pick the Right Crawfish?
- Find a reputable dealer. Buy from a seafood dealer you know and respect in such business.
- Pick farm-raised crawfish because they live in a controlled environment that utilizes quality soil and water. So you are sure that they are properly handled.
- It shouldn’t smell fishy and must be cleaned properly.
- Crawfish season. As I have mentioned, the best time to have it is between late February to May.
- Jumbo size. Get the biggest one because you will have to go through tons of peelings before you can eat its meat.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – This is a more common fat in most French roux and it also adds flavor to the food. (le beurre est délicieux👌)
- Canola oil – This oil is good for sauteing especially when you need to infuse flavor into the food and In my Crawfish Etouffee recipe, I used it to make the roux.
- Flour – An ingredient to make the roux.
- Onion – When they are cooked their flavor turns mellow, sweet and savory. Learn how to cut onions here.
- Green Bell Pepper – Feature a more bitter flavor profile than the ripe red ones.
- Celery – It’s like raw or green onions with an earthy taste. An ingredient of “southern holy trinity”.
- Garlic – When it’s cooked the strong garlic flavor becomes mellow and savory. Know the benefits of eating garlic and the ways to cut it here.
- Thyme – Either fresh or dried, it will add aroma and earthy with floral hints that are a little bit sweet and a little bit peppery. Find out more about this herb here.
- Bay Leaf – Its fragrance in food is the most noticeable contribution in cooking, plus the aroma of dried bay leaves resembles a combination of thyme and oregano.
- Tomatoes – Adds a warm hue and tanginess to any dish that you add it to. You can learn how to cut and other facts about tomatoes here.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Its intense umami flavor came from anchovies that have been left to ferment in sour tamarind and vinegar, sweet from molasses and sugar.
- Paprika – It brightens every recipe with its fruity and sweet notes of flavor. Know more about this flavorful spice made from varieties of pepper here.
- Creole Seasoning – Contributes a savory flavor profile because of the different herbs and spices as an ingredient. Try my homemade seasoning here.
- Stock – Either crawfish or chicken, adjust to desired consistency and add this to give more flavor to this recipe.
- Crawfish – Use precooked meat. The star of Immaculatebites Crawfish Etouffee. It’s added at the last part of cooking to avoid overcooking the meat.
- Parsley – Has a clean and peppery taste with a touch of earthiness, making it a great all-rounder in cooking. I used it as a garnish for my dish here.
- Green Onions – Its aromatic flavor, you can also use it to add color, texture, and overall appeal to any dish. See how to cut and other information about it here.
- Hot Sauce – I wanted to add a kick of heat into my crawfish etouffee recipe but it’s optional if you’re not a fan of spicy food.
Alternative Ingredients
- Frozen crawfish tails. You can easily substitute frozen crawfish tails, if fresh is not available, add it during the last 3 minutes of cooking – do not overcook.
- Shrimp – A perfect substitute for crawfish is shrimp. It is still equally delicious and has a similar taste and texture.
- Lobster – Even though It has its own distinct flavor I say this is a good substitute for crawfish but mind you, they’re more expensive than our mudbugs!
- Crab – Typically another kind of crustacean and is related to crawfish, it has a delicate sweet flavor and a sweet aroma. That’s why it makes a good substitute for our main ingredient in this recipe.
Tips and Tricks For Cooking Crawfish
- Avoid straight-tailed crawfish. It means that the crawfish was dead before it was boiled. These crustaceans have Vibrio bacteria within their shell linings that multiply rapidly after they die, and it can’t be eradicated even by cooking.
- Cook them Live. ensure that it is still alive before cooking, in that way you can be sure that you’re using the freshest crawfish.
- Size matters. They should be the same size so that they will cook evenly.
Boiling Your Crawfish
Although you can choose how you want to season your crawfish boil or add your favorite Cajun seasoning, potatoes, corn on the cob, fresh lemon and juice and even mushrooms, the steps below are just basic steps to properly cook your crawfish so you can get the maximum quality of its meat.
- Boil some water then add your crawfish in and when it comes back to a boil, let them boil for ONLY 2 minutes (because more than that can overcook a crawfish very easily and it will be harder to peel). The crawfish will float to the surface, which is a sign that it’s almost done.
- Then transfer them to a soaking pot the water temp should be 160℉ with ice for 20 minutes, keep on stirring in the first few minutes to keep the water temp from rising, during this process they will start to sink at the bottom of the pan.
- Then strain them and transfer to a dry cooler to keep warm before serving.
What Goes Well With Crawfish Etouffee?
My crawfish Etouffee is very rich in flavor and would really go well with other dishes. You can choose from the simplest like just top it on rice, Scarpetta South African corn bread, Homemade Garlic Bread, Fried Okra and eat it alongside Sausage and Peppers. But of course, don’t forget the beer! Eat and drink!
More Tasty Seafood Recipes
How To Make Crawfish Etouffee?
- Make the roux. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan combine melted butter, oil, and flour until smooth. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously (do this to avoid burning the roux), for about 10-12 minutes, until you have achieved the desired color. (Photos 1-2).
- The southern holy trinity. Add the onion, green bell pepper, and celery and cook for 8- 10 minutes – stirring frequently. (Photos 3-4)
- Add other ingredients. Then add, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf – continue stirring for about 2 minutes. Next throw in about 1 cup chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, Paprika, and Creole seasoning and let it cook for 5 minutes. (Photos 5-6)
- Simmer and adjust the taste. Gradually pour in about 2 cups of stock, bring to a boil and let it simmer. Add the crawfish, simmer for 5 more minutes. Adjust thickness soup and flavor with more shrimp broth or water, hot sauce and salt. (Photos 7-8)
- Herbs and garnish. Stir in, green onions, and chopped parsley. Serve over hot cooked rice. (Photo 9)
Crawfish Stock
- Infuse flavor with aromatics. Add a teaspoon or 2 of butter or oil to a saucepan or skillet. Then throw in Crawfish shells, the remaining scraps of onion, garlic, celery together with aromatics like bay leaf and thyme.
- Add water. Saute for about 5 -7 minutes, stirring constantly, to prevent any burns. Add about 5 cups of water to it
- Get the stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and strain using a sieve. Set stock aside.
Crawfish Etouffee
Ingredients
Roux
- 2 tablespoon (28.4 g) butter
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) canola oil
- 3 tablespoon (45 g) flour
Etouffee
- ½ medium (170g) onion, diced
- ½ cup (75g) green bell pepper, diced
- ⅓ cup (about 1-2 sticks) celery, chopped
- 2 teaspoon (5.6 g) garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon (0.91 g) thyme, fresh or dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup (200 g) tomato, chopped
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon (2.30 g) paprika
- 2 teaspoon (24 g) Creole seasoning
- 1-2 cup (237 ml) crawfish stock, or chicken stock (adjust to desired consistency)
- 1 pound crawfish
- 2-3 tablespoon (7.6-11.4 g) parsley, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ( 4.69 g) hot sauce, optional
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine melted butter, oil, and flour until smooth.
- Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, for about 10-12 minutes until you have achieved the desired color. Don’t walk away from the stove during this process. It might burn.
- Add the onion, green pepper, and celery and cook for 8- 10 minutes –stirring frequently.
- Then add garlic, thyme, and bay leaf – continue stirring for about 2 minutes.
- Next, throw in about 1 cup chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and Creole seasoning, and let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Gradually pour in about 1 -2 cups of stock bring to a boil, and let it simmer.(adjust thickness with more stock as needed). Add the crawfish, simmer for 3-4 more minutes.
- Adjust thickness soup and flavor with more crawfish broth or water, hot sauce, and salt.
- Stir in the green onions and chopped parsley.
- Serve over hot cooked rice.
Crawfish Stock
- Add a teaspoon or two of butter or oil to a saucepan or skillet. Then throw in the crawfish shells, the remaining scraps of onion, garlic, and celery together with aromatics like bay leaf and thyme.
- Saute for about 5-7 minutes, constantly stirring to prevent it from burning. Add about 5 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil, lower heat, and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and strain using a sieve. Set stock aside.
Tips & Notes:
- Avoid straight-tailed crawfish. It means that the crawfish was dead before it was boiled. These crustaceans have Vibrio bacteria within their shell linings that multiply rapidly after they die, and it can’t be eradicated even by cooking.
- Cook them Live. ensure that it is still alive before cooking, in that way you can be sure that you’re using the freshest crawfish.
- Size matters. They should be the same size so that they will cook evenly.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Robb Manning says
We absolutely LOVE this recipe, and usually make it at least once a month. I have, however, noticed a typo. In the ingredient list, it calls for one (1) cup of crawfish or chicken stock, but in the directions, slowly adding two (2) cups to the pan. I start with 1 and add as needed
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Robb! Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. I have updated recipe to make it clearer. So happy to hear it is on a weekly rotation.
Jack says
Your descriptions of Crayfish and Crawfish reminded me of an old Cajun Cook Justin Wilson who says “Crayfish is for people what can’t say Crawfish”.
Remi B says
Thanks so much for your awesome recipes.
Immaculate Bites says
And thank YOU for trying them out, Remi 🙂
Nick says
So good! Here in Indiana I have to use shimps. But it was so good and thanks for the creole seasoning recipe too!
David says
I’m not usually a recipe type of cook but this is new territory for me so i followed your instructions exactly and the result was AMAZING. This is a restaurant quality Etouffee that was not complicated at all. I’m already planning to make it again in a few days with sausage for those in my family who can’t eat shell fish. Thank you so much for teaching me something new!
ImmaculateBites says
Glad I could be of help. Enjoy!
Cindy says
I will definitely continue to use this recipe. It was awesome and I am 100% Cajun. My parents were- Prejean, Chiasson, Thibodeaux and Broussard. I am always looking for recipes similar to what my mother use to make even though she did not eat seafood.But she sure could cook!
ImmaculateBites says
Got to know it worked out well. Thanks for taking time out to share this with us .
Sharon says
I loved this recipe ! Results, DELICIOUS I will definitely be making this again ! I had to use frozen cleaned crawfish, but it was still so good !
Carol Biggs says
I have now made this recipe many times because it ‘s become a favorite in our house and with friends. I use a carton of crushed tomatoes, instead of chopped tomatoes, and started using a variety of shellfish such as mussels/octopus/shrimp – which I double for your recipe. Also use the Creole Spice recipe you incorporate in your ingredient list. Like to serve with homemade cornbread. Thank you!
Imma Adamu says
Thank you so much, Carol!
seaeagle says
Thank you so much for posting this! I am not rating it at this time as I have yet to make your version. But I am from Louisiana and this is the closest recipe I’ve seen to true cajun étoufée! I guess I’ll just have to settle for shrimp until crawfish next come into season. More to follow – can’t wait!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Seaeagle ! Can’t wait to hear your feedback. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
Alli says
Made this last night and it was AWESOME! Thank you for the recipe!
ImmaculateBites says
Happy to hear this . Thanks so much!!
SW says
This is a great recipe- I used shrimp and it was great. I will definitely cook this again.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!!! I am so glad you loved this dish :)!
Stephen M Malyszka says
OMG! Better than any restaurant that I have ordered from (granted I’m from the North). But Wow. I made it using the homemade crawfish stock, which I think is the key to the flavor. I doubled the order and used both equal parts crawfish and shrimp. This is definitely a recipe to impress. Thanks so much for sharing.
ImmaculateBites says
That sounds delicious! Thank you for the feedback, Stephen!
Jason says
I added my own twists, such as seafood oil and almond extract to enrich the flavor, and green chiles and a dash of cayenne for spice, but this is absolutely one of the top ten recipes I’ve ever discovered! Thank you!
Susan Gallegos says
I grew up in the South and I loved Crawfish etouffee
I was so excited when I found this recipe. I made it for Christmas eve and wholly wow, awesome. My husband had never had this before and just loved it. He made a request for Easter Sunday and guess what he wanted…Etouffee. I’m ready for dinner now and it’s only 10 am..great recipe.
ImmaculateBites says
Happy Easter !!! Blessings to you. Enjoy!!
Tonia says
This is hands down the best recipe I have ever made! I made it exactly as specified…no changes whatsoever. It’s absolutely delicious as soon as it’s ready…but the next day….OH MY Goodness! I will make this again and again and I will not change a thing. Shrimp is mentioned (accidentally, I think) in the recipe but I can imagine how good it would be with shrimp, scallops, whatever seafood you desire.
Janet says
I have never made roux though I have read about it. How dark should it get before adding vegetables? I’m looking forward to trying this recipe.
ImmaculateBites says
For this recipe, it should be light brown ,just like light caramel.
Lynn B. says
Should have 10 stars…….excellent!!!!!
Debra Carral says
I’ve just recently had the chance to try crawfish Etouffé when we visited New Orleans in December. I loved it! I thought I’d give it a try at home and I am so glad I did. I just made this recipe last night. It was delicious! Thank you for sharing!!
imma africanbites says
So glad you like it as much as I do. Thanks for stopping by!
Bianca Etheredge says
¡Delicioso!
Bianca Etheredge says
So glad I tried this recipe!!!
G says
First time trying this and this will be in rotation
Imma says
It’s a great must-have!
Jayda Drake-Howard says
My momma made this recipe for us tonight and when I tell you it did not last 10 minutes in this four person household. We went to town on this etouffee, it was so delicious and savory. Best recipe I have had in a while! Next time she makes this, we are going to need double the ingredients! Enjoyed every bit of this!
ImmaculateBites says
This dish flies off the table in our home as well! I am glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by!
Layna says
This was awesome! And the creole slice recipe. So much flavor!
ImmaculateBites says
So happy to hear this . Thanks for giving it a try.
Lauren says
Do you add the crawfish in raw or does it need to be cooked before adding it? Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
I add it in raw, they cook fairly quickly. The frozen ones have been pre-cooked and they also work just fine .
Ed says
I have some crawfish that is already cooked, I shelled the tails already and froze them in a vacuum seal pack , how or can I use these already cooked tails or do I need to go get some live crawfish and start over
Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, you can use the already cooked tails – add the last 5 minutes of cooking , bring to a boil , let it cook until heated through.
Patti Edwards says
Never made etouffee before. Great recipe. Turned out deliciously. Did add left over sausage along with the left over crawfish.
ImmaculateBites says
So happy to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for sharing!!!
Tasha says
Can you substitute crawfish for shrimp? Fresh or canned tomatoes? Also do you have a recipe for yaki meat?
imma africanbites says
Hi. Yes, you can replace it with shrimps. Please see my Shrimp Etouffee recipe here >>> https://www.africanbites.com/shrimp-etouffee/. And yes, I use fresh tomatoes for this recipe.
Valerie says
Perfect!! Made this last night. Very good and simple to make.
imma africanbites says
Yaaay! Glad it all turned out well for you.
Bianca says
What is stock??
imma africanbites says
Hi, Bianca. Stock is a flavorful liquid use as base for base for many dishes particularly in soups and stews. It could be made by simmering animal bones or meat, seafood or vegetables in water or wine with aromatics, too, for more flavor. You can check out how to make a chicken stock here >> https://www.africanbites.com/brown-chicken-stock/
Liz says
This was wonderful ! Spot on with the spices ! I used Shrimp stock I had on hand – but I’m going to make crawfish stock for next time.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Crawfish stock sounds even better!So happy to hear it worked out well for you.
Patricia says
I am from Thibodaux Louisiana and I will try your recipe even though I already know how to make it but always looking for different recipes
imma africanbites says
Looking forward to hear your thoughts on this recipe, Patricia. Enjoy! 🙂
Brittany B says
Omg this recipe was the best. It taste just like the authentic etouffee from back home. I made a double batch and followed the directions and it was so delicious.
imma africanbites says
Awesome! Glad it turned out well for you, Brittany.