Shrimp Etouffee is a juicy shrimp dish smothered in rich and flavorful roux boasting authentic southern flavors. Its bold spices are incredibly mouthwatering, and it’s super easy to make!
I totally appreciate easy, quick, and tasty meals. But if you want to put something exciting on your dining table, this Shrimp Etouffee recipe is a good place to start. The French know how to make delicious food but throw in a kick of African and Creole seasonings, and you have an unforgettable combination.
Once you taste it, you’ll want it on a weekly rotation. So, while planning your weekly menu, you might as well add homemade Creole Seasoning to your spice list. It’s the mother of all Southern spices for depth and richness, quick to put together, and easily customizable to your preference.
Content…What Is It? |
What Is Shrimp Etouffee?
You are probably thinking, what on earth is shrimp étouffée? I love French. The verb etouffée is much prettier than smother. But you’re not here for French 101, right?
Shrimp etouffee is different than shrimp creole. Shrimp etouffée is juicy, decadent shrimp smothered in a thick spicy sauce, then served over steaming white rice. On the other hand, Shrimp Creole is a thinner, more stew-like sauce and isn’t quite as spicy. However, both are equally delicious because the tomatoes, onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic add a rich flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
- Roux – Oil, butter, and flour make the perfect roux. Toasted flour and fat, when done right, are what make this shrimp etouffee recipe so awesome. If you need a gluten-free version, try an all-purpose gluten-free flour or cornstarch for the roux.
- Holy Trinity – Green bell pepper, onion, and celery are staples in Southern Creole cooking because they add substance and flavor.
- Seasonings – Garlic, thyme, bay leaves, Creole Seasoning, and smoked paprika are staples in Cajun and Creole cooking. Tomatoes are slightly acidic and make a good base with the herbs’ intense flavors. Then, add Worcestershire sauce and seafood broth (you can make it from the shrimp shells), and you have a flavor explosion.
- Shrimp – I love seafood, and this is the cheapest way to satisfy my seafood craving. Get it on sale and store it in the freezer for those nights you need something you can throw together quickly. Lobster and crab are both delicious for a total seafood experience! Even chicken and pork would make a good etouffee.
- Garnishes – Parsley and green onions are beautiful and delicious on stews and soups. A little green on top of the plate always looks gorgeous.
How to Make Shrimp Etouffee
Shrimp Stock
- Saute – Add a teaspoon or two of butter or oil to a saucepan or skillet. Then, throw in the shrimp shells, the remaining onion, garlic, and celery scraps, and aromatics like bay leaf and thyme. (Photo 1)
- Add Water – Sauté for 5-7 minutes, constantly stirring to prevent burning. Add about 5 cups of water to it. (Photo 2)
- Simmer – Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Strain – Remove from heat and strain using a sieve. Set stock aside. (Photo 3)
Etouffee
- Roux – Whisk melted butter, oil, and flour until smooth in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan. (Photo 4)
- Patience – Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, for 10-12 minutes or until you achieve the desired color. Please don’t walk away from the stove because it might burn. (Photo 5)
- Sauce – Add the onion, green pepper, and celery, and cook for 8-10 minutes – stirring frequently. (Photo 6)
- Herbs – Then add garlic, thyme, and bay leaf – continue stirring about 2 minutes longer. (Photo 7)
- Season – Next, throw in about 1 cup chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and Creole seasoning, and let it cook for 5 minutes. (Photo 8)
- Add Stock and Shrimp – Gradually pour in about 2 cups of shrimp stock, bring to a boil, and simmer. Add the shrimp and simmer for five more minutes. Or you may season the shrimp with Creole seasoning, sauté for about 5 minutes, and then throw it in at the last minute. You’ve got two options here – both work. (Photos 9-10)
- Adjust the soup’s thickness and flavor with more shrimp broth or water, hot sauce, and salt. (Photo 11)
- Serve – Stir in the green onions and chopped parsley. Serve over hot cooked rice. (Photo 12)
Recipe Variations
- Seafood etouffee. Crawfish Etouffee is incredible if you can get some fresh crawfish when it’s in season. But, hey, clams, oysters, mussels, lobster, and crab sound terrific.
- Vegetarian etouffee. Vegetable broth instead of seafood broth and baby portabellos, oyster mushrooms, tempeh, and eggplant instead of seafood all make good yum.
- Paleo version. Use ghee instead of butter, arrowroot powder instead of flour (skip making the roux and add it as a slurry), and yuca fries instead of rice.
Tips and Tricks
- The key to a great shrimp etouffee is the roux. Some people like the brown roux for deep, bold flavors, but I prefer the blonde roux for two reasons: First, it takes less time, 5-7 minutes. And second, it has a slightly nutty taste, not as strong as gumbo but equally tasty.
- Cook the roux over medium to low heat with constant whisking. Don’t stop even for a second to avoid burnt roux.
- Shell-on shrimp is best because the shells make a quick, easy, and flavorful stock.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
This incredible dish is the perfect make-ahead because the flavor is even better the next day. Make it the day before, let it cool, then store it in the fridge. Make your rice and reheat your shrimp etouffee on the stove when ready to serve. You keep your leftovers the same way.
If freezing etouffee for later, try not to cook the shrimp first. Then let the sauce thaw overnight in the fridge, heat it in a pot on the stovetop, and throw the shrimp and simmer until it’s done.
What Goes With Shrimp Etouffee
Homemade garlic bread, fried okra, spicy green beans, skillet cornbread, and basmati rice all love to be with shrimp etouffee. King cake is a superb finish with a cup of coffee. And if you want to serve wine, Chardonnay is a good pick.
More Awesome Seafood Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”8ucJfXsH” upload-date=”Mon Aug 06 2018 19:57:54 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”Shrimp Etouffee” description=”Shrimp Etouffee — Juicy shrimp dish smothered in rich and flavorful roux sauce made with rich authentic southern flavors and an incredibly delicious taste. Easy recipe with big bold flavors!!!”]
This blog post was originally published in June 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Shrimp Etouffee
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon (28 ml) canola oil
- 2 tablespoon (28 g ) butter
- ¼ cup (31 g) flour
- ½ medium onion, diced
- ½ cup green bell pepper, diced
- ⅓ cup celery, chopped (about 1-2 stalks)
- 2 teaspoon (10 g) garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon (1 g) thyme, fresh or dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup tomato, chopped
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon (8 g) Creole seasoning
- 2 cup (500 ml) seafood broth (can sub with water)
- 1 pound (453 g) shrimp, (peeled and deveined) reserve shrimp shells
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) hot sauce, optional
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoon (8-12 g) parsley, chopped
Instructions
Shrimp Stock
- Add a teaspoon or two of butter or oil to a saucepan or skillet. Then throw in shrimp shells, the remaining scraps of onion, garlic, celery together with aromatics like bay leaf and thyme.
- Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, constantly stirring to prevent burning. Add about 5 cups of water to it.
- Remove from heat and strain using a sieve. Set stock aside.
Etouffee
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine melted butter, oil, and flour until smooth.
- Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, for about 10-12 minutes, or until you have achieved the desired color. During this process, don't walk away from the stove because it might burn.
- Add the onion, green pepper, and celery, and cook for 8-10 minutes – stirring frequently.
- Then add garlic, thyme, and bay leaf – continue stirring about 2 minutes longer.
- Next, throw in about 1 cup chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and Creole seasoning, and let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Gradually pour in about 2 cups of shrimp stock, bring to a boil, and let it simmer. Add the shrimp and simmer for 5 more minutes. Or you may season the shrimp with Creole seasoning, sauté for about 5 minutes, and then throw it in at the last minute. You've got two options here – both work.
- Adjust the soup's thickness and flavor with more shrimp broth or water, hot sauce, and salt.
- Stir in the green onions and chopped parsley.
- Serve over hot cooked rice.
Tips & Notes:
- Comparable to gumbo and jambalaya, it’s made with Southern holy trinity. The roux is not as dark as the gumbo.
- Feel free to switch out the shrimp with crawfish. I suppose you could even use chicken if you’re allergic to seafood. Just make sure to cook the chicken through.
- If you want to add crabs to this recipe, cut down on shrimp or double everything else, minus the shrimp.
- The key to success for this dish is the roux (or sauce). Some people like the brown roux for deep, bold flavors, but I prefer the blonde roux for two reasons: First, it takes up less time, approximately 5-7 minutes, to get rid of the flour’s raw flavor. And second, it has a slightly nutty taste, not as strong as gumbo, but equally tasty in its own right.
- If you have the patience and persistence and want that brown roux flavor, go for it. Don’t let me stop you.
- Be sure to cook it over medium to low heat with constant stirring and whisking. Don’t stop even for a second, or you might end up having a burned roux.
- This is one recipe that is best to get shell-on shrimp, if possible. Do not let the shelling and deveining of the shrimp scare you! They make for a quick and easy stock, and it’s flavorful too!
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.
Victoria Cannon says
So yummy! I doubled the recipe, substituted the shrimp for crawfish tails and made crawfish pies. It was a huge hit!
ImmaculateBites says
Yummy indeed 🙂 :)!! I am so glad this was a hit with you, Victoria!
Lidiya says
This was absolutely incredible! I made this for my husbands family and doubled the recipe. I’ve never made anything like this before and it turned out perfectly. I even made the shrimp stock from scratch! I’m so happy to have stumbled across your blog. Will continue trying out your other recipes.
ImmaculateBites says
Woohoo!! High-five on nailing your first attempt! I am so thrilled it was a hit with your in-laws. Thank you for the feedback, Lidiya :).
Michelle Erickson says
This was amazing! We live in Minnesota and had gone to New Orleans last year and it made us feel like we were back. Definitely will be making again!!
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you, Michelle! 🙂
Yuliya N says
I’ve made it twice now. So so goooood. Thank you for the recipe. I ended up purchasing a seafood stock paste and adding some of that to give it a stronger flavor.
I subbed green pepper for a jalapeño (seeds out) and used a tad more celery to make up for the difference in volume.
For some reason I have to do less minutes on almost every step. We have a gas stove, I’m setting my burner for low/medium and I’m still having to shorten each step to get the same results (i.e. roux color, etc).
Regardless it is so so yummy.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!! The less time the better, right? 🙂 I am so glad this was a hit with you! Thanks for stopping by, Yuliya.
Taalibah Walker says
And to think I been throwing away those shrimp shells this whole time!!Omg my hubby only eats seafood …Thank you
ImmaculateBites says
I know right! I used to do that too but now I know better :). Thanks for stopping by.
Joanna Sanchez says
I save all of my shrimp shells and crab shells and freeze them, then I have a big bag of them ready to go for seafood stock for stews and soups ready to go! Game changer for flavor!
ImmaculateBites says
You said it, Joanna! It really is a game-changer for flavor! Thanks for sharing.
Ashleigh says
Followed your recipe tonight as I have been craving this dish! Such a delicious recipe!!! Loved every moment of eating it, I made it for me parents and myself and left some for my co worker (which I am tempted eat!) Thank you for sharing this recipe, I am not sure when I will ever get to eat an authentic New Orleans dish again as I am from Australia, but this delicious recipe will definitely satisfy me.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Ashleigh. I am so glad this was a hit with your family. Please resist the temptation to eat your co-worker’s share :)!! Thank you so much for your feedback!
David Grace says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! My first time making Etoufee, and it came out great! I have gotten pretty good at making Gumbo, so I was ready for the roux. I do like the darker roux and mine was between peanut butter and milk chocolate. I added a bit more spice, but the flavors came together nicely. Quite pleased with the outcome. The shrimp stock came out well, and I froze the extra for later. Again, thanks for helping me make my7 day!
ImmaculateBites says
Wow, way to go on nailing the roux!! Thank you so much for the feedback! The pleasure is mine :)!
Tia says
I don’t have shrimp stock, Does the sub with water mean to use water if you don’t have shrimp broth? I have chicken and vegetable stock if either of those are options too. Sorry- reading the reviews I’m excited to make this!
ImmaculateBites says
Yes . You can either sub with water or better yet chicken or vegetable stock. Enjoy!!
Preya says
My partner hates celery. Can I omit it or use something else?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Preya! Feel free to omit the celery!
Ninaprestons says
I’ve never made shrimp broth before, it smelled so good while simmering! Thanks for a great recipe (again)!
Stephanie Peterson says
Absolutely delicious. I have made it three times already during this quarantine (because it’s great.) The third time I used regular paprika instead of smoked paprika and it was the best of the three! I also use more seasoning than the recipe calls for but I do that with all recipes. Fortunately it’s easy to season it to taste.
Imma Adamu says
yes i tell folks all the time, the seasoning should be to your palate. Three times!!! Really! Love it. Try this recipe too… you will love it..https://www.africanbites.com/spaghetti-fettuccine-shrimp-spinach/
Matt Ellison says
Thanks for this recipe. My six year old was reaching into the pot for seconds and thirds. Nothing more needs to be said. (I did make it more kid friendly by making my own Creole seasoning without cayenne.) Also used veggie buillion and water since we only had frozen shrimp on hand.
ImmaculateBites says
YAY! Happy to know it is a hit , especially when it comes down to the little ones. Thanks for sharing this.
Jesse Broadhurst says
Delicious! Also, so much simpler than I’ve always imagined this to be. I used this as the sauce for a masa-crumbed gurnard po’boy, so it was smothered shrimp smothering fish! This recipe is definitely joining my regular rotation, thanks muchly.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! So happy to hear it worked out well for you.
Mary O. says
Imma, you ROCK!! This recipe is the real deal! My daughters and I now live in Hawaii, but it’s Fat Tuesday y’all! We went on a search for wild caught gulf prawns and actually did find them at our local Safeway! If you are new to Cajun cooking, be sure to watch the video tutorials. Shell on shrimp…make the stock…just like my great gramma did… Make it! You’ll be so glad you did!
Patricia says
Mr Belton, I tuned in on your cooking show on Sunday Feb.23rd. You made pork chop etoufee. You poured baked flour into your pan for your roux, added chicken stock and made a gravy. What is baked flour? I use a lot of recipes using a roux, and would love to be able to use whatever this baked flour is. Thank you love your cooking.
Imma Adamu says
Hi Patricia its Imma here.. I hope you watched my video 🙂 Thank you for your kind comments.
Elizabeth Pate says
This recipe is simmering as we speak and it smells amazing!!
Does the nutritional info included with the recipe include or not include the rice you would serve this with? I live a low carb lifestyle so I used xanthum gum instead of flour as well.
imma africanbites says
Hi, Elizabeth. Thank you for trying it out. The nutritional info shown above doesn’t include the rice.
Bob C says
I don’t usually comment on recipes because I don’t follow any one. I review several a pick out things I think I’d like. This one looked really good by itself. It was excellent better than I had in Louisiana and I tried several. The sauce came out sooo silky and the flavors were spot on. So good I may have to click on some of your adds and buy something
Every time I cook shrimp I boil down the shells and freeze the broth, even shrimp for shrimp cocktail I’ll save the water I cooked the shrimp in, boil down and freeze. So I had some excellent broth for this dish. I’ll be looking it more of your recipes!
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you, Bob, for this great review! I am so happy this worked out well for you and I can’t wait for you to try out my other recipes. Happy Cooking!
CaraMia says
Great recipe! I added andouille sausage as well as shrimp. The family loved it.
ImmaculateBites says
That sounds delish! Thanks for the feedback CaraMia!