Magnolia Bar and Grill Crawfish Etouffee
If you have ever ordered the crawfish etouffee at Magnolia Bar and Grill in Houston, you know how good a spoonful of spicy Cajun stew over rice can be. This copycat version is a thick, buttery stew of crawfish tails and tender onion in a light blond roux, finished with fresh parsley and green onion. It delivers that same bold flavor with a short list of simple ingredients. Ready in about 40 minutes, it makes an easy dinner for four, and you don’t need Mardi Gras to enjoy it.
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Crawfish etouffee is a Cajun stew of crawfish tails simmered in a rich, buttery sauce and ladled over rice. The version at Magnolia Bar and Grill in Houston, which opened in 1983, stayed true to its spicy Cajun flavors, and this recipe aims for the same spirit.
The sauce is thick, much like a gumbo, and built on a lighter, blond roux rather than a dark one. That keeps the flavor buttery and the crawfish’s sweetness front and center.
Magnolia Bar & Grill Crawfish Etouffee
Magnolia Bar & Grill is located in Houston, Texas, and their Crawfish Etouffee is a well-known, popular dish. I personally just love etouffee. If you have never tried etouffee, it is a popular Southern soup/stew served over rice. You simply pour the etouffee over the rice and enjoy this tasty southern treat.
Magnolia Bar & Grill began life in 1983 during Houston’s Cajun-restaurant craze. Many Cajun restaurants that opened then compromised on spicy Cajun flavors to cater to families. But, fortunately, Magnolia Bar & Grill chose not to go down that road. Their food tastes just as good today as it did twenty years ago – spicy, rich, and outrageously delicious. If you ever get to eat there, try the pee-wee soft-shell crabs, the gumbo, the fresh red snapper, the roasted duck, and the etouffee.
Why this recipe works
A blond roux thickens the sauce without the deep, toasted flavor of a dark roux, so it doesn’t overpower the delicate crawfish. Cooking the onion in butter until tender builds a sweet base, while tomato paste and thin lemon slices add body and a little brightness.
Add the crawfish late and cook it briefly in the covered pan. Crawfish tails are delicate and turn tough when overcooked, so a short, gentle finish keeps them tender. Season with salt and cayenne up front, then adjust at the end to control both salt and heat.
Ingredients for Magnolia Bar and Grill Crawfish Etouffee
This is what you need to make crawfish etouffee:
- Crawfish tails – Cleaned tails give the stew its signature sweet, seafood flavor.
- Salt – Season the crawfish and balance the sauce.
- Cayenne pepper – Adds the spicy Cajun heat.
- Butter – Forms the rich base of the sauce and the roux.
- Onion – Cooks down to add sweetness and body.
- Flour – Thickens the sauce as a light roux.
- Lemon slices – Add gentle brightness that lifts the rich sauce.
- Tomato paste – Adds depth, color, and a touch of tang.
- Green onion – Gives a fresh, mild bite at the finish.
- Parsley – Adds fresh herb flavor and color.
- Water – Thins the sauce to a stew consistency as it simmers.
- Steamed rice – Serves as the stew base.
How to Make Crawfish Etouffee
- Season the crawfish tails with salt and cayenne pepper.
- Make a roux with butter, onion, and flour.
- Add water, tomato paste, and lemon to the roux. Stir to combine.
- Cook the sauce for 20 minutes.
- Add seasoned crawfish, cover, and cook for 8 minutes.
- Serve with steamed white rice.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken as it chills.
- Reheating Method: Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring in a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Avoid boiling so the crawfish stays tender.
- Freezer Storage: Not recommended.
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Magnolia Bar and Grill Crawfish Etouffee
Ingredients
- 1 pound cleaned Crawfish Tails
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 medium Onion, chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon Flour
- 2 thin slices lemon
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 tablespoon Green Onion
- 1 tablespoon Parsley
Instructions
- Place the crawfish tails in a small bowl and season them with the salt and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until tender.
- Stir in the flour to form a light roux.
- Add 3/4 cup of water, the lemon slices, and the tomato paste. Simmer slowly for about 20 minutes, adding a splash more water as needed to keep the sauce from getting too thick.
- Add the seasoned crawfish, cover the pan, and cook for about 8 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, then stir in the green onion and parsley. Cook for 2 more minutes.
- Serve hot over steamed rice.
Notes
- Chop the onion finely so it melts into the sauce rather than staying chunky.
- Keep the heat at medium and stir often once the flour goes in. A blond roux should stay pale, so do not let it brown.
- Add the water a little at a time during the simmer. It is easier to thin the sauce than to thicken it again.
- Taste before serving. The crawfish tails and your cayenne can vary in saltiness and heat, so adjust at the end.
I tried this recipe, and it was really good, but I have questions I want to ask; how can I reach you?
You can ask your questions right here.
Way back in the nineties, I waited table at the Magnolia Bar and Grill and I saw Cambell’s Golden Onion soup cans in the trash every day. It was used as part of the Etouffee recipe. Believe it or not.
Looking for a new recipe for Lent when I tried this. Good stuff.
So easy, and oh so delicious.
Could shrimp be used instead of crawfish? If so any diference in prep?
I think you could use them interchangeably.