Crawfish Étouffée Recipe

Crawfish étouffée began in what many foodies consider the crawfish capital of the world — Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Lore states that it was first served at the Herbert Hotel in 1920. Since then, it has become one of the state’s most cherished dishes.

In French, the word “étouffée” means “smothered.” So, crawfish étouffée is literally crawfish smothered in a creamy broth flavored with loads of spicy, Cajun seasoning. Below, you’ll find a simple yet delicious recipe that’s quite like the one served by the Hebert family more than a century ago. 

Like gumbo, étouffée is an iconic staple of Louisiana cuisine that can be found from New Orleans to Shreveport. It’s a velvety, thick sauce loaded with plump crawfish or shrimp, spicy seasonings and Louisiana’s “holy trinity” — onions, bell peppers and celery. 

When visiting Louisiana, you’ll find two main styles of étouffée: Cajun and Creole. Both styles feature shrimp or crawfish and the holy trinity of veggies, but Creole étouffée typically uses butter for the roux, may include tomatoes in the recipe, and uses a more herbaceous blend of seasonings. On the other hand, Cajun étouffée uses oil or lard in the roux, excludes tomatoes and is generous with fiery seasonings. Regardless of which style you taste, you can be sure that your étouffée will be chock full of shellfish and flavor.

Before you get cooking, watch this instructional video to learn how to make crawfish étouffée at home.

Ingredients for Crawfish Étouffée:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups seafood or chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 pound of Louisiana crawfish tails, with fat
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion, plus extra for garnish
• Hot, cooked rice

Method of Preparation:

1. Chop the trinity (onion, green bell pepper and celery), parsley and green onions. Mince garlic and set aside.
2. Make a roux by melting butter in a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the flour; cook and stir constantly for about 4 minutes or until caramel colored.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery; cook another 3-4 minutes or until tender, add the garlic and cook another minute.
4. Slowly stir in the stock or broth until fully incorporated. Add salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning.
5. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to a medium low simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the crawfish tails, cook and stir until crawfish is heated through; stir in the parsley and green onion, reserving a bit for garnish.
7. Serve immediately over hot, cooked rice.

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