This authentic shrimp etouffee is positively packed with true Cajun flavor! Perfect when you’re craving something filling, bright, spicy, and delicious, this recipe is restaurant quality and perfect with a mound of rice and loaf of crusty bread.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- This classic Cajun recipe is absolutely loaded with flavor. Packed with veggies and tender, perfectly seasoned shrimp, it’s the ultimate dinner when you can’t make it to New Orleans!
- This shrimp etouffee is surprisingly easy to make. Made in just over a half hour with mostly pantry staples and fresh vegetables, it’s sure to impress your family or guests – even picky ones.
- With just a few simple swaps, this recipe can easily be made gluten free, paleo, or Whole30-compliant.
How To Make Shrimp Etouffee
The full recipe is below, but here you’ll find all the steps for making this recipe perfectly the first and 100th time, along with useful tips and info!
Whisk the spices together in a small bowl.
Dry the shrimp with some paper towels and add it to a bowl. Season it with some of the spice blend and toss the shrimp so they get fully coated.
Heat some oil in a large, heavy skillet until the oil is smoking hot. Cook the shrimp in the hot oil for a minute, then stir and cook another minute. Transfer the shrimp to a large bowl.
Melt some butter in your skillet and sauté the onions, celery, and green pepper until they’re softened. Add the rest of the spices to the skillet.
Stir in the tomatoes and garlic and cook until the tomatoes soften.
Sprinkle the flour into the veggies and sauté until they’re combined, then whisk in the stock until everything is smooth. Bring it all to a simmer and let it cook until it’s the consistency of gravy. Season with some salt.
Stir the shrimp into the sauce and let everything simmer until the shrimp cook all the way through. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and a little cayenne pepper.
Top Tips For Making
- To make your shrimp etouffee gluten free, sub out the flour with gluten free flour.
- For paleo or Whole30 shrimp etouffee, use cassava flour instead of all-purpose and serve with cauliflower rice instead of white rice.
More Delicious Cajun Recipes
- Healthy Jambalaya with Sausage & Shrimp (Whole30, Low Carb, Paleo)
- Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice
- Whole30 Shrimp Boil with Potatoes, Sausage, and Garlic Ghee (Paleo)
- Shrimp and Grits
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Shrimp Etouffee
This delicious, restaurant-quality shrimp etouffee is absolutely loaded with Cajun flavors
Ingredients
- cayenne pepper dash
- 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons no salt added Cajun seasoning
- 2 pounds shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/2 teaspoon salt optional, only if Cajun seasoning doesn't have salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup celery thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or as needed
- 1/2 cup tomatoes diced
- 2 cups chicken stock or as needed
- hot sauce dash, plus more to taste
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup green onions sliced
- 2 cups rice cooked
Instructions
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Whisk paprika, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
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Dry shrimp with paper towels and season with 1 1/2 teaspoon of the spice blend. Toss to coat shrimp thoroughly.
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Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over high heat until oil is smoking hot. Cook shrimp in the hot oil without stirring for 1 minute. Stir and cook 1 additional minute. Transfer shrimp to large bowl.
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Melt butter in skillet over medium heat until butter begins to turn tan at the edges. Sauté the onion, celery, and green pepper 5 minutes or until softened. Add rest of spice blend to vegetables.
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Stir in tomatoes and garlic. Cook until tomatoes soften, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour into vegetable mixture and sauté 3-4 minutes until combined.
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Whisk stock into vegetable mixture and stir until smooth. Bring to simmer and cook until slightly thickened and consistency of gravy, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
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Stir shrimp into sauce. Let simmer until shrimp are cooked all the way through and no longer translucent, about 1 minute. Garnish with green onions and cayenne pepper to taste. Serve over rice.
Recipe Notes
Gluten free: Substitute gluten free for all-purpose flour 1:1
Paleo or Whole30: Substitute cassava flour for all-purpose flour 1:1 and serve with steamed cauliflower rice instead of white rice
Wine pairings
I recommend buying wine from Scout and Cellar, especially for lower carb or sugar and the health conscious. There’s no added sugar to these wines, and they’re all much lower in carbs, calories, and sugar. For me, there’s no headache or fogginess the next day!
White wines are absolutely delicious with Cajun food, but there are definitely reds that work well, too! I like:
– Sauvignon Blanc, like 2019 Fiddleneck Sauvignon Blanc from North Coast, California
– Pinot Noir, like 2017 Conte de la Terre Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon
– Sparkling white wine (in cans!), like NV 14K Bubbly White Wine from California
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