This classic and easy shrimp etouffee recipe comes together in just minutes. It’s special enough to serve to company but easy enough for a weeknight.
What makes etouffee unique?
We love so many dishes in the two “neighboring” cuisines of Cajun and Creole. Just a take a quick look around here and you’ll find Gumbo, Jambalaya Dip, Fiery Cajun Shrimp and lots of marinades and sauces with those enticing flavors. One of our absolute favorites is the Best Jambalaya Recipe. It comes out perfectly every time.
A common thread in many of these recipes is the combination known as the “holy trinity” (celery, onion and bell pepper). But, what makes shrimp etouffee unique is the butter. We’re not talking about just a little butter. This is a sauce with a buttery base.
Shrimp Etouffee or Crawfish Etouffee?
If you have crawfish available in your area, and it’s the right season, this recipe can absolutely be made with them. We wrote it as a shrimp recipe just because they’re available year round pretty much everywhere. Crawfish would lend a real air of authenticity to your etouffee, for sure.
For an even more genuine experience you can start your evening off with a classic Hurricane cocktail. They’re super easy and yummy!
For a more in depth look at authentic southern cuisine be sure to read Southern Food: Then & Now.
About the roux
It does involve a light roux, which is a slow and mindful cooking of flour with some type of fat (in this case butter) until the flour starts to brown. Roux can be taken to the next level and made dark and earthy, but for the etouffee we recommend stopping at light brown.
Wikipedia defines roux this way : “Roux is flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight. The flour is added to the melted fat or oil on the stove top, blended until smooth, and cooked to the desired level of brownness.”
The main thing to remember is to stir constantly and not take your eyes off of it or you can burn the roux. We recommend cooking the roux at a low temperature, but you can get the brown effect faster with a medium-low to medium heat.
Just be aware that the higher the heat, the less room for error. You’ll really need to watch it closely and take it off the heat a minute or so before it reaches the desired browness.
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Easy Shrimp Etouffee
Ingredients
- 1⅓ pounds shrimp shelled, deveined & clean
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 5 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1¼ cup seafood stock
- 1-1¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ lemon juiced
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste, optional
- 1/2-1 teaspooon Creole/Cajun seasoning we love Tony Chachere's
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium high heat. Add bell pepper, celery, onions and garlic and cook about 5-7 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in flour and salt, stirring to keep it smooth. Cook, stirring constantly until flour is lightly browned. This should take approximately 20 minutes but can vary.
- Add shrimp, stock, lemon juice and seasoning. Cook, stirring until shrimp are done – about 5-8 minutes
- Stir in green onion and parsley, reserving a little if desired for garnish.
- Serve over rice.
Video
Tips for the getting the best shrimp etouffee ever:
- Adjust the salt according to whether you are using salted or unsalted butter and how much Creole seasoning is added
- Homemade seafood or shrimp stock is great to use if you have it
- Chop the vegetables, squeeze the lemon and dice the garlic ahead of time – then the whole thing comes together in just minutes
- Fresh shrimp is always best if you have it available.
- The time to cook the shrimp will vary with the size of the shrimp. Watch carefully and don’t let them overcook.
- To make it an extra hearty meal serve the Etouffee over Dirty Rice, instead of plain rice.
- You can make the roux at medium-low to medium heat but watch it carefully! Take it off the heat a few minutes before the desired browness is reached.
If you make this or any of our recipes we’d love for you to leave us a comment and star rating. If you’re into sharing your creations, snap a photo and tag us when you post it to Facebook or Instagram.
Before you leave be sure to check out this other classically southern shrimp dish: Fried Shrimp Recipe is just like in a restaurant and is easier than you think.
More recipes you’ll want to try:
Pimento Cheese Grits 
Southern Appetizer Board 
Remoulade Sauce 
Grilled Chicken Wings: Cajun Style 
Pork Chops in Creamy Cajun Pan Sauce 
Grilled Fish Tacos with Baja Sauce 
Strawberry Shortcake mini’s 
Smoked Fish Dip
Wow, this combination of flavors is incredible! Definitely going to have this again.
Thanks, Rachel!
I love shrimp and I am always looking for new ways to cook with it. This looks amazing.
Hope you enjoy, Dannii!
This recipe has so much flavour! Everyone loved it!
That’s awesome to hear. Thanks, Jack!
What a flavourful and delicious dish! Definitely making this for the whole family!
Hope everyone loves it Bintu!
I LOVE shrimp, but my husband HATES it!! That just means more for me, right?? This looks amazing. Bookmarked to make for when my husband is out of town 😉
Awww… that’s too bad. I don’t know how I would get by with a shrimp hater in my household. Good plan to make it when he’s gone.
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family
Well, it certainly pleases the crowd around here. Thanks, Shadi!
Wow, this has so much amazing flavour. I can’t wait to give it a try.
Hope yu love it, Dannii!
This looks absolutely mouthwatering. Going on my to-make list!
It really is good, Beth! We’re sure you’ll love it.
This recipe comes together quickly and has such great flavor.
Thanks so much, Angela!
I’m always looking for new shrimp recipes for my family because we love it so much. This one is a keeper!
Awesome! Hope y’all enjoy.
The flavours in this sound amazing. I love anything with lots of Cajun seasoning.
Us, too! Thanks, Dannii!
I always thought of shrimp etouffee as a difficult dish. It’s so not! Your recipe and tips make it so easy. Thanks for sharing 🙂
It’s not hard at all! Thanks, Traci!
I wish I lived somewhere where crawfish were easy to find so I could try that version too. But that’s okay because it’s already amazing with the shrimp!
So true! Thanks, Michelle!
Yummy! My daughter and I are going to love this! So excited to give this a try! Looks absolutely wonderful and flavorful!
Hope you love it!
Planning on preparing this but need to know how many people it will serve?
Claudia, the recipe serves 4.
Pam,
Tried this recipe and it was great but wondered 2 things. Should the vegetables cook for the entire 20 minutes in the roux and 2- why is the ratio of butter to flour so much less than the traditional recipes.
Hi Ron, So happy your etouffee turned out great! On your first question about the vegetables – yes, we recommend cooking the vegetables the whole time you’re browning the roux. The recipe was developed for the vegetables to incorporate into the sauce well – nothing crispy here! About the butter to flour: First of all, we do consider this to be a traditional recipe, but of course there can be many variations. We like our etouffee very buttery and want the butter flavor to be bold. We use just enough flour to brown lightly and make a light, buttery roux. Hope that answers your questions. Thanks for stopping by!