Crawfish Étouffée with Rice

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-04 · Updated 2026-04-04

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

A classic New Orleans dish featuring succulent crawfish smothered in a rich, flavorful gravy over fluffy white rice, cooked with the holy trinity of vegetables. This Creole-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 45 minutes, pairs crawfish tails, butter, all-purpose flour for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 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.

Prep: 20 min Cook: 25 min Serves 4 Creole cuisine 420 cal/serving

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Ingredients

1 lb, cleaned crawfish tails
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup, finely diced onion
1/4 cup, finely diced celery
1/4 cup, finely diced bell pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cloves, minced garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
2 cups, cooked white rice

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Instructions

Step 1: Melt 3 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk constantly for 3-4 minutes until golden brown (a dark roux is not used here for étouffée).
Step 2: Stir in 1/2 cup diced onion, 1/4 cup diced celery, and 1/4 cup diced bell pepper. Cook for 6 minutes until vegetables are soft and translucent.
Step 3: Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, whisking to combine with the roux. Add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp thyme, then bring to a simmer.
Step 4: Add 1 lb cleaned crawfish tails and simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crawfish turn pink and are heated through. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Step 5: Serve immediately over 2 cups cooked white rice, spooning the étouffée generously over the rice. Garnish with extra thyme if desired.