This Instant Pot Shrimp Étouffée is a classic New Orleans recipe made with Creole spices and plenty of shrimp in a spicy tomato-based sauce. The rich and delicious stew tastes great over rice. Although this easy shrimp étoufféé recipe is perfect for a special occasion like Mardi Gras, it also makes regular weeknight meals extra special. [Stovetop instructions also included.]
[This recipe was modified in January 2020 to provide stovetop instructions.]
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Shrimp Étouffée (pronounced ‘eh-too-fay’) is one of the more popular dishes from Louisiana, along with gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and shrimp creole.
What is étouffée? The meaning of étouffée as translated from French is “smothered”. Smothering is a cooking technique used in both Cajun and Creole cuisines of Louisiana where food is cooked in a covered pan over low heat without a lot of liquid.
Étouffée is a traditional Louisiana recipe made with shellfish and is served over rice. Étouffée is most commonly made with crawfish or shrimp.
Since shrimp is more easily available, that’s what I’ve used for this recipe. I always keep a bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer so I don’t have to run out to the store at the last minute when I want to make a quick dinner entree!
Instant Pot Shrimp Étouffée is quite similar to Instant Pot Gumbo, but there are a few differences.
- This étouffée is made with shrimp whereas the Instant Pot Gumbo has shrimp, sausage and chicken.
- This Louisiana Étouffée is made with a blonde roux (pronounced roo and is flour and oil/butter cooked together) compared to the dark roux in the gumbo. This changes the taste of the sauce and reduces the cooking time!
- I use olive oil and flour for the gumbo roux but for the étouffée roux, I use butter and flour. The gumbo recipe also has okra for thickening.
➡ Looking for more shrimp recipes? Try my Instant Pot shrimp and grits or garlic shrimp pasta. And don’t use chicken broth for seafood recipes. Put those shrimp shells to use and make this seafood stock!
Tips and Substitutions
Tomatoes
Some people prefer shrimp étouffée without tomatoes. I have made this same étouffée recipe without tomatoes but my family likes the version with tomatoes and that’s what I’m sharing with you here. You can omit the tomatoes if you wish. The result is a paler and milder dish.
I use fresh tomatoes, but you can substitute canned diced tomatoes.
Occasionally, I add in a tablespoon of tomato puree with the tomatoes to give the dish more of a tomato flavor. Don’t stir the puree in, just add it on top of the étouffée sauce before pressure cooking.
Seafood Stock
I prefer to use seafood stock because I’ve noticed a taste difference if I use chicken broth. It’s really easy to make homemade seafood stock; you can even make it ahead of time. Just peel the shrimp and toss the shrimp peels and some aromatics in the Instant Pot and go about your business! Some of my reader use the shrimp heads too, so feel free to do that. Strain and store in the fridge (up to a couple of days) until ready to use.
Étouffée Roux
So, what is roux? Roux is a thickener made with oil/butter and flour. The fat and flour are cooked together till the flour loses its raw taste and the mixture turns color.
The color of roux for étouffée is lighter than the roux you would make for gumbo – a blonde roux rather than a dark roux. That means that the roux takes much less time to make for this étouffée. If you prefer the stronger flavor of dark roux, you can cook it for longer. Just make sure it doesn’t burn!
Creole Seasoning
Tony Chacheres Creole seasoning is terrific and I use it in all my Cajun and Creole dishes. If you have another favorite, feel free to substitute.
Spiciness
Finish with a dash of tabasco sauce if you want to add more spice to the dish.
How to Serve
You can serve the shrimp étouffée over rice, pasta or even grits.
Crawfish Étouffée or Chicken Etouffee
You can substitute crawfish for the shrimp, but you’ll have to cook it for longer, and in Saute mode. To make chicken étouffée, add diced chicken thighs to the sauce before pressure cooking and pressure cook for 5 minutes instead of 10 minutes.
Burn Message
This étouffée recipe was made in a 6 quart Instant Pot Ultra and I have had no sealing issues or burn errors. If your Instant Pot is prone to getting the Burn Message, you can try the following:
- Deglaze really well.
- After sauteing onions, celery, etc. turn off the Instant Pot and let it cool down.
- Add an extra ¼ to ½ cup of broth.
[Read More: Instant Pot Burn Message]
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- General Instant Pot Instructions for Beginners
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Shrimp Étouffée – Ingredients
- Bell pepper
- Onion
- Celery
- Stock
- Lemon juice
- Worcestershire sauce
- Creole seasoning
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Black pepper
- White pepper
- Salt
- Thyme
- Green onion
- Shrimp
- Butter
- Flour
- Sherry
- Tomato
More details in the recipe card at the bottom of this post
How to Make Shrimp Étouffée in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Season shrimp.
- Turn on Saute Mode.
- Make the roux.
- Stir in vegetables and seasonings.
- Add liquids and tomato.
- Pressure cook.
- Release pressure.
- Stir in shrimp.
- Garnish.
Season Shrimp
- Rub shrimp with 1 teaspoon of Creole seasoning and set aside.
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Make the Roux
- When Instant Pot has heated, melt the butter in the inner pot of Instant Pot.
- To make the roux, add flour to the inner pot and stir flour and butter until the mixture becomes a light caramel color. Make sure you stir the roux constantly, otherwise it will burn. This will take about 5 minutes.
- If you need to, press Cancel to turn of the Instant Pot to cool it down and then select Saute again.
- This is what the roux looks like when it is the correct blonde (caramel) color. It starts out slow but gets dark quickly toward the end!
- This roux was sauteed on medium/normal heat level.
Stir in vegetables and seasonings
- Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Stir until vegetables are slightly soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in remaining Creole seasoning, white pepper, black pepper, thyme, salt.
Add liquids and tomato
- Using a spatula, scrape the bottom of the inner pot to make sure there are no burnt bits stuck to the bottom. Deglaze with a tablespoon or two of stock if needed.
- Add shrimp stock, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and stir.
- Add tomato and tomato puree (if using) and gently push down with a spatula, no need to stir.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 10 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure the steam release handle is in the Sealing position.
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads 10 (10 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 10 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 10 minutes (00:10).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display L0:00 or 00 00 and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to do a 10-minute Natural Release of Pressure
- Allow the Instant Pot to stay in Keep Warm mode for 10 minutes.
How to Release any Remaining Pressure on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Any remaining steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Release any Remaining Pressure on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and any remaining steam will come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Stir in Shrimp
- Immediately stir in the shrimp and dry sherry (if using) and close the Instant Pot for 10 minutes. *
- The shrimp will cook in the residual heat. If you have trouble shutting the lid, keep the steam release valve in the venting position (or push down on the steam release button on the Ultra) while closing.
Pro Tip
* Be sure not to let too much heat and steam escape before adding the shrimp. The shrimp will be cooking in the residual heat.
Garnish
- Open the Instant Pot again (release pressure if needed) and gently stir the shrimp.
- Stir and sprinkle the Instant Pot shrimp étouffée with green onions and parsley.
- Serve over Instant Pot Jasmine Rice or a rice of your choice.
If you enjoy Creole and Cajun recipes, you may also like Instant Pot Jambalaya, Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice, or Instant Pot Gumbo.
Stovetop Directions for Shrimp Étouffée
To make this recipe on the stovetop:
- Rub shrimp with Creole seasoning.
- Make the roux.
- Add vegetables and saute till soft.
- Whisk in the seafood stock.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and stir in spices and tomato.
- Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the shrimp and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Stir in sherry and sprinkle with green onions and parsley.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
New Orleans Instant Pot Shrimp Etouffee
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning divided
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup onions diced
- 1 cup bell peppers green, diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp salt optional
- 2 cups seafood stock
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree optional
- 1 tablespoon sherry optional, to finish
- 2 tablespoon green onions green parts only, sliced thinly
- ¼ cup parsley chopped – to garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Rub shrimp with 1 teaspoon of Creole seasoning and set aside.
- Select Saute and when Instant Pot has heated, melt butter in the inner pot of Instant Pot.
- Add all-purpose flour to inner pot and cook butter and flour until the mixture resembles a light caramel color, stirring frequently, and being careful not to burn. This will take about 5 minutes. *
- Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Stir until vegetables are slightly soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in remaining Creole seasoning, white pepper, black pepper, thyme, salt.
- Using a spatula, scrape the bottom of the inner pot to make sure there are no burnt bits stuck to the bottom. Deglaze with a tablespoon or two of stock if needed.
- Add seafood stock, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and stir.
- Add tomatoes and tomato puree (if using) and gently push down with a spatula; don't stir.
- Close Instant Pot and pressure cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes.
- Do a 10-minute natural release and open the Instant Pot. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods].
- Immediately stir in the shrimp and sherry (if using) and close the Instant Pot for 10 minutes. The shrimp will cook in the residual heat.
- Open the Instant Pot again and gently stir the shrimp.
- Serve Instant Pot Shrimp Étouffée over Instant Pot Jasmine Rice or a rice of your choice.
- Sprinkle the shrimp étouffée with green onions and parsley.
Stovetop Instructions
- Rub shrimp with 1 teaspoon of Creole seasoning and set aside.
- To make the roux, melt the butter in a heavy medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and add in the flour.
- Stir flour and butter until the mixture becomes a light caramel color. This will take about 5 minutes for a blonde roux or 10 minutes for a darker roux. Make sure you stir the roux constantly, otherwise it will burn.
- Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Stir until vegetables are slightly soft, about 5 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the shrimp stock, stirring it constantly until the sauce is smooth and no longer clumpy.
- When the étouffée begins to boil, reduce heat to a simmer and stir in remaining Creole seasoning, white pepper, black pepper, thyme, salt, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, tomato, and tomato puree (if using).
- Simmer on low heat until the sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, cover, and cook for an additional 10 minutes. If the mixture appears too thick, add more seafood stock.
- Stir in sherry and sprinkle with green onions and parsley before serving the étouffée.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. peeled shrimp, minced garlic, cut vegetables, etc.
- If you prefer a thicker étouffée, reduce the sauce by cooking in Saute mode before adding the shrimp or discard half the sauce before serving.
- * étouffée is made with blonde (light) roux while gumbo’s roux is a darker color. If you wanted a darker étouffée, cook the roux for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- This recipe was made in a 6 quart Instant Pot Ultra, and I have not had any burn message or sealing issues.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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MH says
This is an ok recipe. Its more gumbo-like than it is etouffee. A couple of things that will help:
1. Instead of starting with butter and flour, start with a little oil and your vegetables/spices. Put the garlic in for only the last minute, as you should never sautee garlic more than a minute since it burns so quickly.
2. Once the vegetables are sauteed and the garlic is in, then add the flour and brown for another 3-5 minutes.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and modifications to the recipe 🙂
Theresa Johnson says
Do you make your seafood stock or buy it? How would you make it? Thanks
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Theresa, yes the link in the printable recipe card to the seafood stock is to the stock recipe. But here is the stock recipe. So easy to make.
Sherry Watford says
I made this last night and I must tell you it was very good. So good in fact there were no leftovers! I didn’t add bell pepper because someone ate it before I could use it. I added Crawfish tails and sausage with less shrimp. It is a keeper! Thank you for the recipe.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
You’re welcome and thank you for the comment, Sherry. Also thanks for sharing with us your modifications.
John Brissette says
I’m not sure where y’all are from or what your experience with South Louisiana cuisine is, but this recipe does NOT make étouffée. It makes a pale, beige, watery shrimp soup that went right down the toilet. Sorry. But as a local I can’t permit this passed off as our cuisine. It was a sin to ruin good Louisiana shrimp and rice with this.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
John, I am sorry to hear that the recipe didn’t meet your expectations. The Instant Pot requires a minimum quantity of liquid and this is especially important since there’s flour and tomato in the recipe. Hence it would be impossible to make etouffee in the Instant Pot that’s as thick as the stovetop version. Your best bet would be to make the entire recipe in ‘Saute’ mode or to reduce the sauce on ‘Saute’ mode before adding the shrimp. You could also just discard half the sauce and serve the shrimp with the other half. Regarding the paleness, that’s directly related to the color of the roux. I would suggest cooking the roux for an extra 5 to 10 minutes.
Crystal says
I was a little skeptical about how well this would taste once done, but after my first bite all skepticism went right out the window! This was amazing. Eating my second helping as I write this. This meal WILL DEFINITELY be a repeated one in my home. Thank you!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Aww, Crystal – thank you! I’m excited that you’ll be making this recipe again. Do try my other NOLA recipes. I think you’ll love them too!
A kersey says
I was not able to find seafood stock, so I substituted with clam sauce and vegetable stock.
This was simple and super delicious.
My husband and I had approx 3 servings each.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I bet the clam juice added nice flavor! Thanks for commenting, and I’m so happy you liked it 🙂
Carla says
Made this tonight for dinner and it was sooo good. I’ve passed along the recipe to a friend whom I know will enjoy it too. Yum!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I love this recipe too, but does need more love and I get very happy when people discover it and like it. Thank you for spreading the word – much appreciated! Do try the other Cajun recipes – I think you’ll like them too!
Brittany says
I got an Instant Pot for Christmas and have been making dinner at my parents every Thursday…using it and trying different recipes. I made this etoufee last night and everyone agreed it was THE BEST meal yet!!! The flavors are so delicious!!! Making it again Saturday night for a friend gathering!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Brittany, I love comments like yours – they really make my day! Definitely try the jambalaya too – you’ll love it. But be sure to read the note above the recipe card regarding not stirring.
Becky says
This was absolutely great!! The directions were perfect for this new instant pot user!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks Becky! I’m glad you were able to easily make it.
Kelly-Ann says
I would like to use a 2 lb bag of frozen cooked tail on shrimp 21-25 count. Any suggestions
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Since your shrimp is already cooked, you might want to rub some spice on it and then add it to the cooked sauce, stirring it in and letting it warm up. I would not put it in frozen, but would thaw it.
Marissa says
I made this on Valentine’s Day since our first date was at a Cajun restaurant! We absolutely loved it. The flavor was perfect. I can’t wait to make it again for my NOLA loving friends!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Marissa, that’s so great – I love the story, made my day! Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate 🙂
RC says
I would recommend reducing the amount of liquid, but isn’t there a minimum amount of liquid required for the instant pot?
I’m from New Orleans and have made traditional crawfish and shrimp etouffee for many years. This attempt using the instant pot resulted in a watery soup that required further reduction. My recipes for crawfish or shrimp etouffee call for only 1 cup of stock.
Seasonings are ok, but why not kick it up with a 1/4 tsp of cayenne?
I’m not an expert, but I am very experienced in New Orleans home cooking. I admit, a dish might be different in each of our kitchens, but a basic etouffee should not be soupy.
So, maybe this isn’t the type of dish that works well with this pot?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
RC – you’re absolutely right about the liquid required for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. Any less and the flour/roux will cause sealing issues. Adding more cayenne, to taste, is definitely an option for those who like it spicy. This is just one option to make etouffee. I find it to be easy and quick with less cleanup. I understand and respect what you’re saying and appreciate your feedback.
Jill says
Wow. This was the very first recipe I made in my instant pot. I am blown away by how well it turned out!! I felt like I was back in NOLA eating it. Only difference is that I made my own Creole spice mix (can be found on the website africanbites.com). Next level deliciousness – SO EASY. Thank you!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks, Jill! Glad to hear you liked recipe – thanks for commenting.
Rachel says
This was so delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
You’re welcome, Rachel – thank you for trying the recipe and commenting!
Maggie says
This looks wonderful! Do you think I could double the recipe in my 6 Qt InstaPot Duo? Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Maggie, yes, you should be able to easily double it. Same cooking time.
Kara says
This recipe is fantastic! We followed it he recipe exactly and the memories from New Orleans are rushing back! Definitely a repeat!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for you lovely comment and rating! I’m glad you enjoyed it. You will probably like the jambalaya and gumbo too!
Danny says
You can also substitute crawfish for the shrimp, but you’ll have to cook it for longer. How much longer?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Danny – I’ve never cooked crawfish in the pressure cooker. This crawfish boil recipe recipe cooks the whole crawfish (not crawfish tails, like you would use) for 3 minutes. I would suggest pressure cooking a few to test it out. Then add the rest in at the end, and just allow it to boil on Saute mode. Then next time you make it, you’ll know if pressure cooking is a good idea. Good luck.
Lisa says
Hi, would I do the same thing if I were to use crawfish instead of shrimps? Should I cook the crawfish a bit before throwing it into the IP?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Lisa – I have never cooked crawfish, just eat it 🙂 Since crawfish takes longer to cook than shrimp, I think what you can do is pressure cook the sauce for less time (10 minutes minus time to pressure cook the crawfish), quick release and open the Instant Pot, add the crawfish and pressure cook again for a few minutes (sorry, I really don’t know how long – I would guess a couple of minutes, but I’m not sure).
Minica says
Ok this is off the hook good!!! Amazing. Flavors are so rich. Thank you Paint The Kitchen! You Paint my kitchen delicious.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Aww, that’s sweet 🙂 Thank you so much for that, so glad you liked the recipe!
Monica says
Just put this on my meal plan for the week! Looks amazing.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hope you like it, Monica!