How to Make the Best Crawfish Étouffée Recipe

If you love a good Southern meal and you like etouffee, then I have THE perfect recipe for you. I was given this recipe years ago by a dear friend, and every time I make this I get compliments. Made with delicious crawfish tails, the trinity vegetables, butter, flour, and more.  I also share the 5 steps to make this recipe out of this world! If you like this, you might also enjoy our Crawfish Pie.

Crawfish Etouffee

It’s not a fast recipe, but the work you put into it will be well worth it. Are you ready to learn the secrets to this recipe?

Here is what you will get from me:

• 5 steps to the best crawfish etouffee
• The TRINITY – yes, we call these 3 vegetables the trinity and use them often.
• the secret to making it perfect, and not too spicy
• why you should make extra
• why crawfish etouffee is even better the next day
• and finally, a mouthwatering, flavorful etouffee recipe

Let’s get started with this Cajun Louisiana Style Crawfish Etouffee Recipe.

A few fun facts about crawfish here in Louisiana

We have a large Mudbug festival that thousands of people attend. An actual festival where everyone celebrates the little crawfish mudbug. It is actually one of the largest festivals attended in north Louisiana.

We also have a National Championship hockey team called the Mudbugs.

Seriously. 

Mudbugs are celebrated everywhere here in Louisiana in any form or fashion.

Crawfish etouffee is a southern style spicy recipe that is downright delicious. And I am going to share with you the best crawfish etouffee recipe I have ever had. (And I have had a lot of them!)

What is the Trinity in Cooking Southern Foods?

If you’ve ever cooked a southern recipe you know we are always starting things off with the trinity. What exactly is the trinity? It’s a flavor combination of these 3 vegetables sauteed in butter for about 20-30 minutes for the best flavor and aromas you will ever experience. Here are the trinity vegetables you need:

• onion
• celery
• green bell pepper

Finely chop these 3 and let them saute for a good 20-30 minutes until they are soft and you’re ready to move on to the next step in your recipes. Most good southern dishes start with this first step. 

The Crawfish Etouffee Recipe

You need to have a few things on hand you may not normally have. Here is a quick list of everything you will need to make Louisiana crawfish etouffee.

What you will need for this hearty and delicious recipe:

• butter
• onions, chopped (1 red, 1 white)
• celery, chopped
• bell pepper, chopped
• garlic powder, salt, red, and black pepper (to taste)
• crawfish tails (I grab mine from the seafood freezer section)
• flour
• water
• chicken bouillon cubes
• green onion tops
• parsley

Tips for the Best Crawfish Etouffee

Now that you have all of the ingredients on hand, it’s time to make this etouffee recipe.

Here are a few tips to make this etouffee recipe one of the best you’ve ever had.

• Make sure your crawfish tails have a little curl to them. Throw away the straight tails. That usually means they were already dead before they were boiled. Read more about that here. 
• Give yourself a good hour to make this recipe. Don’t rush an etouffee.
• Constantly stir to help marry the flavors together.
• Remember, it’s always easier to add more pepper than to remove the pepper.
• Save the leftovers, they are even better the next day when the flavors meld together. Consider doubling the recipe and freezing some for later.

I say that last one because this recipe takes time. If you’re going to make it and you know you’ll want it again in the next 3 months, make enough for the freezer.

Also, be mindful of the spices. I have the suggested amounts in the recipe card below, but sometimes people get a little crazy with the spices. It’s supposed to be spicy, but not so spicy you can’t enjoy it. But it will and should make your nose run. 🙂

One last thing. If you grab your crawfish tails from the seafood freezer department as I do, you want them to NOT be frozen when you use them. I just add a large bowl to my sink and fill it with warm water. Place the entire bag of frozen crawfish tails in the water and allow them to warm up.

By the time you are finished with step one, they will be ready to add to your recipe.

How to Make Crawfish Etouffee

1:  First, melt your butter in a heavy pan or dutch oven. Sauté the onion, celery, and bell pepper for 30 minutes. Stirring constantly.

2:  Next add the garlic, salt, red, and black pepper.

3:  Add Crawfish Tails and sauté for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium heat.

4. Add flour and then continually stir for 3 minutes.

5:  Lastly, add water, bouillon, bay leaf, green onion, and parsley. Simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

How to Serve Crawfish Etouffee

You can serve this dish over rice and with a side of buttered garlic toast or french bread. I promise not only will this open your sinus cavities, but it will be the BEST Crawfish Etouffee Recipe that you will ever have.

This recipe really helped turn me into a crawfish fan, and I bet it will do the same for you.

Do you like crawfish? Ever wondered how to boil your own crawfish? Check out this post below on how to do a crawfish boil!  And if you want more Louisiana food, check out this Louisiana Style Gumbo Recipe, and Crawfish Pie recipe.

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