47 Cajun and Creole Favorites

Updated January 08, 2021
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Different regions in the South are known for certain flavors and dishes—each area even has its own barbecue sauce. Of course, Louisiana is proudly home to the Cajun and Creole recipes Southerners love. Spice up your dinner table with classic Cajun and Creole recipes like gumbo, étouffée, jambalaya, and more. We even have Cajun and Creole recipes straight from culinary legend Leah Chase herself. Whip up a mini muffulettas for a batch of lunches or warm up on a cold winter night with a serving of shrimp Creole. Even though many old-school Cajun and Creole recipes take hours to simmer and meld together, we’ve got quick-fix solutions using your cast-iron skillet and store-bought shortcuts. Host a Cajun crawfish boil for the family or kick up your summer cookout with Creole burgers. If you’ve never attempted one of these zesty Cajun or Creole recipes at home, now is the time. Bring Louisiana to your table with these recipes.

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Cajun Chicken Pasta

Credit: Ralph Anderson

Recipe: Cajun Chicken Pasta

For cleanup in a snap, serve Cajun Chicken Pasta right out of the pan. Add salad and dinner rolls to complete your menu.

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Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo

Credit: Ralph Anderson

Recipe: Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo

After preparing the roux, most of the time spent making gumbo is basically hands-free. You’ll just need to stir the pot occasionally to prevent sticking. This flavorful stew recipe is worth the effort.

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Okra Creole

Recipe: Okra Creole

Serve flavorful Okra Creole as a side or over rice for an easy entrée. This recipe uses frozen okra as a budget and time saver.

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Cajun Shrimp Casserole

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Cajun Shrimp Casserole

We offer make-ahead and freezing instructions on this luscious Cajun Shrimp Casserole. Serve with spring mix lettuce drizzled with red wine vinaigrette.

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Chicken-Andouille Gumbo

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Chicken-Andouille Gumbo

Make Chicken-Andouille Gumbo the day ahead to save time. Fresh andouille and crusty french bread are essential to this dish.

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Jambalaya

Credit: Melina Hammer

Recipe: Jambalaya

Classic one-pot dish is loaded with Creole spices and comes together in three easy steps.

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Leah Chase's Gumbo Z'Herbes

Credit: Robbie Caponetto

Recipe: Leah Chase's Gumbo Z'Herbes

Every year on the Thursday before Easter, New Orleans culinary great Leah Chase used to cook up to 100 gallons of her Gumbo Z'Herbes, and the masses would flock to get a serving.

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Cajun Shrimp Foil Packets with Red Potatoes and Zucchini

Credit: Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe: Cajun Shrimp Foil Packets with Red Potatoes and Zucchini

The best part about foil packet dinners? No cleanup!

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New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Though Southerners have created countless iterations of this Creole dish, this is our easy go-to that you can make your own with additional ingredients.

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Instant Pot Jambalaya

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Recipe: Instant Pot Jambalaya

This recipe combines one of our favorite old-school dishes with our favorite new-school kitchen tool.

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Vietnamese-Cajun Fried Rice

Credit: Cedric Angeles

Recipe: Vietnamese-Cajun Fried Rice

Houston-born writer Dan Q. Dao shared his aunt Van’s fried rice recipe with us, and boy, are we lucky to have it. Andouille sausage, crawfish, Cajun seasoning, and plenty of garlic make this more flavorful than any fried rice you’ve ever had.

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Crawfish Étouffée

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Crawfish Étouffée

Enriched with crawfish fat, the recipe closely resembles the original 20s dish created by Mrs. Charles Hebert at the eponymous Breaux Bridge Hebert Hotel. 

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Smoked Turkey-and-Andouille Gumbo

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Smoked Turkey-and-Andouille Gumbo

Beau Beaullieu and Andy Soileau’s New Iberia Kiwanis Club team has taken first place 11 times at the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff. This recipe for their mélange gumbo won in 2015, 2017, and 2018, so you know it’s incredible.

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Jambalaya de Covington

Credit: Jambalaya de Covington

Recipe: Jambalaya de Covington

This jambalaya recipe (which is made with smoked turkey, ham, and sausage) comes from Covington, Louisiana, the parish seat of St. Tammany Parish, north of Lake Pontchartrain. 

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Big-Batch Cajun Lemonade

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Big-Batch Cajun Lemonade

Every Southerner needs a house cocktail, and we suggest this refreshing sipper that’s perfect for porch sitting.

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Muffuletta

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Muffuletta

We made our version of this New Orleans sandwich on a large loaf that can be cut into mini sandwiches and shared with the whole family.

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Fried Shrimp-and-Okra Po’Boys

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Fried Shrimp-and-Okra Po’Boys

Smashes and flattening the okra, instead of chopping it up and then frying it, makes them easier to fit onto the sandwich.

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Shrimp Rémoulade Deviled Eggs

Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Shrimp Rémoulade Deviled Eggs

Give your deviled egg recipe a dose of Creole flair with shrimp, spicy mustard, and lots of garlic.

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Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Credit: Greg DuPree

Recipe: Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Our Test Kitchen developed this jambalaya recipe as a quick dish you can whip up on a busy weeknight.

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Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Credit: Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Our Test Kitchen doesn’t claim that this is the best gumbo recipe you’ll ever try—they know that’s the one you grew up eating. But this one is their absolute favorite, and we know you’d love how easy it is to make.

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Creole Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Credit: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Creole Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

This dessert from the late New Orleans culinary legend Leah Chase proves you can have Creole flavor even at dessert.  

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Jenné Claiborne's Cajun Blackened Tofu Sandwich

Credit: Sidney Bensimon

Recipe: Jenné Claiborne's Cajun Blackened Tofu Sandwich

Georgia-born chef and food blogger Jenné Claiborne took inspiration from her mom’s love of Cajun seasoning to create this vegetarian sandwich.

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Shrimp Creole

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Shrimp Creole

This classic dish combines two Louisiana loves—fresh shrimp and spices. We recommend adding a dash of hot sauce for a little extra oomph.

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One-Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: One-Pot Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Spice up your usual pasta night with Cajun seasoning. This one-pot pasta comes together with a handful of pantry staples.

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Viet-Cajun Crawfish Boil

Credit: Cedric Angeles

Recipe: Viet-Cajun Crawfish Boil

We have Houston’s migrant populations from Vietnam and Louisiana for incredible culinary creations like this crawfish boil.

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Ms. Clara’s New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Ms. Clara’s New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Craving comfort food? There’s no dish that feels more like a hug than red beans and rice.

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Muffuletta Deviled Eggs

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Recipe: Muffuletta Deviled Eggs

The Louisiana sandwich gets the appetizer treatment when turned into an over-the-top deviled egg recipe.

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Cajun Mac and Cheese

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

Recipe: Cajun Mac and Cheese

We’re always looking for new ways to enjoy classic recipes, and this mac and cheese with andouille sausage and Cajun seasoning is a keeper.

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Shrimp Étouffée

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Recipe: Shrimp Étouffée

Our Test Kitchen’s tip for creating this Creole dish? Have all the ingredients prepped before you start cooking.

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Mini Crab Cakes with Cajun Sauce

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Mini Crab Cakes with Cajun Sauce

There’s not much you can do to make a good crab cake better, but this Cajun sauce absolutely does it.

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Maque Choux with Sausage

Credit: Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe: Maque Choux with Sausage

This Lousiana dish with Native American and Creole-French roots is a delicious way to use your trusty skillet and fresh summer corn and okra.

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