Shrimp Étouffée is a Classic Louisiana seafood Stew made with tender, seasoned shrimp smothered in a Cajun sauce packed with the flavors of New Orleans.
You can’t make Shrimp Étouffée without the Holy Trinity (onion, celery, and green peppers) and a simple dark roux to thicken it up. This easy recipe will have you enjoying the taste of New Orleans in your home tonight.
After one taste, I’m sure you’ll agree that this is the best Shrimp Etouffe you’ve ever made. Truthfully, it does take a bit of time to make, but the process is easy, and after one taste, you’ll agree it was time well spent.
What is Étouffée?
If you look up Etouffee in the dictionary, you’ll find the literal translation to be smothered.
Etouffee uses smothering, a popular cooking method in the Cajun areas of southwest Louisiana and the coastal counties of Mississippi.
What’s in an Étouffée Sauce?
Étouffée is a type of stew, if you want to get technical. It’s made with a roux, onion, celery, and bell pepper (the holy trinity), tomato, garlic, hot sauce, and either shrimp, crawfish, or chicken.
Cajun Étouffée does not contain tomatoes. The addition of tomatoes is the Creole way of preparing étouffée.
There are many variations of this classic shrimp dish, some Cajun and others Creole. While the styles are very similar, each has its own unique seasonings and flavors typical of the region and families from which the recipe came.
Many people confuse Étouffée with Jambalaya, which is a completely different type of recipe.
Étouffée is typically made with shellfish, with crawfish being the original star of the dish. But as we all know, when it comes to cooking, it’s all about what we like to eat and what’s readily available, which is why I love making shrimp etouffee.
While traditionalists may argue that the only Etouffée is Crawfish Étouffée, I’ll have to disagree. Crawfish may make the traditional dish, but it’s easier to find shrimp, and shrimp make one delicious etouffee!
Recipe FAQ’s
Etouffee means “smothered” in French. It typically consists of a dark roux, the Holy Trinity (onion, celery, and bell pepper), tomatoes, garlic, and hot sauce. It can be made with shrimp, crawfish, or chicken.
Gumbo is made with the same ingredients, but with the addition of file powder and okra (the word “gumbo” even comes from a West African word for okra.
Gumbo is usually made with a mixture of different meats and seafood. Meanwhile, étouffée is traditionally made with shrimp or crawfish.
True Cajun Étouffée does not contain tomatoes, but the creole version does. I prefer the flavor that the tomatoes add to the dish, but they can be left out.
No, you don’t. Shrimp Étouffée is becoming more popular, and it’s easier to get Shrimp from US waters than it is to get crawfish.
More Shrimp Recipes You’ll Love!
Cajun Shrimp Étouffée Recipe
Ingredients
Broth
- shrimp shells
- ½ lemon sliced
- scraps from cutting onion and celery
- 2 cups chicken broth
Etouffee Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup onion small dice
- ½ cup celery small dice
- ½ cup bell pepper small dice
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 14 ounce can diced tomato
- 1 tablespoon Creole or Cajun seasoning your favorite blend and adjust to your tastes
- hot sauce to taste optional
Shrimp
- 14 jumbo shrimp 16-20 count shrimp, tail off shelled and deveined (about ¾ of a pound )
- ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Italian parsley finely chopped
Assembly
- 2 cups cooked rice
- sea salt to taste
- ¼ cup green onions sliced for garnish
- tablespoon Italian parsley chopped for garnish
Instructions
Broth
- Add the shrimp shells and scraps of onion and celery to a small saucepot with a little olive oil to saute and cook for a few minutes
- then add the sliced lemon and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer for 20 minutes. Add more water if necessary to keep the stock close to 1 ½ cups
- Strain the solids from the broth and set aside.
Etouffee Sauce
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, cook until it starts to brown sprinkle in the flour while mixing and reduce the heat to simmer. Continue to simmer until the roux turns dark brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the onion, celery, and peppers to the roux and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a minute.
- Whisk in the broth
- Add the tomatoes and seasoning, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Season with hot sauce and sea salt to taste.
Shrimp
- Dry the peeled shrimp with paper towels
- Mix some of your seasoning (or paprika if you don't want heat) and chopped parsley with your towel-dried shrimp. Toss the shrimp with the seasoning.
- Heat another saute pan over medium-high heat. Add a little oil to the pan and add the seasoned shrimp
- Saute the shrimp quickly and cook until just done so they stay moist and tender. You want to get color into the shrimp so it's okay if they seasoning burns a little.
Assembly
- Place white rice in center of bowl, add Etouffee Sauce around rice, place cooked shrimp on top
- Garnish with parsley and green onions
BB says
great flavor an delish
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the etouffee!
Rob says
I made this last night in celebration of Mardi Gras. It took a while to prep and make but it came out great. My wife and I loved it. Thanks for the excellent recipe will definitely make this again. Highly recommend!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thank you for letting me know that you enjoyed the recipe! Prep time is a little longer than some dishes, but its well worth the effort.
Sarah says
Been making this for years. Our very favorite!
Chef Dennis Littley says
That’s what I like to hear!