Cajun-Style Shrimp Etouffee

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 01/26/23
Cajun-Style Shrimp Etouffee

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
437 Calories
16g Fat
17g Carbs
55g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 437
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 8g 42%
Cholesterol 484mg 161%
Sodium 1501mg 65%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Protein 55g
Calcium 252mg 19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This mouth-watering shrimp etouffee combination is wonderful served with hot cooked rice. This is a Cajun-style etouffee.

The word etouffee literally means "smothered." An etouffee is made with shellfish, crawfish being the most popular. And if you have crawfish, feel free to use them in this etouffee in place of the shrimp.

If you like a tomato-based etouffee, try this Creole version.

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup onion (chopped)
  • 6 green onions (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper (red or green or combination, chopped)
  • 1/2 cup celery (chopped)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • Tabasco sauce to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 3 pounds shrimp (peeled and deveined)
  • Garnish: one bunch scallions, sliced

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Cajun-Style Shrimp Etouffee ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour to the hot butter and stir to blend. Cook, stirring constantly until flour mixture is deep golden brown.

    flour and butter mixture in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add the onions, green onions, bell pepper, and celery; cook until tender, stirring frequently.

    Add the onions, green onions, bell pepper, and celery to the flour mixture in the pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Stir in the water, parsley, bay leaf, and Tabasco. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, to give the sauce a chance to thicken.

    Add water, parsley, bay leaf, and Tabasco to the vegetable mixture in the pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Add the shrimp, and simmer an additional 5 to 6 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked. Serve over a mound of hot cooked rice and garnish with scallions if desired.

    Cajun-Style Shrimp Etouffee in a pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga