Crawfish-Stuffed Bayou Chicken Recipe

Enjoy this tasty and simple recipe featuring Louisiana crawfish and juicy chicken.

Louisiana Food Crawfish-stuffed Bayou Chicken Recipe

Crawfish-stuffed Bayou Chicken Recipe. Photo by Matthew Noel. Louisiana Kitchen and Culture Magazine.

The L'Auberge Casino and Hotel in Baton Rouge is known for its delicious food. Try this recipe straight from their kitchens to your table.  

June 2014 Recipe of the Month, courtesy of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture Magazine

Ingredients for Chicken

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
  • 1 cup tightly packed fresh spinach leaves, as needed 
  • 1 cup Louisiana crawfish tails, chopped 
  • 1 tablespoon blackening seasoning 
  • 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil 
  • Bayou Sauce (recipe follows) 
  • parsley for garnish  

Ingredients for Bayou Sauce

  • olive oil as needed 
  • 1 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon minced shallots 
  • 1 teaspoon minced capers 
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream 
  • 1/4 cup white wine 
  • juice of half a lemon 
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
  • 1 teaspoon chopped parsley 
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

Method of Preparation:

Chicken

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
  2. Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet until they are 1/4-inch thick. Layer half of the spinach leaves over each breast. Evenly divide crawfish and place in a row horizontally across middle of each piece of chicken. Top with remaining spinach leaves.
  3. Beginning with short edge, roll stuffed chicken pieces over filling and secure with wooden toothpicks. Sprinkle chicken with blackening seasoning, thyme, salt and pepper. 
  4. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add chicken rolls. Sear chicken rolls on all sides and place in a baking dish. 
  5. Bake for 20 minutes until cooked through. Remove wooden toothpicks and transfer cooked chicken to a platter. Slice if desired. Serve with Bayou Sauce. Garnish with parsley.

Bayou Sauce

  1. Barely cover over the bottom of a sauté pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add sun-dried tomatoes, shallots and capers and sauté until shallots are tender.
  2. Stir in cream, wine and lemon juice. Cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat and whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper.

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