Crawfish Étouffée

Ingredients

• 1 lbcrawfish tails$10.51
• 0.25 cupall-purpose flour$0.13
• 0.25 cupunsalted butter$0.90
• 1 eachyellow onion, diced$1.74
• 1 eachgreen bell pepper, diced$2.71
• 2 eachcelery stalks, diced$0.62
• 3 eachgarlic cloves, minced$0.75
• 2 cupseafood stock$1.86
• 1 tbspCajun seasoning$0.10
• 2 cuplong-grain white rice$1.95
• 0.5 tspkosher salt$0.02
• 0.25 cupgreen onions, sliced$0.42
• Total for 4 servings$21.71

Most of the cost is crawfish tails ($10.51) and green bell pepper, diced ($2.71). With oil, spices and staples already at home, the shop drops to about $17.65. Prices are estimated for the amount used, at average US grocery prices (November 2026).

Steps

1. Rinse the long-grain white rice in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear. Ensure the crawfish tails are fully thawed and drained of excess moisture.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed long-grain white rice with 3.5 cups of water and 0.25 tsp of the kosher salt. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid, lower heat to low, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender; keep covered off heat.
3. Melt the unsalted butter in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 8 to 12 minutes until the roux turns a smooth, copper or light caramel brown color.
4. Stir the yellow onion, green bell pepper, and celery stalks into the roux. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes until the vegetables soften, then add the garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
5. Gradually whisk in the seafood stock in a steady stream to keep the sauce smooth. Stir in the Cajun seasoning and the remaining 0.25 tsp kosher salt, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until thickened and glossy.
6. Gently fold in the crawfish tails and simmer over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes until heated through and reaching at least 145°F (63°C).
7. Fluff the warm cooked rice with a fork and spoon onto plates or shallow bowls. Ladle the crawfish étouffée over the rice and scatter the green onions on top.