Crawfish Étouffée with Steamed Rice (Print Version)
Savory crawfish tails cooked in a flavorful roux-based sauce paired with steamed rice for a hearty Southern dish.
# 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 can (14.5 oz) 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 the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil. Stir in the 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 a fork before serving.
02 - In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 4–6 minutes to make a medium roux (should be light brown and nutty in aroma). Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
03 - Gradually stir in the stock, scraping up any browned bits. Add the drained tomatoes, Creole seasoning, paprika, cayenne, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
04 - Stir in the 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 the crawfish étouffée over the rice. Garnish with green onions and extra parsley.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The roux creates an incredible depth of flavor that tastes like it simmered all day
- It freezes beautifully so you can make a double batch for lazy nights
- Crawfish cooks in minutes but tastes like something much more complicated
02 -
- Overcooked crawfish becomes tough and rubbery so add them at the very end and heat them gently
- The roux can burn in seconds so do not step away from the stove while it is cooking
- The sauce thickens as it stands so make it slightly looser than you think you need
03 -
- Pat your crawfish tails completely dry before adding them to prevent thinning your sauce
- Taste and adjust your seasoning after the roux is fully incorporated since the flour mellows the spices