Classic Crawfish Sausage Etouffee

6 servings Prep: 15 m Cook: 45 m Total: 1 h Intermediate
4.0/5 (3)
Classic Crawfish Sausage Etouffee
A Cajun dish so common, it’s in everyone’s recipe box. The no-soup étouffée with crawfish tails, smoked sausage, and the holy trinity - one of my personal favorites.

Ingredients

6 servings
  • 2 lbs peeled crawfish tails
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp crawfish fat or butter
  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups cold water
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pound smoked sausage
  • 2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder-granules

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Season crawfish tails with salt and pepper and set aside.
  2. Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat; add onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic; cook-sauté until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
  3. Slice smoked sausage into coins. Smoked sausage may be lightly browned in a separate pan before adding to the dish if desired.
  4. Add the sliced sausage to the pot with the vegetables.
  5. Dissolve cornstarch in the 2 cups of cold water. Add crawfish fat (or additional butter), tomato sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and the cornstarch-water mixture to the pot.
  6. Stir well to combine. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  7. Add green onion tops, parsley, and crawfish tails.
  8. Cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until crawfish are heated through and sauce has thickened.
  9. Serve over rice.

Common Problems and Solutions

Q: Why is my étouffée too thin?

A: Make sure you fully dissolve the cornstarch in cold water before adding it to prevent lumps. If it's still too thin after the full cooking time, you can mix another teaspoon of cornstarch with a little cold water and stir it in, then simmer for 5 more minutes.

Q: Can I use frozen crawfish tails?

A: Absolutely. Thaw them completely and drain well before using. Frozen crawfish tails are what most Cajun cooks use year-round. Just don't overcook them or they'll get rubbery.

Q: What if I don't have crawfish fat?

A: Use butter instead - the recipe already lists it as an alternative. Crawfish fat adds extra flavor, but butter works just fine and most home cooks use it.

Tips and Techniques

Don’t add the crawfish tails until the last 10-15 minutes or they’ll overcook and become tough. The low and slow cooking is for developing the sauce flavor, not for cooking the crawfish. If you want a spicier étouffée, add cayenne pepper to taste when you season the crawfish tails.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • crawfish tails: peeled shrimp
  • smoked sausage: andouille sausage
  • crawfish fat: additional butter

Equipment Needed

  • Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
  • Sharp knife for chopping vegetables
  • Wooden spoon for stirring

Historical Context

Étouffée literally means “smothered” in French, and it’s one of the most beloved dishes in Cajun country. This no-soup version represents how home cooks in Southwest Louisiana have made it for generations - building flavor from scratch rather than relying on canned cream soups.