Description
Louisiana Crawfish Étouffée is a quintessential Southern dish that brings together a delightful medley of flavors and textures. This rich and creamy stew features tender crawfish tails enveloped in a savory roux-based sauce, infused with the region’s signature Cajun spices. Perfect for impressing guests or enjoying a cozy family dinner, this recipe is both comforting and satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb crawfish tails (fresh or frozen, peeled and deveined)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional, for extra heat)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (ensure it's alcohol-free)
- 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
- Cooked white rice (for serving)
- Fresh parsley (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the butter and vegetable oil over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour to create a roux. Stir constantly for about 5-7 minutes until it turns light brown, resembling peanut butter.
- Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery to the roux and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes while stirring constantly.
- Gradually pour in the chicken broth while stirring, incorporating it into the roux and vegetables. Stir in Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes until thickened.
- Once thickened, stir in crawfish tails (thawed if frozen) and simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes until heated through. Add hot sauce if desired.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper as needed. Remove bay leaf before serving.
- Spoon étouffée over cooked white rice and garnish with sliced green onions and fresh parsley if using.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (240g)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
Keywords: Adjust the spice level by varying the amount of Cajun seasoning or adding hot sauce. For added flavor depth, consider using seafood broth instead of chicken broth. If crawfish is not available, shrimp can be used as an excellent alternative.