Crawfish Étouffée with Rice (Printable)
Savory crawfish in a spiced sauce paired with fluffy steamed rice, inspired by Louisiana Creole traditions.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Crawfish Étouffée
01 - 1 lb crawfish tails, peeled and cleaned
02 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
03 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
06 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken or seafood stock
09 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
10 - 2 tsp Creole seasoning
11 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
12 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
13 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
14 - 2 bay leaves
15 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
16 - 2 green onions, sliced
17 - Salt and black pepper to taste
18 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
→ For the Steamed Rice
19 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
20 - 2 cups water
21 - 1/2 tsp salt
# How-To Steps:
01 - Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear. Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15–18 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.
02 - Melt butter over medium heat in large skillet or Dutch oven. Add flour and cook stirring constantly for 4–6 minutes to make medium roux, should be light brown and nutty. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
03 - Gradually stir in stock, scraping up browned bits. Add drained tomatoes, Creole seasoning, paprika, cayenne, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
04 - Stir in crawfish tails and cook for 5–7 minutes until heated through, do not overcook. Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. Stir in parsley and lemon juice.
05 - Spoon steamed rice onto plates or bowls. Ladle crawfish étouffée over rice. Garnish with green onions and extra parsley.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The roux technique might seem intimidating, but once you master it, youll wonder why you ever bothered with store-bought sauces
- This dish tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for meal prep or feeding a crowd
02 -
- A burned roux cannot be saved, if you smell acrid bitterness, start over immediately
- Overcooking crawfish makes them rubbery and tough, add them last and keep the heat gentle
03 -
- If your roux gets too dark too quickly, immediately remove from heat and whisk in cold stock to stop the cooking
- Quality Creole seasoning varies wildly between brands, taste and adjust salt accordingly