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This easy Crawfish Étouffée recipe is my take on the Louisiana classic, with fresh crawfish simmered in a flavorful gravy and served over hot rice or grits.
Crawfish Étouffée Made Easy
Crawfish étouffée ranks among my all-time favorite dishes, and I've worked hard to create my version as authentic as I could and simple to make all in one pan. Whether you love Cajun comfort food or are exploring Southern cooking for the first time, this étouffée delivers restaurant-quality results in your own kitchen.
I suggest buying high quality Louisiana crawfish (companies like Louisiana Crawfish Co. ship nationwide), but this versatile recipe adapts beautifully with shrimp, crab, or chicken.
If you love authentic Creole and Cajun cuisine, this recipe belongs in your collection alongside gumbo, shrimp and grits, jambalya and red beans and rice!
And if you love seafood, try our Crab Cakes, Lobster Tails, Cioppino, Seared Scallops, and Clam Chowder.
Gumbo vs Étouffée:
Gumbo and Étouffée may have some similar ingredients and preparation, but gumbo is more like a soup, made with a darker roux, more broth, and usually more proteins and seafood (like sausage, chicken, shrimp).
Just like with gumbo, there are so many different ways to make Crawfish Étouffée, and just as many opinions about it! (Especially because the Cajun and Creole versions each add their own flare!) This recipe is my take on a basic Crawfish Étouffée that any home cook can make, and I’m so happy with the result!
How to make Crawfish Étouffée:
Sauté Holy Trinity: Add 4 tablespoons butter or oil to a 12’’ cast iron skillet, or dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, add onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Remove veggies to a bowl.
Make Roux: Reduce heat to medium low. Add ½ cup (1 stick) butter to the pan. Once melted, add flour, and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking continuously, for about 10-15 minutes, or until it turns golden, the color of peanut butter. Be careful not to let it burn.
Add Broth: Slowly add the seafood broth, using a whisk to constantly stir until completely smooth. Add veggies back to the sauce, along with seasonings and bouillon. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. You want it the consistency of gravy. (If needed, add 1 – 2 tablespoons more flour by ladling out a big spoonful of the broth into a cup, stir in the flour until smooth, and return to the pot. Cook until thickened.)
Add Crawfish tails and cook until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve this real crawfish étouffée recipe over hot cooked white rice, or with cheesy cooked grits. Garnish with green onion, and serve with hot sauce.
Crawfish Étouffée
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, , diced
- 1 green bell pepper, , diced
- 2 ribs celery, , diced
- 5 cloves garlic, , minced
- 12 Tablespoons butter, , divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups seafood stock*, , or a little more as needed
- 2 teaspoons Better than bouillon lobster base*
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, , ground, or more to taste
- 1 bunch green onions, , chopped
- 1 lb Louisiana Crawfish Tails
For Serving:
- 4 cups hot cooked rice, , or grits
- Hot sauce, (I like Crystal)
Instructions
- Sauté "Holy Trinity" Veggies: Add 3-4 tablespoons butter or oil to a 12’’ cast iron skillet, or dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, add onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Remove veggies to a bowl.1 yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 2 ribs celery, 5 cloves garlic
- Roux: Reduce heat to medium low. Add 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter to the pan. Once melted, add flour, and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking continuously, for about 10-15 minutes, or until it turns golden, the color of peanut butter. Be careful not to let it burn.½ cup all-purpose flour
- Finish Gravy: Reduce heat to low and slowly add the seafood broth, using a whisk to constantly stir as you pour a slow and steady stream into the pot. Whisk until completely smooth. Add veggies back to the sauce, along with seasonings and bouillon. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. You want the consistency of gravy. If needed, add 1 – 2 tablespoons more flour by ladling out a big spoonful of the broth into a cup, stir in the flour until smooth, and return to the pot. Cook until thickened.4 cups seafood stock*, 2 teaspoons Better than bouillon lobster base*, 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Crawfish: Add cooked crawfish tails and cook until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.1 lb Louisiana Crawfish Tails
- Serve over hot cooked white rice, or cooked grits. Garnish with green onion, and serve with hot sauce.1 bunch green onions, 4 cups hot cooked rice, Hot sauce
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe January 2024. Updated February 2026.
I was down in New Orleans and had Crawfish Etouffee at the Creole House Restaurant and it was fantastic. This recipe has the exact taste. I loved it. This is the best.
This was amazing. I am a Louisiana girl living in Connecticut and I miss the food so I make it a lot more often than I ever did in Louisiana. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all. This recipe was a great base (I took some liberties, added red bell pepper with the trinity, more garlic, aerogarden jalapeños). But mostly used your recipe because I had Connecticut guests and I knew their spice tolerance varies. I loved the BTB Lobster base as a sub for not having shrimp and crawfish shells to really make from scratch. All of my guests had multiple bowls (one person said it’s one of the best things he’s ever tasted and had four!) and I had a few flavors of Tabasco out, plus Crystal and salt and pepper to add to taste. All of the guests have had my gumbo and it started a conversation of Louisiana food and I love that you included that bit about making it Creole with the tomatoes. I took some of the same group to a restaurant that had corn and tomatoes in their gumbo and had to explain why I wasn’t happy that the restaurant advertised as Cajun.
Excellent recipe, just delicious!
Nice , but i wonder if the salt content could be lowered.
You can use lower sodium products and adjust!
Awesome recipe but I added about 4 oz. Tomato sauce. Hubby is diabetic so we served over brown rice.
Made this last night, I added a handful of peeled, deveined cooked shrimp. It was wonderful, we all had seconds. Will definitely add this to the keep box!