Crawfish Étouffée with Cajun Trinity Over Rice

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• True Louisiana flavor: buttery roux, the Cajun trinity, and just the right heat.
• Weeknight-friendly technique with make-ahead options for the base sauce.
• Tomatoes optional—go Creole with tomatoes or classic Cajun without.
• Luxuriously silky sauce that clings to every grain of rice.

Grocery List

• Produce: Yellow onion, green bell pepper, celery, garlic, flat-leaf parsley, scallions, lemon, (optional) canned diced tomatoes
• Dairy: Unsalted butter
• Pantry: Long-grain white rice, all-purpose flour, frozen crawfish tails (1 1/2 lb), seafood or low-sodium chicken stock, Cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne, dried thyme, bay leaves, kosher salt, black pepper, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, (optional) tomato paste

Full Ingredients

For the Steamed Rice

• 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Crawfish Étouffée

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 medium yellow onion, small dice (about 1 1/2 cups / 8 oz)
• 1 green bell pepper, small dice (about 1 cup / 6 oz)
• 2 ribs celery, small dice (about 3/4 cup / 4 oz)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups seafood or low-sodium chicken stock, warmed
• 1 1/2 lb crawfish tail meat, thawed and well-drained (reserve any juices/fat in the package)
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (preferably low- or no-salt)
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce
• Optional tomato component: 1 tablespoon tomato paste or 1/2 cup petite diced canned tomatoes, drained well
• 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (to finish)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (green parts for garnish)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cook the rice

Rinse the rice under cool water until it runs mostly clear. Bring 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a boil in a medium pot. Stir in the rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep warm.

Step 2: Prep the trinity, aromatics, and crawfish

Dice the onion, bell pepper, and celery evenly; mince the garlic. If your crawfish tails are frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or under gentle cold running water; drain well and reserve any flavorful orange crawfish fat/juices from the package. Warm the stock in a saucepan (warm stock blends into the roux more smoothly). Measure out all spices so they’re ready to go.

Step 3: Make a medium roux (peanut-butter color)

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup butter. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup flour and whisk until smooth. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, adjusting heat as needed, until the roux turns the color of peanut butter (light caramel) and smells nutty, about 8–12 minutes. Do not walk away; if any dark specks appear or it smells acrid, start over.

Step 4: Smother the trinity in the roux

Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until softened and glossy, 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30–60 seconds more until fragrant.

Step 5: Season and build the gravy

Stir in the Cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne, white and black pepper, and thyme; cook 30 seconds. If using tomato paste, add it now and cook 1 minute; if using diced tomatoes, stir them in now. Add Worcestershire and hot sauce. Gradually whisk in 3 cups warm stock along with any reserved crawfish juices, stirring until smooth. Add bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick like a rich gravy that coats a spoon. If it gets too thick, whisk in a splash more stock.

Step 6: Add crawfish and finish with butter and lemon

Fold in the crawfish tails and simmer gently until just heated through, 3–5 minutes—avoid a hard boil to keep the tails tender. Remove from the heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons cold butter to silk the sauce, then stir in the lemon juice and half the parsley. Taste and season with kosher salt as needed (amount depends on your stock and Cajun seasoning).

Step 7: Serve over rice with fresh herbs

Remove bay leaves. Spoon warm rice into shallow bowls, ladle the étouffée over the top, and garnish with the remaining parsley and sliced scallions. Offer extra hot sauce at the table.

Pro Tips

• Roux color guide: go for peanut-butter to light caramel. Darker = nuttier flavor, but less thickening power.
• Warm stock prevents lumps and helps the sauce come together quickly.
• Don’t overcook the crawfish—3 to 5 minutes is plenty or they’ll turn rubbery.
• Control salt by using unsalted butter and low-sodium stock; add salt at the end.
• Classic Cajun (no tomato) vs. Creole (with tomato): choose your style for a flavor shift.

Variations

• Creole-style: Stir in the optional tomatoes for a sweeter, brighter profile and rosy hue.
• Shrimp étouffée: Substitute 1 1/2 lb peeled, deveined medium shrimp; simmer only 2–3 minutes until just pink.
• Gluten-free: Make the roux with equal rice flour or thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (2 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water) added at the simmer.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; store rice separately. Reheat the étouffée gently over low heat until steaming (avoid boiling). For best quality, make the sauce base (through Step 5) up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate; reheat, then add crawfish just before serving. Freeze the sauce base (without crawfish) up to 2 months; thaw overnight. Leftover étouffée with crawfish can be frozen up to 2 months, though the tails may firm slightly on reheating.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate: 490 calories; 22 g fat; 55 g carbohydrates; 20 g protein; 2 g fiber; 800 mg sodium. Values vary by brand and optional ingredients.