Rich & Creamy Crawfish Bisque Recipe

Name: Rich & Creamy Crawfish Bisque
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons flour; 1/2 onion, (diced small); 1 green pepper, (diced small); 1 garlic clove, (minced); 3 ounces tomato paste; 4 cups seafood/fish stock, (warmed); 1 pound crawfish tails; 2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning; 1 cup sherry; 1 teaspoon dried tarragon; 1 cup heavy cream; Louisiana hot sauce ((optional for garnish)); Green onions (diced (optional for garnish)); Croutons ((optional for garnish))

By Danielle on February 28, 2020, Updated March 25, 2023 126 Comments

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This Rich & Creamy Crawfish Bisque is the perfect quick meal for weeknight dinners, packed full flavor with the perfect amount of heat, this crawfish soup is on the table in 30 minutes!

a bowl of creamy orange soup with croutons, crawfish tails and green onions

OMG guys. This is it. This is the stuff. This crawfish bisque is one of the loves of my life, along with this creamy crab and corn bisque and this amazing prawn bisque of course.

So rich, so creamy, perfectly spicy and just AMAZING. I can't even with this stuff. And on the table in 30 minutes? YES PLEASE!

And don't fret, if you don't have/can't find crawfish, you can totally make this with shrimp or fish or any kind of seafood.

easy homemade crawfish pie in a pie plate made with roux and crawfish tail meat

If you're a HUGE crawfish fan like me, you'll probably like this incredible Crawfish Pie or this Louisiana Seafood Gumbo.

Check out the crawfish bisque story!

What Is the Difference Between a Soup and a Bisque?

Typically, the difference between a soup and a bisque is the use of cream. Bisque is usually made with a seafood stock and cream and is pureed to a creamy consistency.

Why This Recipe Works

Making a roux first helps to give the bisque that rich and creamy texture. If you've never made a roux, check out this post on How To Make a Roux for some great tips.
Blending the soup with an immersion blender gives it the smooth texture of a bisque.
Using tomato paste instead of tomatoes gives it the perfect amount of rich tomato flavor without the bulk of using tomatoes.
Adding cream at the end helps to bring the bisque together with an extra layer of richness.

The Ingredients for Crawfish Bisque

Crawfish is obviously the main ingredient for this recipe. You will need one pound of crawfish tails. I have a market near me that sells packages of crawfish tail meat, which is super convenient. And I've also gotten it at Walmart!

If you can't get the tail meat, many seafood counters have whole crawfish. You can buy that and just remove the tails and peel them.

I do like this option as you can make crawfish stock with the shells which is just incredible!! Watch this Youtube video on how to peel crawfish.

If all else fails, you can buy crawfish tail meat in bulk on Amazon (affiliate link). And don't worry, there are plenty of other crawfish recipes here on the site you can use them for, like this amazing crawfish gumbo or this crawfish boil!!

The remaining ingredients should be easy to find at your local grocery store and are listed in full in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Seafood stock - this can be fish, shrimp, crawfish, lobster, or any other seafood stock. If you don't have fresh, this Better Than Bouillon Lobster base in a great alternative (affiliate link).
Cajun/Creole seasoning - I make my own Cajun seasoning (it's the BEST and super easy), but you can also use Tony Chacheres, but any seasoning will do (affiliate link).
Dried tarragon - Buy it HERE on Amazon if you don't have it already (affiliate link).

How To Make Crawfish Bisque

Heat the butter and flour in a dutch oven over medium heat, stirring continuously to make a light brown roux (3-5 minutes).

**Learn more about How to Make a Roux

butter and flour (roux) cooking in a pot

Add the onion, garlic and green pepper and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until vegetables start to soften.

Then add the tomato paste and sherry and cook for 1-2 minutes.

celery and onions with tomato paste in a pot

The mixture will be thick:

Add the Cajun seasoning, tarragon and seafood/fish stock slowly, stirring while adding a little at a time to ensure the roux doesn't get lumpy. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender, remove the soup from the heat and blend in batches. Place blended soup back in the dutch oven and heat to a simmer. Buy an Immersion Blender HERE.

**Be careful when you blend hot liquid - the pressure from the heat can cause your blender lid to explode off, causing quite a mess.

using a hand blender to blend soup in a pot

Add the crawfish tails (reserving a few for serving if you're fancy) and cream and simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Reserve a couple crawfish tails for serving if desired. Serve in bowls garnished with croutons, green onions and reserved crawfish tails.

2 bowls of orange soup garnished with croutons and crawfish tails

Expert Tips:

When cooking the flour and butter to make a roux, make sure to stir constantly to prevent it from burning. It is done when it is a very light brown/cream color. It should take 3-5 minutes.
Make sure to add the WARMED seafood stock slowly to the mixture while stirring. This helps prevent lumps from forming.
When using the immersion blender, blend for 3-5 minutes, or until the soup is creamy. It's ok if there are a few small chunky pieces.
If using a stand blender instead of an immersion blender, make sure to let the liquid cool slightly before blending; otherwise the heat can make the lid explode off causing a huge mess.

side view of a bowl of bisque with crawfish

What Goes with Crawfish Bisque?

I like to serve this crawfish bisque with crusty pieces of French bread for dipping. Bisque is often served as a starter for a meal. Try these options:

Make your own French Bread for serving - this may be more time consuming but fresh baked bread is the BEST;
Try this Shrimp Po' Boy from African Bites;
These Crawfish Egg Rolls would be just incredible with this soup;
Serve it with this Blackened Catfish and Dirty Rice to make a whole meal;
For a lighter meal, serve it with this Blackened Shrimp Salad.

Can You Make Crawfish Bisque Ahead of Time?

This bisque can easily be made ahead of time. Follow all the recipe instructions. Store the crawfish bisque in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove over medium heat until warmed.

**Add additional stock or cream to thin the bisque if necessary. Serve according o the recipe instructions.

For even better results, follow the recipe instructions through blending the soup. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To reheat, place in a dutch oven on the stove and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Reduce the heat and add the cream and crawfish. Simmer for 5 minutes then serve.

Can You Freeze Crawfish Bisque?

You can freeze the leftovers in an airtight container and store for up to 3 months.

If you're making the bisque ahead of time, I don't recommend freezing it with the cream and crawfish for the best results. Follow the recipe instructions through blending the soup. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Place in a dutch oven on the stove and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Reduce the heat and add the cream and crawfish. Simmer for 5 minutes then serve.

Reader's Favorite Soup Recipes

As you all probably know, I am in love with soup - I love all the soups I make! But below are some of the most popular soup recipes on the blog.

Instant Pot Pho;
Instant Pot Ramen;
Bak Kut Teh (Singapore Pork Ribs Soup);
Wonton Noodle Soup;
Split Pea Soup;
Browse all the Soup Recipes.

Did you make this crawfish bisque? Rate the recipe and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out!