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. This recipe is perfect for Mardi Gras but is so easy that you could make a regular weekday meal extra special.
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. The word ‘étouffée’ is translated from French as “smothered” – I just learned that while writing this post! Étouffée can be 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.
- 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 roux in the gumbo but for the étouffée I use butter and flour. The gumbo recipe also has okra for thickening.
olive oil and flour for the roux in the gumbo but for the étouffée I use 
butter and flour. The gumbo recipe also has okra for thickening.Click Below to Check out all my Cajun Recipes!
Tips and Substitutions
- Some people prefer shrimp étouffée without tomatoes. I have made this same Instant Pot Shrimp 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.
- I use fresh tomatoes, but you can substitute canned diced tomatoes.
- Occasionally, I add a tablespoon of tomato puree with the tomatoes to give the dish more of a tomato flavor.
- I feel it’s important to use seafood stock because I notice a marked 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! Strain and store in the fridge (up to a couple of days) until ready to use.
- 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.
- 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.
- Finish with a dash of tabasco sauce if you want to add more spice to the dish.
- You can serve the shrimp étouffée over pasta or even grits instead of rice.
- You can also substitute crawfish for the shrimp, but you’ll have to cook it for longer.
- This recipe was made in a 6 quart Instant Pot Ultra and I’ve 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 1/4 to 1/2 cup of broth.
[Also Read: Instant Pot Shrimp and Grits]
If you’re new to the Instant Pot
and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide or the Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make this Instant Pot Shrimp Étouffée.
Instant Pot Shrimp Étouffée Ingredients
How to Make Instant Pot Shrimp Étouffée (Step-by-Step Instructions)
- Rub shrimp with 1 tsp of Creole seasoning and set aside.
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the ‘Saute’ function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the ‘Saute’ function and press ‘Start’.
- When Instant Pot has heated, melt 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.
- 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 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:
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until display reads ‘10′ (10 minutes).
Instant Pot ULTRA Pressure Cook:
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 10 minutes (00:10).
- Press ‘Start’.
- Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down from 10 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up.
- Wait for 10 minutes after cooking is complete, and release any remaining pressure.
Instant Pot DUO 10-minute Natural Pressure Release (NPR):
- Move the steam release handle to ‘Venting’. I like to place a folded towel over the steam release handle and move it to the venting position. Remove the towel after turning the knob.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot ULTRA 10-minute Natural Pressure Release (NPR):
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to 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.
- 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.
* Be sure not to let too much heat and steam escape before adding the shrimp. The shrimp will be cooking in the residual heat.
- 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.
New Orleans Instant Pot Shrimp Etouffee
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. This rich and delicious stew tastes great over rice. This recipe is perfect for Mardi Gras but is so easy that you could make a regular weekday meal extra special.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 304 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lbs shrimp - peeled and deveined
- 1 Tbsp Creole seasoning - divided
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup onions - diced
- 1 cup green bell peppers - diced
- 1 cup celery - diced
- 1 Tbsp garlic - minced
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp salt - optional
- 2 cups seafood stock
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 cup tomatoes - chopped
- 1 Tbsp tomato puree - optional
- 1 Tbsp sherry - optional, to finish
- 2 Tbsp green onions - green parts only, sliced thinly
- Chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Rub shrimp with 1 tsp of Creole seasoning and set aside.
- Press 'Saute' and when Instant Pot has heated, melt butter in 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 cook on 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' mode for 10 minutes.
- Do a 10-minute natural release and open the Instant Pot.
- 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.
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, cooke 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.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 304 kcal | Carbohydrates: 16 g | Protein: 33 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g | Cholesterol: 248 mg | Sodium: 1086 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 5 g
Have you made this recipe?I love seeing your photos! Tag me on Instagram @PaintTheKitchenRed hashtag #paintthekitchenred
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.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a 5 Star rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
You might also like to try these Instant Pot Recipes:
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| Instant Pot Jambalaya | Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice | Instant Pot Gumbo |
MH
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
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and modifications to the recipe 🙂
Theresa Johnson
Do you make your seafood stock or buy it? How would you make it? Thanks
Paint the Kitchen Red
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
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
You’re welcome and thank you for the comment, Sherry. Also thanks for sharing with us your modifications.
John Brissette
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
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
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
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
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
I bet the clam juice added nice flavor! Thanks for commenting, and I’m so happy you liked it 🙂
Carla
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
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
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
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
This was absolutely great!! The directions were perfect for this new instant pot user!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks Becky! I’m glad you were able to easily make it.
Kelly-Ann
I would like to use a 2 lb bag of frozen cooked tail on shrimp 21-25 count. Any suggestions
Paint the Kitchen Red
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
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
Marissa, that’s so great – I love the story, made my day! Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate 🙂
RC
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
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
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
Thanks, Jill! Glad to hear you liked recipe – thanks for commenting.
Rachel
This was so delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Paint the Kitchen Red
You’re welcome, Rachel – thank you for trying the recipe and commenting!
Maggie
This looks wonderful! Do you think I could double the recipe in my 6 Qt InstaPot Duo? Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Maggie, yes, you should be able to easily double it. Same cooking time.
Kara
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
Thanks for you lovely comment and rating! I’m glad you enjoyed it. You will probably like the jambalaya and gumbo too!
Danny
You can also substitute crawfish for the shrimp, but you’ll have to cook it for longer. How much longer?
Paint the Kitchen Red
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
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
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
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
Aww, that’s sweet 🙂 Thank you so much for that, so glad you liked the recipe!
Monica
Just put this on my meal plan for the week! Looks amazing.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hope you like it, Monica!