Crawfish Étouffée with Butter-Braised Rice

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-08-06 · Updated 2026-08-06

A rich and flavorful Louisiana crawfish étouffée served over tender butter-braised white rice, showcasing deep roux and fresh herbs. This Southern-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 50 minutes, pairs crawfish tails, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 400 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb, peeled and deveined crawfish tails
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 large, finely chopped yellow onion
• 2, finely chopped celery stalks
• 1, finely chopped green bell pepper
• 3, minced garlic cloves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp, chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

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Instructions

1. Step 1: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 5 tbsp unsalted butter. Whisk in 4 tbsp all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 5-7 minutes until the roux turns a medium brown color and smells nutty.
2. Step 2: Add 1 finely chopped yellow onion, 2 finely chopped celery stalks, 1 finely chopped green bell pepper, and 3 minced garlic cloves to the roux. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables soften.
3. Step 3: Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp Cajun seasoning, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, and 1 bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute to deepen flavors.
4. Step 4: Gradually whisk in 2 cups chicken broth, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes until sauce thickens.
5. Step 5: Add 1 lb peeled crawfish tails and simmer gently for 8 minutes until crawfish are cooked through. Remove bay leaf and stir in 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley.
6. Step 6: Meanwhile, rinse 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice. In a separate saucepan, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat, add rice and toast for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water and 1 tsp salt, bring to boil, cover and simmer for 18 minutes until rice is tender and fluffy.
7. Step 7: Serve the crawfish étouffée hot over the butter-braised rice for a classic Louisiana meal.