Authentic Chicken Étouffée Recipe

A bowl of chicken étouffée and rice with a spoon ready for a bite.

Authentic Chicken Étouffée Recipe

Chicken étouffée is a rich Louisiana stew made with a brown roux, the Cajun holy trinity, and tender chicken thighs smothered in a flavorful sauce. Serve it over rice for a satisfying meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Cajun

Keyword Cajun, chicken, etouffee, roux, stew

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 725kcal

Author Lauren LeBlanc

Equipment

Large cast iron skillet

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless chicken thighs
2-3 teaspoons cajun seasoning *see note
1 tablespoon avocado oil or vegetable oil
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup all purpose flour
1 large onion
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
2 stalks celery
5 green onions
6 cloves garlic
3 cups chicken broth warmed
1 teaspoon browning sauce *see note
¼ cup parsley leaves loosely packed
Cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

PREP: Finely chop onion, bell peppers, celery, green onions, and parsley. Mince garlic. Measure out other ingredients. Season chicken to taste with cajun seasoning.
SEAR: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add avocado oil. Sear chicken thighs in batches, about 3-5 minutes on each side until browned, then set aside.
ROUX: In the same skillet, lower heat to medium and melt butter. Whisk flour into the butter. It may be foamy at first. Cook while stirring constantly for about 10-15 minutes, or until the roux turns to a medium brown peanut butter color.
SAUTÉ: Add in onions, bell peppers, celery, and half the green onions to the roux. Mix together and sauté for about 10 minutes until vegetables are softening. Stir and scrape the bottom frequently so nothing sticks. Add in garlic and cook for about 1 minute while stirring. Warm the chicken broth while the vegetables are sautéing.
SIMMER: Slowly whisk in warmed broth until it is all incorporated and there are no remaining lumps of flour. Add browning sauce and stir. Add chicken back to pan and simmer on low for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency and the chicken is cooked through.
FINISH: Remove chicken thighs, chop into bitesized pieces, and add back to the pot. Add parsley and more cajun seasoning if needed.
SERVE: Serve over rice and top with remaining green onions.

Notes

Make your own cajun seasoning. If using store bought, season to taste as it may be more salty.
I use Kitchen Bouquet Browning Sauce.
Substitute boneless chicken thighs for bone-in chicken thighs.
Use my white rice recipe for perfect rice every time.
Keep stirring the roux constantly, being sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the pan to keep all the flour moving so it doesn’t burn. You may see some darker specks turning brown - this is the milk solids browning. This is fine as long as they are not turning black. Black spots means a burnt roux and you have to start over.
Add tomatoes - If you want tomatoes for a creole version, reduce the stock to 1 ½ cups add a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes right after adding the warmed stock.
Store in the fridge for 5 days and the freezer for 6 months.
Reheat in a skillet over gentle heat.

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