You'll love this shrimp etouffee recipe with succulent shrimp simmered in a rich, spicy Creole sauce, a perfectly comforting Southern meal, easy to make!
Love it? You might also love my Crawfish Etouffee Recipe or my Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Recipe.
Creole Shrimp Etouffee Recipe
Shrimp étouffée is a must-eat dish from Louisiana. Etouffee is hugely popular in the American south, part of the rich history and diverse cooking techniques acquired from many different parts of the world.
A bit like a classic fricassee recipe, shrimp etouffee offers up a wonderful creamy sauce made from the Cajun Holy Trinity of vegetables - bell peppers, celery and onion, and in this case, garlic and tomato for a Creole version, much like a stew.
Bring in your favorite Creole spices and you'll develop a flavor that will definitely work its way into your heart.
The shrimp can be sautéed then added to the dish, or you can cook them right in the sauce, which is more traditional. In fact, the very name "etouffee" means "to smother" in French, referring to smothering the shrimp within the sauce.
Let's talk about how to make shrimp etouffee, shall we?
Shrimp Etouffee Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Shrimp. Peeled and deveined, but save the shrimp shells.
- Oil. Use peanut oil or vegetable oil.
- Flour. All purpose white.
- Cajun Holy Trinity. Green Bell Pepper (or use jalapenos for a spicier version), onion, celery + garlic.
- Chicken Broth.
- Diced Tomatoes. I'm using canned tomatoes.
- Spices. Use Creole seasonings (or use Cajun Seasonings) + dried thyme and salt and black pepper. Bay leaves are popular as well.
- Worcestershire Sauce.
- Hot Sauce. If desired. I love a good Louisiana style hot sauce for this recipe.
- For Serving. Cooked rice, fresh chopped parsley or green onions, spicy red chili flakes.
How to Make Shrimp Etouffee - the Recipe Overview
The full recipe instructions are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
First we make a roux with equal parts flour and fat - I'm using vegetable oil - in a large pot.
Stir it continuously for 10-12 minutes, until the roux darkens to a light brown color, the color of peanut butter. Learn more about How to Make a Roux.
Add the onions, peppers and celery to cook a few minutes, then add the garlic and tomatoes.
Stir in stock (you can use seafood stock, chicken, or homemade shrimp stock - see below), Creole or Cajun seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, dried thyme, and a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer at least 20 minutes to let the flavors mingle and develop.
For the shrimp, you can cook it separately in a pan, or tuck them into the simmering sauce to cook through.
The choice is yours.
BOOM! DONE! It's great served over rice! I love this recipe. SO good. It makes me think of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Comfort food at its finest.
Recipe Notes and Tips
The Stock. Chicken or seafood stock are great for this recipe, but consider making a quick shrimp stock. Cook your shrimp shells (if using unpeeled shrimp), 1/2 cup chopped onion, and 1/2 cup chopped celery (or use scraps) in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 5 minutes, then add 2.5 cups water or stock.
Simmer 20 minutes, then strain and use. Extra flavor! See the recipe video in the recipe card.
The Roux. I use a light brown roux for my recipe, but you can use a lighter or darker roux, to your preference. A blonde roux will give you a slightly thicker gravy, while a dark roux will be thinner, but will have more developed flavor.
You can just cook it to the color you prefer.
Tomatoes - Yes or No? Cajun and Creole versions differ. In Cajun cooking, a typical "etouffee" does not include tomatoes, while the Creole versions usually do. You can skip them if you'd like, but use more stock.
Seafood Options. You can make this recipe with other types of seafood, particularly Crawfish Etouffee, as well as with chicken.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftover shrimp etouffee will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Heat it up on the stove top to enjoy again.
You can freeze the etouffee sauce for 3 months in a freezer container. I prefer to freeze it without the shrimp.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my shrimp etouffee recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Try Some of My Gumbo & Cajun Recipes
If you love gumbo, check out some of my favorite and popular gumbo recipes.
Try Some of My Popular Shrimp Recipes
- Shrimp Creole Recipe
- Shrimp and Grits
- Bang Bang Shrimp
- Blackened Shrimp
- Spicy Cajun Shrimp
- Shrimp and Red Bean Chili
- Shrimp in Fiery Chipotle-Tequila Sauce (from my cookbook! “The Spicy Food Lovers’ Cookbook“)
- Grilled Buffalo Shrimp
- Firecracker Shrimp
- Shrimp Ceviche
- Camarones a la Diabla (Diablo Shrimp)
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.
Shrimp Etouffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil (+ more if needed)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 green bell pepper chopped (or use jalapenos for a spicier version)
- 1 medium onion chopped (scraps reserved)
- 2 celery stalks chopped (scraps reserved)
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2-1/2 cups chicken or seafood stock
- 15 ounces diced tomato canned or fresh, with juices
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasonings + 1 teaspoon divided (or use Cajun Seasonings + extra as desired)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or use fresh
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire (optional - I love it)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce plus more to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
FOR SERVING
- 2 cups cooked white rice (or grits)
- Fresh chopped parsley, spicy red chili flakes
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or large pan to medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil along with 3 tablespoons flour. Stir to form a paste. This is your roux.
- Stir the roux continuously for 10-12 minutes, until it darkens to a light brown color the color of peanut butter. Do not stop stirring or the roux can burn.
- Add the peppers, onion and celery. Stir and cook it down for 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook another minute.
- Stir in the stock, Creole seasonings, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer at least 20 minutes to let the flavors develop. You can simmer longer if you'd like.
- While the sauce is simmering, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan to medium heat. Lightly season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then cook them 2-3 minutes per side, or until cooked through. (Alternatively, you can tuck the shrimp into the simmering sauce and let it cook in the sauce for 5 minutes.)
TO SERVE
- Spoon the sauce over white rice (or grits) and top with shrimp.
- Garnish and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 6/21/24 to include new information and photos. It was originally published on 3/29/19.
Debbie Hanson says
Wonderful!!
We both thoroughly enjoyed it and I will definitely make it again.
Mike H. says
Happy to hear it, Debbie. Have fun with it!