Name: Delicious Chicken Etouffee Recipe
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 8 pcs boneless skinless chicken tenders; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp basil; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1 cup flour; cooking oil (for sauteing); 1/2 chopped red bell pepper; 1/2 cup chopped onion; 1/2 cup chopped celery; 1/2 green bell pepper; 1/2 cup chopped ham; 2 cups chicken broth; 2 tbsp minced garlic; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 1/4 tsp dried sage; 1/4 tsp dried thyme; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1/4 tsp hot sauce; 1 tbsp dried parsley; 2 cups rice (cooked according to package instructions)

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This recipe does take some time, but if you’re up for a more complicated recipe that involves chopping, sauteing, making a roux, and cooking rice, this recipe will be a great showcase for your cooking skills.

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Delicious Chicken Etouffee Recipe

April Freeman

In the French language, the word etouffee literally means “smothered.” And this makes a lot of sense when you finally complete the preparation of this recipe. Chicken Etouffee is a delicious entree featuring seasoned boneless, skinless chicken tenders sauteed in hot oil, covered in a gravy-like seasoned sauce, and served atop a bed of rice.

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Video Version

Prep Time 45 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Cuisine French

Servings people

Equipment

Small bowl
Large skillet
Spatula
Meat thermometer

Ingredients

8 pcs boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup flour
cooking oil for sauteing
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped ham
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 cups rice cooked according to package instructions

Instructions

In a small bowl using a fork, mix together the paprika, the 1 teaspoon thyme, basil, salt, and pepper.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and then lightly sprinkle this seasoning over the chicken tenders on all sides.
Place the 1 cup of flour on a plate, spreading it out.
Roll the chicken tenders in the flour, shaking off excess flour.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat about three or four tablespoons of oil until hot.
Place the floured chicken pieces in the hot oil, browning them on each side, turning the tenders after about 5 minutes, or when the flour coating is light golden brown.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat about three or four tablespoons of oil until hot.
Place the floured chicken pieces in the hot oil, browning them on each side, turning the tenders after about 5 minutes, or when the flour coating is light golden brown.
Remove the chicken to a platter and pour off all but about two or three tablespoons of the oil in the skillet.
Add three tablespoons of the flour that you used to coat the chicken.
Cook it, stirring it with a spatula until the roux is the color of chocolate.
Add in the chopped vegetables and the ham, cooking for about five minutes more.
The roux will keep getting darker. Add the garlic, sage, parsley, and thyme, stirring for about a minute more.
Next, add the chicken broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
Bring the etouffee sauce to a simmer, stirring it well to prevent lumps.
Return the chicken tenders to the pan and keep it simmering.
Cover the pan and cook the chicken for about fifteen or twenty minutes.
Check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer. The chicken is done when the thermometer registers 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place generous helpings of cooked rice in a bowl and top with the chicken, ladling the sauce over the top of the chicken and rice.
Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Microwave leftovers lightly covered for about 60 to 90 seconds to reheat them.

Notes

In New Orleans, Louisiana, an etouffee is a dish that features a highly seasoned sauce made from herbs, spices, veggies, and flour and oil-based roux. Usually, etouffee dishes use seafood, one of the specialty meats of the city of New Orleans. One of the most popular etouffee is made of crawfish, but shrimp etouffee is also a city favorite.

However, for those of us in the rest of the nation, good seafood may not always necessarily be easy to find. This recipe for Chicken Etouffee features chicken, meat that pretty much everyone can get at all times. By using chicken, you can enjoy the highly seasoned scrumptious etouffee sauce that smothers the meat and gives unbeatable New Orleans flavor to the dish.

This recipe isn’t one that you will be able to throw together quickly in fifteen minutes. It includes finely chopped celery, two different kinds of peppers, and onions. The chopping alone takes quite a bit of time, although a food processor would likely make this job much quicker. Creating the roux is another thing that just takes time. For this recipe, flour is browned in hot oil until it becomes chocolatey brown. This adds a toasted, nutty flavor to the roux.

This dish is wonderful served right out of the skillet. However, if you really want to get the best flavor, eat your dinner and stash the leftovers in the refrigerator. Something magic happens with this dish when it sits overnight. Somehow the flavors begin to meld together and intensify. Chicken Etouffee is one of those rare dishes that are actually better leftover than it is the first time around.

Usually, etouffee recipes are served atop a bed of white rice. Of course, if you like it would probably be just as good on top of mashed potatoes or some sort of pasta. But for the most authentic NOLA dinner, white rice is a must. We used jasmine rice for a subtle flavor, but any long-grain white rice will do.

Keyword Appetizer, Chicken, Chicken Etouffee, Entree, Etouffee, Recipe