Y’all I legit dream about this Shrimp Etouffee recipe because it’s that dang on good! Straight outta New Orleans, this dish packs Creole merged Cajun flavors right into one simmering pot filled with shrimp, a flavorful and hearty sauce, and the holy trinity of veggies. This shrimp etouffee is spiced just right boos! Serve over white rice for the full downhome Louisiana etouffee experience!
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Y’all I have been to New Orleans so many times, and every time I go I have just got to get me some shrimp etouffee! I go back consistently for the food. I dream about the food boos. That Cajun and creole culture in Louisiana is undeniable. From the shrimp and grits and beignets to this shrimp etouffee, I typically get down on all that the “Big Easy” is known for.
Recreating a homemade etouffee recipe that I think can contend with some of the best was no easy feat and I may be a little biased but I think i did it!! This shrimp etouffee recipe is pretty fantastic.
What is Shrimp Etouffee?
Etouffee is a French word that means smothered. So shrimp etouffee is translated to mean “smothered shrimp”. The recipe starts with the development of a roux. That’s a mix of flour and fat that creates the base of the thickened sauce. Then what’s known as the “holy trinity” in Cajun food (celery, bell peppers and onions) is added along with other aromatics, spices and shrimp creating a rich stew like sauce. It’s then served over rice so it can soak up all that deliciousness.
Etouffee can be found in both Cajun and Creole cuisines so you can definitely find it on most menus in Louisiana. It may seem pretty labor intensive but I find it to be one of the easier recipes to duplicate or get pretty close to. If you have a little time on your hands, you can throw this together boos.
The Lowdown on this Cajun Shrimp Etouffee
- Cuisine Inspiration: Cajun
- Primary Cooking Method: Simmering
- Dietary Info: Can be Gluten-Free and Pescatarian with some adjustments
- Key Flavor: Spiced up and Tomato-Based
- Skill Level: Intermediate – The roux takes a bit of patience and finesse.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make the Best Shrimp Etouffee Eva
- Roux: Every bomb etouffee begins with a dark roux made with salted butter and all-purpose flour. The longer a roux develops, the richer and deeper the flavor. It also thickens our base and adds more color.
- Holy Trinity: Most Cajun dishes start with the famous veggie trio of onion, celery, and green bell peppers, thus its nickname, the Holy Trinity.
- The Liquids: Chicken stock and white wine add flavor and simmer down to create a flavorful gravy consistency for the sauce.
- Tomatoes: I add a combination of tomato paste and diced tomatoes here. The tomato paste adds intense tomato flavor while the diced tomatoes add nice chunky texture to the dish. This is more of a Creole Cajun matchup recipe. Cajun typically doesn’t add tomatoes so you can omit if you prefer but either way, it will be delicious based on your preference.
- Spices: I’ve added a basic creole seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and hot sauce for a bit of fiery heat and flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: This adds more depth and nuance. It’s my little trick.
- Fresh lemon juice: Make sure you use freshly squeezed! The acid really helps brighten the sauce up.
- Shrimp: You will want to use peeled and deveined to make this etouffee recipe! Buy them already prepped to save you some time.
- Heavy whipping cream: This adds additional richness and flavor.
- Cooked rice, chopped parsley, and green onion: For serving and garnish. Fluffy white rice is the standard here.
How to Make Shrimp Etouffee
Step 1: Make the Roux
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized pan over medium low heat. Stir in the flour making sure there are no lumps to begin the roux.
- Allow the roux to develop, stirring frequently for about 9-10 minutes. You want it to turn dark but make sure it doesn’t burn.
PRO TIP: Don’t try to crank this up to a higher temperature to speed up the process. Low and slow is the best way to ensure your roux doesn’t burn. Also you can sub in a bit of oil for half of the butter since oil has a higher smoke point. It will help with making sure your roux doesn’t burn.
Step 2: Build the Sauce
- Add the onions, celery, and green peppers and cook for a few minutes until tender stirring frequently as they cook.
- Pour in the chicken stock and white wine and then add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes if using to the skillet and whisk together everything.
- Season the sauce with the creole seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Cook the mixture for 10-12 minutes over medium heat to allow the flavors to blend and the sauce to begin to thicken.
- Add the shrimp to the skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3: Thicken the Sauce
- Cook for another 10 minutes on a lower heat with the lid on and add the whipping cream.
- Stir everything together and cook for 2-3 more minutes to thicken the sauce. Serve up your etouffee New Orleans style over rice and garnish with chopped parsley and green onion.
How to Serve Shrimp Etouffee New Orleans Style
To give this entire meal great flavor, I love to bring together the authentic essence of New Orleans with the following dishes that go great.
- Rice– The best way to serve this shrimp etouffee recipe New Orleans style is over a bed of fluffy white rice. If you want to learn how to make rice perfectly, check out my tips.
- Red Beans and Rice – Just like etouffee, its perfect over rice so make a big ole pot of white rice and have both of these on the stovetop to add to a heaping plate. That’s good eatin’ yall!
- Gumbo – Filled with shrimp, oysters, crabmeat and more, this spiced broth is the ultimate soup to have with your authentic meal.
- Grillades and Grits – This traditional Louisiana dish has slow cooked steak in a creamy Creole spiced gravy that is served over ….. you guessed it, grits!
- Jambalaya Skillet – This recipe isn’t quite traditional but it comes together in a flash when you have a lot of other dishes to bring to the mix.
- New Orleans Hurricane Drink– This drink is authentic and the perfect refreshing quench for this spicy dish.
- Bananas Foster– Finish up this Louisiana style meal with a dessert hit.
Recipe Substitutions
- Butter: Use oil instead. While you might be missing the richness of butter, you will lower your chances of burning the roux because of the higher smoking point.
- Chicken Stock: Throw in some seafood or vegetable stock instead. This will make the entire dish Pescatarian.
- Wine: Want to cut the wine all together? Just add more stock.
- Flour: To make this gluten free, try a rice or almond flour. It will vary the texture just a bit but will still thicken up your sauce.
Variations and Additions
- Seafood: Switch your Shrimp Etouffee to Shrimp and Crawfish Etouffee, which is a popular dish in Louisiana. Also feel free to play around with other ingredients like crab meat, fish and even andouille.
- Vegetarian: Scrap the chicken stock and shrimp for vegetable stock and meaty veggies like oyster mushrooms. The tomatoes and trinity ingredients will add ample flavor and texture.
- Swap out the grains: While white rice is king, you can replace with basmati rice, brown rice, grits or even cauliflower rice to lighten it all up. Heck even a delish dirty rice can kick things up a lot!
How to Store and Reheat
- Fridge: Once cooled, add the leftovers to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: If you’re using fresh shrimp, store the dish in a freezer-safe bag or container. It should last up to 3 months. Just make sure you add a little bit of space to the top to allow for any expansion of the recipe. I recommend you don’t re-freeze if you used frozen shrimp.
- Reheating: Place the remaining shrimp etouffee it in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until heated through. If it’s a bit thick, you thin it out with more stock.
Expert Tips
- Grab Quality Shrimp. Using fresh, high-quality shrimp is always the move. It impacts the overall flavor so much. And remember never to overcook them. They turn rubbery if you do.
- Stir the roux frequently and don’t let the heat get too hot. Remember low and slow is the name of the game here. You want it to cook and darken slowly over time and not burn.
- The flavor of etouffee is usually spicy but if you can’t stand the heat, you can tone down the amount or toss out the cayenne and hot sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shrimp creole and shrimp etouffee are somewhat similar dishes so I get why folks confuse them. Etouffee has more of a gravy consistency that’s thicker than Creole. Shrimp etouffee is a lot spicier than shrimp creole.
Yep for sure! Swap the shrimp for crawfish tails instead. Follow the same cooking instructions but the crawfish tails will not require as much time to cook.
It should be a deep dark brown and golden in color, not burnt looking. It will take at least 9 minutes with continuous stirring.
More Delicious Shrimp Recipes
- Shrimp Creole
- Cajun Shrimp Linguine
- Shrimp and Corn Chowder
- Creole Shrimp and Egg Salad
- Shrimp Po Boys
- Low Country Boil
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Shrimp Etouffee Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup sliced celery
- ½ cup chopped green peppers
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ teaspoon tomato paste if using
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, drained if using
- 1 tablespoon creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- Cooked rice for serving
- Garnish with chopped parsley and green onion
Instructions
- In a medium sized deep pot, melt butter over medium heat. Thoroughly stir in flour making sure there are no lumps to begin the roux. Allow the roux to develop, stirring frequently for about 9-10 minutes (until dark but make sure it doesn't burn).
- Next stir in onions, celery and green peppers and cook for a few minutes until tender, frequently stirring.
- Pour in chicken stock and white wine then add tomato paste and diced tomatoes, if using, and whisk together everything.
- Season with creole seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and hot sauce.
- Allow the mixture to cook for 10-12 minutes over medium heat to come together and begin to thicken then add the shrimp and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 10 minutes on a lower heat with the lid on.
- Stir in heavy whipping cream then cook for 2-3 more minutes until thickened. Serve over rice and garnish with chopped parsley and green onion.
Video
Notes
- Fridge: Once cooled, add the leftovers to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: If you’re using fresh shrimp, store the dish in a freezer-safe bag or container. It should last up to 3 months. Just make sure you add a little bit of space to the top to allow for any expansion of the recipe. I recommend you don’t re-freeze if you used frozen shrimp.
- Reheating: Place the remaining shrimp etouffee it in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until heated through. If it’s a bit thick, you thin it out with more stock.
Nutrition
This post was originally published Februrary 2015. It’s been updated with new images and content.
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This is the perfect savory dish! I loved making it in my cast iron too! Thank you! Can’t wait for this to be on my meal rotation!
I always thought shrimp etouffee was so intimidating, but your recipe instructions and tips make it surprisingly simple. Thanks so much for sharing!
Delicious! Will definitely be making this again! Very easy!
Fantastic!
Easy and beautiful. I had one piece of cod that I added and cut back on the cayenne pepper for my mom.
Oh my goodness I made the etouffee today, it was delicious.! I didn’t change anything, I can’t wait to make it for my next house guest! Thank you very much for sharing your delicious recipes!
Made this last week, and my family LOVED it!! I had been looking for an étouffée recipe from scratch. I have one that’s pretty good, but it calls for cream of mushroom soup and some other canned soup items. It’s also good, but I like to cook the way my grandparents and parents did, making everything from scratch. This is the second recipe of yours that I’ve tried, I have to go comment on the other one as well. My goal is to try one of your recipes a week, so you’ll be hearing from me again.
Wow thank you so much!
Wow, this recipe is a keeper. Everything turned out perfect. Loved the heat. Didn’t take too long either. I actually forgot the heavy cream, it was still delicious. Thank you!
I made it with vegetable broth to accommodate a pescatarian. Also swapped the white wine for some lager, as it was on hand. Everyone raved! They’re still raving!
absolutely delicious! my husband doesn’t really like shellfish, but he scarfs this down happily. had to cut back on the cayenne, which is sad to me…i love spicy…but all else stayed the same. i make this every couple of weeks and it’s become one of our fave meals. thank you!
It was great! It wasn’t too spicy.