40 Best Louisiana Recipes From Louisiana Woman Blog
Louisiana recipes have a way of making you feel like you're right back at the table, no matter where you are in the world. But finding the real Cajun food - the bold flavors of home - can feel hit-or-miss. Too many versions out there water down the flavors that make this Cajun Cuisine so special. These 40 recipes come straight from a South Louisiana kitchen, built on the Cajun trinity, generations of tradition, and a deep love for the food that defines this culture.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases through links on Louisiana Woman Blog. Thanks!
Growing up in South Louisiana means food is never just food. It's a memory, a gathering, a reason to slow down and stay awhile. I've spent years collecting, testing, and sharing the recipes that matter most - the ones my mama made, the ones from community cookbooks, and the ones I've built myself from scratch. This Classic Cajun Dishes category is my favorite place to send anyone who wants to cook authentic Louisiana food and actually get it right.
If you're new here, a great place to start is this Classic Chicken Gumbo - it's the kind of Cajun gumbo recipe that will have your kitchen smelling like a Louisiana Sunday in no time.
Chicken Gumbo With Sausage, Classic Cajun Recipe
Gumbo is the most well-known dish of all Cajun meals, and this Chicken Gumbo recipe is the classic version straight from my Momma's kitchen. It's easy to follow and comes out delicious every time.
Thank you, FeedSpot, for recognizing the Louisiana Woman Blog in the 30 Best Louisiana Food Blogs to Follow in 2026 in the Number 1 Spot! FeedSpot is A website that features blogs, Podcasts, News Websites, Magazines, YouTubers, and Influencers. Make them your one-stop source for all your digital information.
This post, "40 Best Louisiana Recipes," is inspired by the honor we received from the FeedSpot badge above. We hope it helps you to connect with Louisiana's culture of delicious Cajun food and Creole Cuisine.
Jump to:
- Chicken Gumbo With Sausage, Classic Cajun Recipe
- Cajun Gumbo
- Shrimp Okra Gumbo Recipe: Made With Smothered Okra
- Gumbo z'Herbes Made With Greens, A Green Gumbo Recipe
- Jambalaya
- Pork Jambalaya with Sausage: A Traditional Cajun Dish
- Crawfish Recipes
- Cajun Crawfish Etouffee Recipe: To Étouffée Is To Smother
- How To Boil Crawfish: With Helpful Tips
- Crawfish Fettuccine
- Crawfish Nachos: aka Cajun Crawchos
- Shrimp Recipes
- Shrimp Creole
- Cajun Shrimp Etouffee, Easy Recipe from Acadiana
- Easy Boiled Shrimp Recipe
- Shrimp Mold Recipe, A New Orleans Style Molded Dip
- Cajun Rice Dishes
- Va Vite Cajun Red Beans And Rice Recipe, Quick And Easy
- Best Louisiana Rice Dressing Recipe
- Hearty Cajun Meat Dishes
- Rice And Gravy, A Cajun Staple
- Comforting Cajun Meatball Stew
- Deboned Stuffed Chicken: With An Easy Tutorial
- Cajun Sides and Vegetables
- Easy Corn Maque Choux, Cajun Side Dish Recipe
- Cajun-Style Smothered Green Beans With Potatoes
- Smothered Okra For Gumbo
- Mardi Gras Salad With Asparagus
- Southern Louisiana Coleslaw Buttermilk Recipe
- Louisiana Soups and Stews
- Louisiana Shrimp And Corn Soup, A Cajun Recipe
- Fish in Red Gravy, a Classic Louisiana Fish Stew
- Chicken Sauce Piquant Recipe, A Smothered Cajun Stew
- Shrimp Stew With Eggs
- Louisiana Desserts
- Croquesignoles Or French Donuts
- Cajun Cake Recipe: Pineapple, Coconut, Pecan Cake
- Easy Southern Louisiana Blackberry Dumplings Recipe
- King Cake Recipe: A Traditional Version
- Louisiana Crunch Cake, A Coconutty Southern Recipe
- Cajun Appetizers
- Best-Ever Hush Puppies Recipe (Crispy Outside, Tender Inside)
- Best Hot Cajun Boudin Dip Recipe
- Buttery-Salted Roasted Pecans
- Crispy Louisiana Boudin Egg Rolls
- Cajun Firecracker Ranch Crackers
- Lagniappe - A Little Something Extra
- Couche Couche Recipe, A Cajun Mama's Breakfast Cereal
- Cajun Roux Recipe, An Easy Lesson
- La Bouille Recipe, Old Fashioned Cajun Custard
- Easy Old Fashioned Homemade Root Beer
- Comments
Cajun Gumbo
No Louisiana recipe collection would be complete without gumbo. It is the dish that defines South Louisiana cooking - built on a dark roux, the Cajun trinity of onions, celery, and green peppers, and whatever is fresh and in season. Every pot tells a story, and every family has their version.
My Shrimp Okra Gumbo is one of those signature recipes made famous by the Cajun people. Instead of a traditional dark roux, this hearty gumbo is thickened with smothered okra - making it a unique, gluten-free version that is just as rich and satisfying. It was a frequent request for our mama to make, and it is still one of my most loved recipes on the blog.
Shrimp Okra Gumbo Recipe: Made With Smothered Okra
A rich-tasting shrimp gumbo seasoned and thickened with smothered okra and vegetables.
Gumbo z'Herbes Made With Greens, A Green Gumbo Recipe is a traditional New Orleans dish. Omit the sausage for a perfect meatless dish for a menu that fits the Lenten season.
Gumbo z'Herbes Made With Greens, A Green Gumbo Recipe
Make a hearty meal with Gumbo z'Herbes (sometimes called green gumbo). It's a famous New Orleans dish with a dark roux, smoked meat, and mixed greens.
Jambalaya
Jambalaya is one of those dishes that tells the whole story of Louisiana in a single pot. Meats, rice, the Cajun trinity, and seasoning all cook together into something truly tantalizing. It came from the days of the boucherie (boo-shuh-REE), when the community came together to butcher their hogs and cook over an open fire in a large black pot.
My Pork Jambalaya: A Traditional Cajun Dish is the real deal - tender pork and smoked sausage seasoned and cooked right into the rice, the authentic Cajun way. If you can chop vegetables and stir a pot, you can make this rib-sticking one-pot dish.
Pork Jambalaya with Sausage: A Traditional Cajun Dish
This Cajun dish is made with tender chunks of pork, smoked sausage, and white rice, and is flavored with spicy Cajun seasonings.
Crawfish Recipes
Crawfish season in Louisiana is practically a holiday. Those little mudbugs show up every spring, and the whole community celebrates. From boils to bisques to pasta, crawfish find their way into just about everything - and we would not have it any other way.
There is no better place to start than with a classic Crawfish Etouffee. Rich, buttery, and served over white rice, it is the dish that introduces so many people to authentic Cajun cooking for the very first time. Once you make it from scratch, there is no going back.
Cajun Crawfish Etouffee Recipe: To Étouffée Is To Smother
This smothered crawfish recipe in a buttery white sauce is flavored with the Cajun trinity and a kick of cayenne. The étouffée is served over rice and enjoyed as a favorite classic Southern Louisiana dish.
Eating crawfish is a Cajun's delight, so with that said, it's my pleasure to share our family's methodology on How To Boil Crawfish. Here's a top-rated recipe with everything you need to know for a crawfish boil, plus helpful tips and a short video on peeling those tasty tails. So, allons'! (That means let's go!)
How To Boil Crawfish: With Helpful Tips
Simple ingredients and instructions on how to boil crawfish with delicious results every time.
This deliciously creamy, cheesy Crawfish Fettuccine, with a spicy jalapeño kick to tempt the taste buds, is made with fresh ingredients. Nope, this is not your typical canned soup fettuccine recipe!
Crawfish Fettuccine
Fresh ingredients are in this delicious, cheesy, creamy sauce surrounding tasty crawfish and fettuccine pasta with spicy jalapeño.
You'll find spicy, Cajun-seasoned cheesiness in these Crawfish Nachos: aka Cajun Crawchos. They're full of tasty crawfish bites, garnished with lime, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers. It's not a nacho but a Cajun Crawcho!
Crawfish Nachos: aka Cajun Crawchos
A spicy Cajun-seasoned, cheesy nacho dish with tasty bites of crawfish garnished with the flavors of lime, cilantro, and more jalapeño.
For more ways to cook with crawfish, browse all the crawfish recipes on the blog.
Shrimp Recipes
Louisiana is plentiful with Gulf seafood, and shrimp is the crowning glory of so many dishes around here. Shrimp season happens twice a year in Louisiana, and when it does, freezers fill up fast. These recipes make the most of every single one.
Shrimp Creole is a classic New Orleans dish with bold tomato-based sauce and tender Gulf shrimp served over white rice. It is full of color, full of flavor, and so easy to make on a weeknight.
Shrimp Creole
A classic Southern Shrimp Creole that is spicy-delicious! It gets its thick sauce by slowly cooking together tomatoes, fresh herbs, and the Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery before fresh shrimp is added. Serve it over a bed of rice with a garnish of lemon slices for a squeeze of fresh flavor.
I do the same layering of the holy trinity in my Cajun Shrimp Etouffee too - it is the foundation of so much great Louisiana cooking.
Cajun Shrimp Etouffee, Easy Recipe from Acadiana
This smothered shrimp recipe in a buttery white sauce is flavored with the Cajun trinity and a kick of cayenne. The étouffée is served over rice and enjoyed as a favorite classic Southern Louisiana dish.
Preparing a pot of Easy-Boiled Shrimp is a cinch with just a few pantry ingredients. There is no need for a bottled liquid crab boil or a boxed seasoning bag. You only need seasonings, lemons, raw Gulf shrimp, and a large pot of boiling water. Then, you'll be eating tender shrimp in minutes!
Easy Boiled Shrimp Recipe
Here is a quick and easy way to boil shrimp. They're delicious when eaten all by themselves or added to different dishes such as salads, casseroles, tacos, or sandwiches.
This delightful Shrimp Mold Recipe is stamped with the flavors of New Orleans. It's a classic Southern Louisiana shrimp dip that congeals in a mold after it's chilled and magically keeps its shape when unmolded.
Shrimp Mold Recipe, A New Orleans Style Molded Dip
This delicious Shrimp Mold Recipe uses the classic ingredients of a Louisiana shrimp dip. The shrimp congeals after it's chilled and magically keeps its shape when released from its container.
Cajun Rice Dishes
Rice to a Cajun is what potatoes and pasta are to other cultures. It complements its companions well and fills the belly nicely. Rice is a major agricultural commodity from Cajun country. My grandfather used to tell us often, "Eat rice, help the farmers!" - and I have never forgotten that. These rice dishes are some of the most satisfying meals you will find anywhere on this blog.
Red Beans and Rice is a Cajun Creole recipe. It's a Louisiana Monday tradition that has been on tables across the Bayou State for generations. Creamy red beans slow-cooked with smoked sausage and served over fluffy white rice - it is simple, rib-sticking, and delectably delicious.
Va Vite Cajun Red Beans And Rice Recipe, Quick And Easy
A delicious, quick, and easy recipe of Red Beans and Rice for the Instant Pot or stove-top that is sure to satisfy any hungry appetite.
This classic Best louisiana Rice Dressing is not the same as dirty rice. It's one of Southern Louisiana's traditional recipes, often served at family gatherings. It's a convenient and versatile side or main dish!
Best Louisiana Rice Dressing Recipe
Rice dressing is a traditional Cajun rice dish that begins with a roux and the Cajun trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery. It is then simmered with ground meat to make a stock, then mixed with cooked white rice.
Hearty Cajun Meat Dishes
South Louisiana knows how to cook meat. Low and slow, full of flavor, and always worth the wait. These are the dishes made by home cooks that bring everyone to the table and keep them there for a second helping.
Rice and Gravy: A Cajun Staple was on our table constantly growing up. A slow-cooked roast with rich, dark gravy ladled over white rice - pure Cajun comfort in every bite.
Rice And Gravy, A Cajun Staple
Revealing a few secrets to perfect rice and gravy!
And my Comforting Cajun Meatball Stew is proof that homemade meatballs simmered in a thick Cajun stew and served over rice is one of the most flavor-packed meals you can serve for weeknight dinners.
Comforting Cajun Meatball Stew
A satisfying Cajun-style meatball Stew of moist, tender, meaty meatballs cooked in a dark, rich gravy surrounded by diced carrots and potatoes.
The Deboned Stuffed Chicken is a Southern Louisiana specialty meat item, stuffed with delicious fillings such as dressing, meat, or vegetables. It is heavily seasoned with a Cajun seasoning blend and yields juicy chicken flavor when sliced into each boneless serving.
Deboned Stuffed Chicken: With An Easy Tutorial
Here's an easy tutorial and instructions on how to debone a chicken and stuff it with rice dressing, crawfish etouffee, boudin, broccoli and rice, roasted vegetables, or cornbread dressing.
Cajun Sides and Vegetables
No Louisiana meal is complete without the sides. These are the dishes that fill out the table and make everything feel like a real Southern spread. From smothered vegetables to creamy casseroles, the sides here are just as loved as the main dishes.
Corn Maque Choux is one of my absolute favorites. Sweet corn cooked down the Cajun way - with the Cajun trinity and plenty of Cajun spice - until it becomes something truly special. It is a classic Louisiana side dish that is steeped in tradition and so easy to make.
Easy Corn Maque Choux, Cajun Side Dish Recipe
Corn Maque Choux is a simple dish of smothered corn in a cooked medley of onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and garlic. It was served in our Cajun home as soon as the corn was ripe from the garden. You can enjoy it all year round using frozen whole cut corn as well.
Perfectly cooked Smothered Green Beans with potatoes get their flavor from Cajun seasonings, smoky bacon and ham, and an oniony sauce. This delicious dish dresses up a plain old vegetable into an impressive yet easy Cajun-style side dish.
Cajun-Style Smothered Green Beans With Potatoes
Turn an everyday vegetable into a classy side dish with perfectly seasoned green beans cooked with onions, potatoes, and ham in a small roux to give it a glossy sauce.
A pot of Smothered Okra for gumbo is prepared with a medley of vegetables. This traditional Cajun stew is a flavorful base that thickens a gumbo, replacing a classic flour-and-oil roux. It's a timesaver stored in the freezer, sitting ready when there's a need for a pot of okra gumbo.
Smothered Okra For Gumbo
Smothered Okra For Gumbo is a Cajun stew of vegetables that deliciously thicken gumbo instead of a traditional oil and flour roux.
This sweet-and-tangy marinated Mardi Gras Salad features the traditional purple, green, and gold colors of a Fat Tuesday celebration. It's served cold with a crisp bite, perfect for Mardi Gras season, but can be enjoyed anytime.
Mardi Gras Salad With Asparagus
This brightly colored marinated salad of purple, gold, and green are the colors of Mardi Gras. It makes a delicious addition to any meal any time of year.
This Southern Louisiana Coleslaw features a buttermilk dressing that tastes like Southern cuisine. It also features unique Louisiana ingredients that set this crunchy salad apart.
Southern Louisiana Coleslaw Buttermilk Recipe
Buttermilk coleslaw made with classic Cajun ingredients.
Louisiana Soups and Stews
When the weather cools down, these soups and stews are exactly what you need. Warm, filling, and full of Louisiana flavor - a bowl or plate-ful of any one of these will make you feel right at home no matter where you are. South Louisiana has a long tradition of slow-cooked, deeply seasoned stews that turn simple ingredients into something truly special.
Shrimp and Corn Soup is one of the coziest bowls on this blog. Sweet corn and Gulf shrimp come together in a creamy, comforting broth that is tantalizing from the very first spoonful. It is a wonderful timesaver on a busy weeknight too.
Louisiana Shrimp And Corn Soup, A Cajun Recipe
This soup starts with a bit of roux and the Cajun trinity of onions, bell pepper, and celery. Its spicy tomatoey broth balances the sweetness of the corn and flavorful shrimp.
Fish in Red Gravy is a rich, tomato-based Cajun sauce that transforms a simple fish dish into something delectably delicious. This is the kind of recipe that makes you want to cook fish more often.
Fish in Red Gravy, a Classic Louisiana Fish Stew
A classic Cajun fish stew of flavorfully rich, thick tomato gravy served over rice.
Chicken Sauce Piquant: A Smothered Cajun Stew is a tangy, spicy smothered chicken stew that is deeply satisfying over white rice. One of the most beloved dishes in all of Cajun cooking - and well worth every minute it simmers on the stove.
Chicken Sauce Piquant Recipe, A Smothered Cajun Stew
This spicy Chicken Sauce Piquant has stewed and browned chicken pieces in a rusty red Cajun country gravy. Serve it over a bed of white rice for an authentic Cajun dish.
Shrimp Stew With Eggs is a unique and comforting Cajun classic that pairs Gulf shrimp with eggs in a rich, savory stew. Serve it over rice for a complete and satisfying meal that feels like pure home cooking.
Shrimp Stew With Eggs
This rich shrimp stew starts with a roux then ends with freshly cracked eggs poured right into the gravy for poaching. Delicious on a bed of rice!
Louisiana Desserts
Louisiana desserts are a celebration all on their own. From Croquesignoles Or French Donuts to Cajun Cake to blackberry Dumplings, the sweets of South Louisiana are as much a part of the culture as the gumbo and the jambalaya. Save room - always.
Croquesignoles Or French Donuts
These Cajun French donuts are my Great-Grandma George's recipe called Cronquesingnoles (pronounced, "cro-see-alls"). With a taste of nutmeg this sweet and crunchy pastry couples well with a good cup of hot coffee.
Cajun Cake Recipe: Pineapple, Coconut, Pecan Cake
This delicious homemade from-scratch Cajun cake is super-moist and has a hidden ingredient, a whole can of crushed pineapple. It's frosted straight out of the oven with an ooey-gooey coconut pecan icing that adds a nutty texture and sweetness.
Easy Southern Louisiana Blackberry Dumplings Recipe
A warm, soft dumpling cooked in sweet blackberry sauce brings back memories of traditional blackberry picking during early southern Louisiana summers.
King Cake is the most festive and meaningful dessert in all of Louisiana. Sweet bread dough swirled with cinnamon sugar, baked to a tender golden ring, and iced with sprinkles of purple, green, and gold sugar - it is Mardi Gras season on a plate. The rich traditions behind this cake make it just as fun to make as it is to eat.
King Cake Recipe: A Traditional Version
A King Cake filled with the classic flavors of cinnamon sugar swirled in tender sweet bread dough. It's baked to perfection and topped with a simple powdered sugar icing and sprinkles of purple, green, and gold-colored sugars.
Louisiana Crunch Cake is a lovely, moist, buttery pound cake with a sugary coating on the outside. This one is drizzled with a cane syrup glaze and topped with lots of crunchy toasted coconut flakes and pecans-it's the perfect Southern coffee cake!
Louisiana Crunch Cake, A Coconutty Southern Recipe
A buttery yellow pound cake with a sugary coating and a cane syrup glaze topped with crunchy coconut and pecans.
Cajun Appetizers
No Louisiana gathering is complete without a spread of appetizers that get everyone talking before the main dish even hits the table. From creamy dips to stuffed bites, these starters are full of the bold Cajun and Creole flavors that make Louisiana food so unforgettable.
Greet your guests at the door with a freshly fried plate of Best-Ever Hush Puppies Recipe (Crispy Outside, Tender Inside). They will be pleasantly surprised!
Best-Ever Hush Puppies Recipe (Crispy Outside, Tender Inside)
These hush puppies are crispy on the outside, tender on this inside, and full of flavor. Mix up the basic quick bread recipe, refrigerate, cook them as is or with added ingredients, then fry them in a flash!
This Boudin Dip is a hard-to-resist baked appetizer flavored with boudin (a Cajun sausage of rice and meat), melted cheese, and Cajun seasoning. It's baked until the edges are bubbly and topped with crispy bacon bits and green onions. What's not to love?
Best Hot Cajun Boudin Dip Recipe
A baked dip flavored with boudin, a Cajun sausage of rice and meat, melted cheese, and Cajun seasonings, topped with crispy bacon bits and onion.
There's nothing like feasting on crisp, Buttery-Salted Roasted Pecans when trying to curb your hunger or satisfy that beastly snack attack. This pecan recipe is a no-guilt, delicious treat that pleases most with simple ingredients and easy instructions.
Buttery-Salted Roasted Pecans
Follow these particular instructions for crisp, Buttery-Salted Roasted Pecans every time for a guilt-free snack or addition to your favorite dishes.
Boudin Egg Rolls are a crispy fried treat and easy to make with the stuffing from Louisiana's Cajun boudin. Wrap the boudin filling in an egg roll wrapper and fry it in a deep fryer with a blend of olive and vegetable oil for a satisfying snack, meal, or appetizer.
Crispy Louisiana Boudin Egg Rolls
A crispy fried treat made simply with the stuffing from your favorite Cajun boudin wrapped in an egg roll wrapper and then fried in oil. Great for dipping, too!
Cajun Firecracker Ranch Crackers are crispy baked saltines packed with not just a little bit of flavor. They're easy to make and great as a snack, appetizer, or served with soup, gumbo, and/or salad. Oh, yeah, and with a link of hot boudin, too. Smack!
Cajun Firecracker Ranch Crackers
A crispy baked saltine cracker seasoned with ranch seasoning & salad dressing mix, and red pepper flakes. Great for an easy and economical appetizer, snack, or side for salad, soup, or chili.
Lagniappe - A Little Something Extra
In Louisiana, lagniappe (LAN-yap) means a little something extra - a bonus, a gift, a surprise thrown in just because. These recipes do not fit neatly into one category, but they are too good and too Louisiana to leave out. From a Cajun mama's breakfast cereal to homemade root beer, this is the section that makes this collection truly special.
Couche Couche Recipe: A Cajun Mama's Breakfast Cereal is a crispy, golden fried cornmeal dish that Cajun mamas have been making for generations. It is simple, nostalgic, and delectably delicious with cane syrup or preserves poured right on top.
Couche Couche Recipe, A Cajun Mama's Breakfast Cereal
A traditional hot cereal of fried cornmeal mush, usually served with milk and sweetened with sugar or cane syrup.
Roux Lesson is the foundation of so much Louisiana cooking. If you have ever been hit-or-miss with your gumbo, learning how to make a proper dark roux is the place to start. This lesson will change everything.
Cajun Roux Recipe, An Easy Lesson
This Cajun roux recipe is easy to follow and a delicious start to many Cajun dishes.
La Bouille Recipe: Old Fashioned Cajun Custard is a creamy, comforting custard that goes back generations in South Louisiana kitchens. It is one of those lost recipes found again - simple ingredients, pure flavor, and a taste that brings back precious memories.
La Bouille Recipe, Old Fashioned Cajun Custard
This is the creamiest vanilla custard you'll ever taste! Its buttery taste is perfect served alone, with a simple cake, or in a sweet tart dough.
Root Beer Homemade By Cajun Mamas is exactly what it sounds like - a from-scratch homemade root beer recipe straight from the Cajun tradition. A fun, unique recipe that is well worth making at least once.
Easy Old Fashioned Homemade Root Beer
A refreshing non-carbonated homemade drink made with root beer extract, sugar, and water. Simply Delicious!
This collection of Cajun recipes is just the beginning of what you will find here at Louisiana Woman Blog. Every dish carries the combination of flavors that makes South Louisiana cooking so unforgettable - the holy trinity, the slow-cooked gravies, the Gulf seafood, and the sweet finishes that make you glad you saved room. Whether you are new to Southern recipes or you have been cooking this food your whole life, I hope this list feels like a warm welcome to my kitchen table.
You know I love hearing from you. Be sure to sign up for my emails to keep in touch. Leave a question or comment below, and don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Instagram and pin my recipes to Pinterest.
Have a nice day!
"In cooking, as in life, there's always something new to learn."
Justin Wilson
More Classic Cajun Dishes
Bonjour Fellow Souther Lousianian! My family has lived here for many generations, so I really appreciate and love your recipe posting. I’ve lost many family members in the last 15 years and with them when many great recipes and ways of cooking. So I thank you for all these great recipes and tips!
Bonjour! So glad to meet you, Melanie. Thank you for letting me know of your appreciation for the recipes. I love sharing them with the world, and especially with folks from our beloved bayou country. This encourages me to post more!