Chicken Etouffee
Posted: 02/04/25
Updated: 02/13/25
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Classic Louisiana chicken etouffee, made from a rich roux and the holy trinity of cooking. With bites of juicy chicken thighs, a whole lot of rich flavor, and the perfect amount of heat, this hearty, saucy dish will have you licking the bowl clean.
What We Love About This Recipe
- Like gumbo, etouffee is a hearty Southern dish that absolutely overflows with flavor and aromatics. Unlike gumbo, etouffee is less stew-like, with a thicker sauce and less of it. Pair it with a side of long-grain white rice and you’ve got a dish that’ll make you lick the bowl clean.
- Chicken etouffee is a great option if you’ve got a seafood allergy or just don’t enjoy the taste or texture of shrimp or crawfish. It’s also a great way to perfect your etouffee skills before you try cooking the more-expensive seafood variations of the dish. I used chicken thighs for more flavor and juicier bites of meat, but chicken breasts would work fine!
Chef’s Tips
- Don’t rush the roux! Make sure you give it enough time to develop the light brown coloring it needs. If you don’t, your étoufée won’t thicken like it needs to. Don’t walk away from it, either. Just because it’ll take a few minutes doesn’t mean you can wander off and come back to it later. If you try it, you’re basically guaranteed to burn it.
- Make sure you cut the chicken into equally-sized pieces. If there’s a lot of variety, you’ll end up with the smaller pieces cooked faster than the larger pieces, which might mean under-cooked or over-cooked chicken.
Other New-Orleans-Style Recipes You’ll Love
- Gluten Free King Cake
- Keto Gumbo
- Quick & Easy Blackened Shrimp
- New Orleans BBQ Shrimp Po-Boy
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Seafood Jambalaya
- Shrimp and Grits
- Bananas Foster (from Brennan’s New Orleans)
- Shrimp Remoulade
- Shrimp Gumbo
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Chicken Etoufee
Thick, hearty chicken etouffee is a classic Southern dish that's full of incredible flavor. A must-make every fall and winter!
servings
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs approximately 2–3 large chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning salt-free recommended
- 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil avocado oil, olive oil, vegetable oil, refined coconut oil
For the Chicken Etouffee
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cut into small pieces, at room temperature
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped celery approximately 1 large celery stalk
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper approximately 1 medium bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped white onion approximately 1 small onion
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning salt-free recommended
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper more or less to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce Louisiana or Crystal recommended; to taste
- salt to taste
Serving Suggestions
- cooked long-grain white rice
- 1 cup thinly sliced scallions green parts only, approximately 1 bunch
- chopped parsley optional
Equipment
- Cutting board
- large chef's knife
- large, heavy-bottomed saucepan with lid
- large wooden spoon
- Large bowl
- Paper towels
- whisk
Instructions
- Place 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs on cutting board. Trim chicken as needed, then cut chicken into 1-inch cubes or chunks.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning over chicken cubes, tossing chicken to season on all sides. Set aside.
- Place large heavy-bottomed saucepan on stovetop over medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil and continue heating pan until oil is hot and shimmery.
- When oil is hot, place chicken in saucepan in single, even layer. Sear chicken undisturbed 60 to 90 seconds, then stir chicken. Continue cooking chicken, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes or more or until chicken is lightly browned on all sides.
- Transfer seared chicken to large bowl and set aside. Use paper towels to wipe out saucepan, then return saucepan to heat. Reduce heat under saucepan to medium.
- Add ¼ cup unsalted butter to saucepan. Heat butter until melted, then add ¼ cup all-purpose flour to pan. Whisk flour into butter until fully incorporated with no lumps remaining.
- Cook roux approximately 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until roux develops rich, peanut-buttery color.
- Add ½ cup chopped celery, ½ cup chopped green bell pepper, and ½ cup chopped white onion to roux. Stir to incorporate, then sauté vegetables approximately 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
- Pour 4 cups chicken stock into saucepan and stir to incorporate, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any ingredients that may have stuck to pan.
- Once chicken stock is incorporated, add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Stir ingredients together until fully incorporated.
- Add 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to saucepan. Stir until spices are fully incorporated into liquid.
- Taste mixture and add 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce to taste. Stir to incorporate.
- Simmer mixture over medium heat approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened. Taste mixture and stir in salt as desired.
- Return chicken to saucepan and stir to incorporated. Reduce heat under saucepan to low and cover pan with lid. Simmer mixture, covered, 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, ladle etoufee into serving bowls. Place large scoop of cooked long-grain white rice in center of each bowl. Garnish etouffee with 1 cup thinly sliced scallions and chopped parsley as desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts will also work here, but you’ll want to reduce their cook time in step 4.
- Cajun Seasoning: I recommend using a salt-free Cajun seasoning if possible. That gives you the freedom to add as much or as little salt as you like.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1 serving (without rice) | Calories: 280kcal | Protein: 20g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Total Carbs: 15g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Added Sugars: 0g | Erythritol: 0g | Allulose: 0g | Sugar Alcohols: 0g | Net Carbs: 13g | Vitamin C: 13mg | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 365mg | Potassium: 554mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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