Crawfish Étouffée with Rice (Printable)
Tender crawfish tails in rich roux sauce paired with fluffy steamed white rice for a classic Creole dish.
# What You Need:
→ Étouffée Base
01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
02 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
05 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
08 - 2 cups seafood or chicken stock
→ Seafood and Seasonings
09 - 1 1/2 lbs crawfish tails, peeled and cleaned
10 - 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
11 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 - 1 teaspoon paprika
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
16 - 4 green onions, sliced
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
18 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
→ White Rice
19 - 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
20 - 3 cups water
21 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
22 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
# How-To Steps:
01 - Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon butter to a boil. Stir in the rice, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15–18 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
02 - In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, to make a medium roux (light brown color), about 5–7 minutes.
03 - Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to the roux. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
04 - Add drained diced tomatoes, Creole seasoning, cayenne, paprika, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Gradually add stock, stirring to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer. Add Worcestershire sauce. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Stir in crawfish tails and simmer for 5–8 minutes, until heated through. Do not overcook as the crawfish will become tough. Remove from heat.
06 - Add lemon juice, half the parsley, and half the green onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Spoon fluffy white rice onto plates or bowls. Ladle crawfish étouffée over rice. Garnish with remaining parsley and green onions.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The rich roux-based sauce creates this incredible depth that tastes like it simmered all day even though it comes together in under an hour
- Theres something so satisfying about spooning that velvety sauce over fluffy rice and watching it soak right in
02 -
- Overcooking your crawfish makes them tough and rubbery, so add them last and keep the time short
- Your roux can burn in seconds if you walk away, so stay with it and keep that spoon moving
03 -
- Chop your vegetables extra fine so they practically disappear into the sauce
- Let the étouffee rest for five minutes off the heat before serving to let the flavors marry