Looking for the best Mardi Gras recipes? we have you covered 19 Easy Cajun and Creole Recipes to Celebrate Mardi Gras!
Home to unique dishes that define soul food and one of the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations in the country, the cuisine of New Orleans provides all the inspiration you need for the perfect party menu celebrating Mardi Gras. Best known for its two main regional food styles, Cajun and Creole, New Orleans is a city where cultural influences including Native American, Spanish, French, Italian, and African come together to create the food styles you will enjoy. You won’t find it anywhere else in the world. You’ll love this popular New Orleans-inspired dish so much that you’ll want to celebrate Mardi Gras recipes all year long!
Easy Cajun and Creole Recipes for Mardi Gras.!
1. Authentic New Orleans Gumbo
through a better life
Gumbo, a thick stew with French, African, and Native American influences, is a must-have Mardi Gras food for your Fat Tuesday party. It can include everything from sautéed onions, peppers, and celery, called the “Holy Trinity” in Creole, and a version of gumbo z’herbes, called Cajun in Louisiana, to andouille sausage, chicken, and seafood. The best thing about gumbo is that no two people taste the same.
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2. oyster rockefeller
through Caroline’s Cooking
Invented in 1899 by Jules Alciatore, the son of the founder of the famous New Orleans restaurant Antoine’s, this delicious New Orleans oyster appetizer is so rich that it was named after oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller. The original recipe is a family secret, but one thing is for sure: if you serve these oysters, they won’t last long. Get this crowd-pleasing version at: Caroline’s Cooking.
3. shrimp creole
through Recipes from the Pantry
This classic Creole dish is a New Orleans favorite and perfect for anyone who loves shrimp. Shrimps are sautéed with onions, peppers, garlic, herbs and seasonings, then simmered in a tomato-based sauce. For best results, use shrimp caught from the Gulf or Louisiana and serve over rice. You will be hooked! Get the recipe from Recipes From a Pantry.
4. dirty rice
through southern discourse
Dirty rice is a traditional Cajun and New Orleans side dish that goes perfectly with blackened fish, chicken, or other local favorites. Older recipes call for using chicken livers to cook the rice (it gives it its characteristic color), but I think this recipe from Southern Discourse tastes just as good without chicken livers.
5. New Orleans Cornmeal Crusted Catfish Po’ Boy
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Po’ Boys became a New Orleans staple in 1929, when brothers Bennie and Clovis Martins decided to offer free French bread sandwiches to striking streetcar workers at their French Quarter coffee shop. Martin said: “We fed them free food until the strike ended. Every time I saw one of the prominent men approaching, one of them would say, ‘Here comes another poor boy.’” There are all kinds of po’boys in New Orleans today, but some of the most popular are seafood. They have everything from shrimp, crawfish, fish, oysters to soft shell crab. Try the cornmeal crusted catfish po’boy with lettuce, tomato, and remoulade sauce.
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6. Crawfish Etouffée
through Jennifer Cooks
This is one of our favorite Mardi Gras recipes! Étouffée (pronounced eh-too-fey), which means “to suffocate” in French, is another New Orleans favorite and is 100% home-cooked. Etouffée, which involves sautéing seafood (often crawfish or shrimp) in a buttery roux-based sauce with spices, celery, onion, and garlic and serving it over rice, can be considered a Cajun or Creole dish depending on how it is seasoned. If you can’t find crawfish tails near you (believe it or not, Walmart often carries them), opt for shrimp instead. Try this simple to make but super delicious version. Jennifer Cooks.
7. Red beans and rice
through budget bytes
Red Beans and Rice is one of those simple Louisiana Creole dishes that may not sound like much, but will definitely have you coming back for more. Traditionally served on Mondays as a way to utilize leftover pork bones from Sunday dinner, red beans (rather than kidney beans) are stewed with the ‘holy trinity’ (garlic, celery and bell peppers) and smoked meats such as andouille sausage. A special dish is completed by adding a little or a lot of spicy sauce on top of rice. Try this delicious version from Budget Bytes.
8. Mupaletta
through Spicy Southern Kitchen
If you love Italian-style cured meats, New Orleans Muffuletta is a must-have on your Mardi Gras food menu. It was invented by Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant. Founded the famous New Orleans Central Grocery. (Opened in 1906) The original muffuletta is a sandwich of ham, salami, mortadella, Swiss cheese, and provolone on round-style Italian bread. But what sets the muffuletta apart is the olive salad. A mix of olives and pickled vegetables adds a salty and tangy flavor for the perfect sandwich bite. If you want to try the original muffaletta and don’t live in the New Orleans area, you can support small businesses and order from them. Muffaletta purchased directly from Corner Grocery Please have it delivered to your home. You can also make your own with these delicious recipes: Spicy Southern Kitchen.
9. crayfish boil
through This ole mom
Nothing says New Orleans and Louisiana better than a crawfish boil. Get your hands dirty with boiled crawfish with Cajun spices, potatoes, corn, and smoked sausage. Even though it’s such a simple dish, it’s really delicious! Get this recipe straight from a New Orleans native. This ole mom.
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10. Cajun Shrimp and Grits
through african food
New Orleans has many great dishes based on Creole and Cajun rice. But if you haven’t tried grits yet, you’re missing out. A popular dish in the South, grits are made by boiling fine cornmeal (and sometimes rice) with rich ingredients like milk and cheese to create the ultimate comfort food. Try African Bites’ fantastic recipe for Cajun Shrimp and Grits, a dish that pairs perfectly with spicy foods.
11. grillade and flour
through Spicy Southern Kitchen
NOLA’s popular brunch or breakfast Creole dish can easily make for a satisfying dinner with Eggs, Grillades, and Grits (also known as Grits and Grillades). Beef, pork or veal, called greyards (GREE-yahds), are pan-fried and then simmered in Creole-seasoned tomato or brown sauce until boiling. This tastes better if you eat it the next day.
12. black catfish
through A girl named Adri
For a light yet flavorful dish perfect for spicy lovers, try this blackened catfish recipe from A Girl Called Adri. Redfish are also popular in Louisiana and can replace catfish, as can flounder and trout. Try making it with red beans and rice or jamabalaya.
13. New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp
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There’s no shortage of delicious shrimp dishes in New Orleans or Louisiana. But the funny thing about New Orleans BBQ shrimp is that they aren’t actually barbecued. The shrimp are stir-fried in a spicy and tangy sauce that is buttery and addictive. Make this delicious recipe from Closet Cooking that is so easy and so good.
14. Brennan’s Bananas Poster
through copycat
If baking isn’t your thing, this simple yet delicious dessert made with bananas, banana liqueur, and rum-infused caramel sauce is a New Orleans delicacy that can be quickly prepared right on the stovetop. This recipe was created by Chef Paul Blangé in 1951 following a challenge from Owen Brennan, owner of Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans, to find a way to highlight one of New Orleans’ biggest imports: bananas. Served with vanilla ice cream, this dessert is one of Brennan’s and New Orleans’ most popular dishes.
15. king cake
through Barbara Bakes
No Mardi Gras party is complete without a king cake! The cake is made from a rich, sweet cinnamon dough, iced and decorated with eye-catching frosting in traditional Mardi Gras colors of green, gold and purple. The tradition of King Cakes was introduced to New Orleans by French settlers in the 1870s and is a staple of Mardi Gras celebrations. It was originally eaten on Epiphany (January 6), also known as Twelfth Night, to commemorate the start of the Carnival season. There are many different styles of king cakes, but one thing remains true. By baking a plastic baby (representing baby Jesus) into the piece, you’ll be responsible for taking the king cake to your next Mardi Gras party. . That’s the rule! Try this popular recipe from Barbara Bakes.
16. Bread pudding at Bon Ton Café
through CDK Kitchen
Bread pudding is a New Orleans tradition that you can expect from the food here. It’s pure, simple, comfort food with a touch of understated elegance. Old French bread is torn into small pieces, dipped in cream, eggs and vanilla, then toasted and drizzled with whiskey-infused vanilla sauce. There are many versions and unique twists on the Big Easy’s bread pudding, but one of the city’s most popular versions is Bon Ton Café. Check out the official recipe linked below.
17. Traditional New Orleans Beignets
through sugar and charm
Great for breakfast, dessert or an afternoon snack, these light and airy square French donuts are most unique because they don’t have holes. Most famously served with a generous dusting (or should I say acid) of powdered sugar at Café du Monde in the French Quarter, these popular New Orleans-style donuts are best served with café au lait.
18. Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
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Pecan pie is another popular dessert found on menus throughout the city of New Orleans. And there are as many versions of this sweet, gooey, savory pie as there are places where it’s sold. We love this pecan pie from Striped Spatula, whose addition of chocolate and New Orleans’ favorite bourbon takes the flavor of this pie to a whole other level.
19. praline
through Sweet Pea’s Kitchen
There’s something about the sweet, buttery, nutty flavor of freshly made praline that is completely intoxicating. Pronounced prah-leen in Louisiana, these confections can be found in stores throughout New Orleans, but it’s a treat in itself to see the artistry being created at one of the specialty candy stores. Made with brown or white sugar, cream, butter, and pecans, you’ll be surprised at how easy this candy is to make. You will find that one batch is not enough. Plus, they also make great gifts!
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Additional Resources
Facts about Mardi Gras you never knew
