Are you craving Cajun dishes? Satisfy your cravings with these 27 unforgettable cajun recipes you’ll keep talking about!
Cajun recipes are such a great combination of French and Southern cuisines.
These dishes are hearty, spicy, and full of seafood to share with everyone.
Often you will hear about the Cajun “Holy Trinity,” which is the combination of onions, bell peppers, and celery which is a part of many, if not all, Cajun dishes.
Although you may face difficulty finding authentic Cajun meals outside of Louisiana, these 27 recipes will help you place a bit of Cajun spice in your life, wherever you are!
You have probably heard of or even tried some Cajun classics like Etouffee, Jambalaya, or Fish Po Boy Sandwiches.
But how about trying your hand at making some Boudin Balls, Gumbo, or scrumptious #25!
Grab your Cajun seasonings and gather your friends for a Cajun feast.
Once you read through these 27 recipes, you’ll want to try all of them.
Keep in mind Cajun food is best when shared with all of your loved ones!
This is an easy Cajun recipe perfect for cold winter days when you don’t have the energy to cook an elaborate meal.
Find a package of 15 bean blend in your grocery store, throw it into a slow cooker with your spices, chicken stock, and ham, and set it to cook for the day.
When your soup is almost done cooking, throw in some tomatoes, sausage, and a dash of salt, and you have a hearty Cajun soup with literally 15 different types of beans.
This is so easy to use a slow cooker and find the right bean blend in storage.
Cajun food recipes that you can make ahead and freeze or cook later take so much trouble out of preparing food for many.
This casserole is packed with rice, chicken, sausage, sour cream, cheese, and French fried onions.
If you start to prepare it but decide to freeze it for a later time, make sure you let it thaw completely before putting it in the oven.
This Cajun casserole will be perfect as you start to plan your Mardi Gras meals!
This salad works on so many levels.
There’s no mayo, so it can sit out without being refrigerated.
You can serve it as a salsa to dip your tortilla chips in.
Or top off some blackened fish or chicken with this salad.
Regardless of how you decide to eat it, this is a light option that goes great with many Cajun dishes and has a ton of flavor, thanks to the Cajun seasoning.
These chicken meatballs are already amazing on their own, but when they’re topped in this creamy sauce, they become that much better!
There is so much flavor in this meal without being overwhelmingly spicy, so it’s great for those that are new to Cajun dishes.
This goes great with rice or pasta, but you can have it as is, and it’ll still taste great.
Red beans and rice are so simple to put together, yet it’s such a classic dish in New Orleans.
To make this even easier, you can use a crockpot after you boil your beans for a little bit.
For a more authentic take on this dish, you should try to avoid packaged or canned foods.
You can make these beans and rice from scratch for your own version of authentic Cajun recipes.
If you’re looking for more meal inspiration, here’s a list of sides!
Blackened chicken is an essential part of many Cajun dinner ideas, so understanding how to cook it is essential for exploring the world of Cajun cuisine.
One very important aspect is the seasonings.
You can make your own mix using 9 crucial spices.
If you’re not a fan of super spicy foods, monitor how much of the cayenne pepper you put in your mix.
You can always add more later if it’s not as spicy as you’d like.
This recipe brings you such crispy, creamy, and spicy potatoes that everyone will go crazy over.
It’s super simple to make your own spice mix, so you won’t need to buy any more pre-mixed seasoning packages.
If you don’t want to do potatoes, you can easily sub out cauliflower, mushrooms, or grilled chicken.
This base can be used in or to complement many Cajun dish ideas.
This is an easier take on one of the most authentic Cajun recipes.
Featuring step-by-step instructions, you can make your own shrimp etouffee at home without having to venture out to Louisiana.
This recipe features the “Holy Trinity” of Cajun ingredients, which is added to the roux to help it stop cooking.
It’s super helpful to time this out so that your rice finishes cooking at the same time as your etouffee so you can enjoy this while it’s fresh and hot.
Maque choux is an easy Cajun recipe that features grilled corn, tons of veggies (we’re talking the “Holy Trinity”), and some bacon grease.
This recipe switches out celery for crispy bacon, and you can guarantee that the addition of bacon makes it that much better.
If you can’t find fresh corn, you can use frozen corn, but given the opportunity, fresh corn makes a difference in the flavors.
This is a great side dish for your other Cajun recipes, or you can have it as a snack by itself.
10. Jambalaya
Jambalaya should top your list of Cajun dinner ideas.
It is one of the most popular Cajun meals, and everyone loves it!
This recipe has tons of different types of meat like chicken, sausage, and shrimp, so it’ll be very filling and leave you so satisfied.
This also has extra heat from jalapeno and serrano peppers, but this is optional depending on how spicy you like your meals.
The beauty of this recipe is that it can be created in one pot, so it’s less trouble and less clean up too!
You don’t need a party to find an excuse to make this dip.
Seriously, it’s like shrimp pasta in a dip form.
This dip can be served in a hollowed-out bread bowl with crackers or baguette slices.
This is great to snack on as you prepare the rest of your Cajun dinner ideas.
French fries are always delicious, as is.
But if you want to make them extra flavorful, double-dip them in a Cajun beer batter, so they’re covered in spices and extra crispy.
Here’s a pro tip: let your fries soak in a bowl of ice water (overnight if possible), so the starch is removed, and the fries become much crispier.
This goes great with so many other Cajun recipes, so you can find many excuses to fry these up.
If you have a celebration or party and want to play with some new Cajun food recipes, try to fry your deviled eggs and toss in some Cajun seasonings.
When piping your yolk mixture, you can use a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off to make it easier to transfer the yolk into the egg white frame.
You will be the new favorite party guest when you bring this appetizer to the party.
After tasting this spiced and deep-fried version, no one will turn to regular deviled eggs.
Few Cajun recipes are not made better with a side of Southern coleslaw.
Making it yourself allows you to balance out the ingredients and dressing to whatever you like.
It’s also much more rewarding to make your own sides rather than buy them pre-made from the store.
We have another coleslaw recipe worth trying!
If you haven’t tasted alligator before, imagine a fishy and chewy version of quail.
When it’s fried and tossed in Cajun seasonings, it makes an all-new version of tenders that will beat out plain chicken tenders.
It may sound unusual to eat alligator tail if you’re not from Louisiana, but our friends in Louisiana have created many delicious Cajun recipes featuring this tasty meat.
When in New Orleans, do as the Cajuns do!
Southerners love shrimp and grits.
But if you turn it into Cajun shrimp and grits, you’ll have one of your new favorite Cajun food recipes.
Even though shrimp and grits tend to be a breakfast or brunch dish, you’ll be craving this at any and all times of the day.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to put together your favorite brunch item at home.
17. Remoulade Sauce
So many Cajun dinner ideas taste great with remoulade sauce.
This is a creamy dip similar to tartar sauce with some spiciness and only 10 ingredients.
Each ingredient is super essential to this recipe, so you don’t want to leave any of it out.
Simply just whisk together all of the ingredients and let it rest, so the flavors mix together.
Can you imagine any authentic Cajun recipes that don’t feature the “Holy Trinity”?
This Cajun classic is no different.
It’s comforting and flavorful and well worth the time it takes to put together.
There may be many steps involved in preparing authentic gumbo, but each step is pretty straightforward, so there’s no need to fear.
If you haven’t heard of Hoppin’ John, it’s essentially black-eyed peas, some sort of meat, and rice.
There are many different ways to prepare Hoppin’ John, but this is one take on the popular Cajun food recipes.
Don’t be afraid to cook your rice and peas in the slow cooker to make it much easier!
Once you taste how great this simple recipe is, you’ll want to make bulk batches to freeze and save for another Cajun dinner night.
20. Boudin Balls
Boudin is a spicy Cajun sausage full of flavor!
It’s flexible and can replace traditional sausage in so many Cajun dishes.
But you can turn it into a tasty appetizer by taking it out of its casing, rolling it into balls, and deep-frying it.
This goes great with remoulade sauce and if you’re not familiar with that, scroll up a few recipes to find a fantastic recipe to make it yourself!
21. Fish Po’Boy
No trip to New Orleans is complete without having some fish po’boy sandwiches.
There are so many flavors and textures present in a po’boy,
This recipe features crispy catfish and creamy remoulade sauce.
To make a fantastic dinner, you can combine many Cajun recipes featured on this list.
Fricassee is typically a French dish involving browning some meat in butter and serving with a savory sauce.
This recipe puts a little Louisiana flair on this French dish making a new easy Cajun recipe.
Don’t forget to incorporate the “Holy Trinity” when you make this dinner.
Chicken fricassee goes great when served with rice and smothering on the sauce.
This recipe does a great job of turning classic casseroles into Cajun dinner ideas.
Casseroles are very easy to throw together and are often balanced with rice, vegetables, and some type of meat.
This specific recipe uses shrimp, bell peppers, tomatoes, and seasoning that adds so much flavor in a small amount.
The whole family will love this casserole and will ask for it to become a regular part of your dinner rotations.
24. Crawfish Boil
Cajun dishes are best when shared with your friends and family.
And although you wish you could eat everything at a crawfish boil by yourself, it makes for a great meal to share.
You can boil yourself a filling dinner to share with everyone with fresh crawfish, potatoes, sausage, and seasonings.
Even if you don’t know how to eat crawfish, this recipe provides simple to follow instructions on how to do just that.
Few Cajun recipes compare to beignets.
This dessert uses a few common kitchen ingredients but can easily be transformed into a savory dish with meat or vegetables.
Pair this with hot coffee, and you will feel like you’re right in New Orleans.
Those who live in New Orleans can be very particular about where they get their muffuletta.
But for those not in Louisiana, we have to make do with what we have, and sometimes that means following some Cajun food recipes to make your own New Orleans Muffuletta.
This sandwich will become a fan favorite even if you can’t get the real deal from a New Orleans deli.
Cajun food recipes that let you take your favorite foods on the go are precisely what we need in our life.
These crawfish hand pies let you take your seafood treats with you wherever you go.
You can use empanada dough rather than making this by hand, but no one will stop you from making the dough from scratch if that’s what you want!
No more excuses for not having your favorite foods with you whenever you want.
The bottom line
Enjoying Cajun meals is often a celebration or a party in Louisiana involving lots of dancing, music, and feasting for all.
So many Cajun recipes have spice, flavor, and the “Holy Trinity” of ingredients.
If you didn’t know, this is an amazing combination and crucial for so many Cajun foods we love.
These dishes came to be in the 17th century when French migrants started to prepare meals based on whatever they found available near them.
After going through this list of 27 Cajun recipes, you’ll be looking to book a trip out to New Orleans soon.
Serve your favorite Cajun recipes with these incredible sides!
27 BEST Cajun Foods
Looking for cajun recipes? Try out these 27 cajun recipes ASAP!
Ingredients
- Cajun 15 Bean Soup
- Cajun Dirty Rice Casserole
- Cajun Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Cajun Chicken Meatballs in Cajun Cream Sauce
- Red Beans and Rice
- Cajun Blackened Chicken
- Cajun Potatoes
- Shrimp Etouffee
- Corn Maque Choux
- Jambalaya
- Spicy Louisiana Shrimp Dip
- Double Beer Battered Cajun Fries
- Cajun Style Fried Deviled Eggs
- Southern Louisiana Coleslaw
- Cajun Fried Gator Tail
- Cajun Shrimp and Grits with a Creamy Tomato Sauce
- Remoulade Sauce
- Authentic New Orleans Seafood Gumbo
- Slow Cooker Hoppin’ John
- Boudin Balls
- Fish Po'Boy
- Chicken Fricassee
- Cajun Shrimp and Rice Casserole
- Crawfish Boil
- Old Fashioned Beignets
- New Orleans Muffuletta Sandwich
- Crawfish Hand Pies
Instructions
- Choose one or more options from our list of cajun recipes here!
- Create your new favorite dish.
- Pat yourself on the back for making food at home for you to enjoy!
- Share and comment! Did you make any tweaks, so it’s all your own?