Crawfish Etouffee – a classic Louisiana dish with a buttery, rich and flavorful sauce with heaps of fresh crawfish tails and herbs and spices. Guaranteed to keep you wanting for 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.
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 seafoods on display. But nothing can beat those fresh juicy Louisiana ones. 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. It is during Lent when crawfish season is in full swing.
I literally felt like I’ve been robbed an hour last Sunday due to the Daylight Savings Time switch, but luckily, I was able to put it to good use. I went to the market earlier than I usually do, and laid my eyes on a bounty we shall call “crawfish” which are perfect for a Sunday 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. 😉
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.
Happy eating!
Tips and Notes
- You can easily substitute frozen crawfish tails, if fresh is not available, add it during the last 3 minutes of cooking – do not over cook.
Crawfish Etouffee – a classic Louisiana dish with a buttery, rich and flavorful sauce with heaps of fresh crawfish tails and herbs and spices. Guaranteed to keep you wanting for seconds and even thirds!
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup green bell pepper , diced
- ½ medium onion , diced
- 1/3 cup chopped celery (about 1-2 sticks)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoons thyme fresh or dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups Crawfish or chicken stock adjust to desired consistency
- 1 pound Crawfish
- 2-3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 green onions , chopped
- 1 teaspoon Hot sauce (optional)
- Salt to taste
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In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan combine melted butter, oil and flour until smooth.
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Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, for about 10-12 minutes, until you have achieved desired color. Don’t walk away from the stove during this process. It might burn.
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Add the onion, green pepper and celery and cook for 8- 10 minutes –stirring frequently.
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Then add, garlic , thyme and bay leaf – continue stirring about 2 minutes.
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Next throw in about 1 cup chopped tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, paprika and creole seasoning and let it cook for 5 minutes.
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Gradually pour in about 2 cups of stock, bring to a boil and let it simmer .Add the crawfish, simmer for 3-4 more minutes.
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Adjust thickness soup and flavor with more shrimp broth or water, hot sauce and salt.
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Stir in, green onions, and chopped parsley.
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Serve over hot cooked rice.
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Add a teaspoon or 2 of butter or oil to a sauce pan or skillet . Then throw in Crawfish shells, the remaining scraps of onion, garlic , celery together with aromatics like bay leaf and thyme. .
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Saute for about 5 -7 minutes, stirring constantly, to prevent any burns. Add about 5 cups of water to it
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Bring to a boil, lower heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes
Remove from heat and strain using a sieve. Set stock aside
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 desired color.
NOTE: 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 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 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.
Stir in, green onions, and chopped parsley. Serve over hot cooked rice.
This is a great recipe- I used shrimp and it was great. I will definitely cook this again.
Awesome!!! I am so glad you loved this dish :)!
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.
That sounds delicious! Thank you for the feedback, Stephen!
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.
Happy Easter !!! Blessings to you. Enjoy!!
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.
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.
For this recipe, it should be light brown ,just like light caramel.
Should have 10 stars…….excellent!!!!!
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!!
So glad you like it as much as I do. Thanks for stopping by!
¡Delicioso!
So glad I tried this recipe!!!
First time trying this and this will be in rotation
It’s a great must-have!
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!
This dish flies off the table in our home as well! I am glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by!
This was awesome! And the creole slice recipe. So much flavor!
So happy to hear this . Thanks for giving it a try.
Do you add the crawfish in raw or does it need to be cooked before adding it? Thanks!
I add it in raw, they cook fairly quickly. The frozen ones have been pre-cooked and they also work just fine .
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
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.
Never made etouffee before. Great recipe. Turned out deliciously. Did add left over sausage along with the left over crawfish.
So happy to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for sharing!!!
Can you substitute crawfish for shrimp? Fresh or canned tomatoes? Also do you have a recipe for yaki meat?
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.
Perfect!! Made this last night. Very good and simple to make.
Yaaay! Glad it all turned out well for you.
What is stock??
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/
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.
Awesome! Crawfish stock sounds even better!So happy to hear it worked out well for you.
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
Looking forward to hear your thoughts on this recipe, Patricia. Enjoy! 🙂
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.
Awesome! Glad it turned out well for you, Brittany.