Louisiana Shrimp Etouffee is a delicious Southern medley of tender Gulf shrimp nestled in a blonde Creole roux, and accented with onion, celery and bell peppers--all served over a bed of white rice! 
If you go to Louisiana you're gonna find etouffee on the menu at almost every restaurant. The most popular version is crawfish, but you'll find plenty of other varieties, including shrimp.
This delicious Southern seafood dish is easy, flavorful, affordable and ready in minutes!
What is Etouffee?
Etouffee, means "smothered" in French, and is a popular Southern dish where seafood or chicken is cooked, or "smothered" in a blonde roux and served with rice.
It is a popular French dish in and around all of Louisiana, including New Orleans, and is second to the famous Louisiana Seafood Gumbo.
You'll love this recipe!
- Quick and easy - use premade seafood stock and this French classic is ready in 40-minutes!
- Healthy - all-natural ingredients, no preservatives, fillers or additives
- Easy Clean-up! One big skillet and a pan for rice...that's it!
- Great flavor - make it as mild or spicy as you like!
Here's what you'll need:
Shrimp, flour, butter, onion, celery, green bell peppers, stewed/canned tomatoes, Creole seasoning, high-quality prepared seafood stock, Worcestershire sauce, Louisiana pepper sauce (optional) and rice.
How to make Shrimp Etouffee
Shrimp etouffee is really easy to make! First, you make a roux, then add the Holy Trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper.) Next, add the seafood stock, tomatoes and seasonings.
Once these have simmered a bit, add the shrimp. It takes about 5 - 8 minutes for the shrimp to cook! Serve over rice and you're done!
Peel and devein shrimp; lightly season and set aside; Make roux for the ettouffee base - combine equal parts flour and fat in pan; whisk and cook on low for 2-3 minutes
Add The Holy Trinity (celery, onion, bell pepper) to roux; cook 5- minutes
Add shrimp stock, tomatoes and seasonings to roux; simmer for 10-min; Add seasoned shrimp; allow to simmer 10 minutes
Serve etouffee over prepared white rice; garnish with green onions
How long does Louisiana shrimp etouffee take to cook?
This recipe takes about 40-minutes from start to finish, and that includes prepping the shrimp and chopping the vegetables. It calls for prepared seafood stock and fresh shrimp.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes! Rinse, peel and deveing frozen shrimp then, lightly season with Creole seasoning and set aside. If you want to go easy on the Creole seasoning, just light salt and pepper the shrimp.
Is Creole food spicy?
Generally speaking, Creole dishes usually have more spice than Cajun. The Creole people were city dwellers and had easy access to spices like red pepper and chili powder...so a lot of these warmer spices are found in Creole food.
You control the heat of this dish by the amount of seasoning you add. If you don't like spice, only salt and pepper the shrimp and start with ½ tablespoon of the seasoning blend in the tomato sauce. You can always add more.
What's the difference between Gumbo and Etouffee?
Gumbo and Etouffee are two totally different dishes.
Gumbo is a hearty Southern stew based on a dark roux and is served with white rice. The protein in this Louisiana classic might be seafood, chicken or sausage-but true gumbo always includes okra and The Holy Trinity.
Etouffee, on the other hand, is not as thick or dark as a gumbo stew; it is a lighter Southern favorite and is cooked with a blonde roux. (Blonde roux's typically do not take as long to make as dark.)
Classic etouffee consists of protein (such as crawfish or shrimp) that is "smothered" or simmered in a blonde roux that is seasoned with The Holy Trinity. It is not common to find okra in etouffee.
Serving suggestions:
Although Louisiana Shrimp Etouffee is a complete dish on its own, you will often see it served with warm French bread and/or a cup of soup...like French Onion or a cup of Gumbo.
You might want to serve a side of Louisiana Crab Puffs with the etoufee, as well!
Related recipes:
- Natchitoches Meat Pie
- Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
- New Orleans Cajun Chicken Gumbo
- Creole Shrimp Pasta
- Smothered Okra and Tomatoes
- How to Season and Cook Purple Hull Peas
- No Bake Coconut Cream Pie
- Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie
- Southern Pecan Pie
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you! Thank you!
Louisiana Shrimp Etouffee
Ingredients
- 1 lb Gulf shrimp shelled and deveined
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup celery chopped
- ½ cup yellow onion chopped
- ½ cup green bell pepper chopped
- 1½ cups seafood stock
- 2 tablespoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (divided)
- 15 ounces stewed tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce (optional)
- 4 cups prepared white rice
- 1 bunch green onions , for garnish
Instructions
- Season shelled, raw shrimp with 1 tablespoon of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning; set aside
- In a heavy bottom skillet on medium-low heat, melt butter; sprinkle in flour; combine and let cook for 2-minutes (it will be lumpy)
- Add chopped onion, celery and green bell peppers to butter/flour mixture; cook 5 minutes
- Gradually add in shrimp stock, stirring with whisk to remove any lumps
- Add Worcestershire sauce, remaining tablespoon of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, stewed tomatoes and Louisiana hot sauce (optional); combine well (use wooden spoon to break apart tomatoes)
- Allow mixture to cook on low for 10 minutes; taste for salt
- Add seasoned shrimp to mixture; allow to cook for 10 minutes
- Meanwhile, prepare rice
- Plate rice onto plates or bowls and ladle shrimp and roux over rice; garnish with chopped green onions
Notes
- nestle them in the hot tomato mixture and let them cook for about 5-8 minutes
Nutrition
Michelle says
I cook this recipe at least 2 to 3 tips month
Anecia says
I sure do appreciate your comment, Michelle! Thank you!
Anecia says
Thanks, Allen! Cajun versions do not contain tomatoes; mine is Creole-style, which does include tomatoes.
Julie says
Amazing
Anecia says
Thank you, Julie! I'm glad you liked it!