Best Creole and Cajun Recipes

Creole and Cajun food are two styles of Southern cooking from Louisiana.

Essential Cajun recipes include spicy dishes like jambalaya, crawfish boils, and gumbo, using ingredients like smoked meats, seafood, and the “Holy Trinity” of onion, bell pepper, and celery.

Creole cuisine, which comes from New Orleans, blends African, Caribbean, French, and Spanish influences with ingredients like tomatoes, butter, cream, and herbs. Typical Creole dishes are okra gumbo, red beans and rice, beignets, bananas fosters, and pralines.

Many of these traditional recipes can be found in both Cajun and Creole cuisine!

Popular Creole and Cajun Recipes

louisiana red beans and rice in a bowl

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipe

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipe on a light background.

Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Louisiana Seafood Boil Recipe with Cajun Butter Sauce

A close-up of several Cajun boudin balls on a light background.

Cajun Boudin Balls Recipe (How to Make From Scratch)

Louisiana Seafood Recipes

Louisiana Seafood Boil Recipe with Cajun Butter Sauce

Crawfish Étouffée Recipe

baked blackened salmon fish and grits

Baked Blackened Salmon and Grits

Crab Cake Egg Rolls

Hot and Spicy Shrimp and Grits

Creole and Cajun Beans

Creamy Butter Beans Recipe (Southern Soul Food)

louisiana red beans and rice in a bowl

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipe

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipe on a light background.

Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice

Boudin Recipes

Cajun Boudin Egg Rolls

A close-up of several Cajun boudin balls on a light background.

Cajun Boudin Balls Recipe (How to Make From Scratch)

Creole Dessert Recipes

Best New Orleans Pralines (Pecan Candy Recipe)

Cafe Du Monde Beignets Recipe

Are Cajun and Creole Recipes the Same?

Cajun cuisine came from French-speaking Acadian settlers who migrated to rural Louisiana. They use a lot of spicy flavors such as cayenne pepper, and seasoning such as garlic, onion, and bell pepper (known as the “Holy Trinity”). Traditional Cajun recipes are gumbo made without tomatoes, jambalaya, crawfish boils, and boudin.

Creole food came from New Orleans and was influenced by African, Caribbean, French, and Spanish cultures. They use a lot of tomatoes, butter, and cream, as well as herbs like thyme and bay leaf. Some popular Creole recipes are shrimp Creole and red beans and rice.

Many of these recipes can be found in both Cajun and Creole cuisine, but there are some slight differences in the seasoning and preparation. Creole recipes use a lot of tomatoes, butter, and cream; Cajun uses ingredients like smoked meats and seafood. Creole is often a mix of different cooking styles and uses more European and African techniques, while Cajun is about simple, hearty cooking rustic cooking.

More Creole and Cajun Recipes

How to Make Chicken Jambalaya

How to Make Chicken Jambalaya

Louisiana Seafood Boil Recipe with Cajun Butter Sauce

Louisiana Seafood Boil Recipe with Cajun Butter Sauce

baked blackened salmon fish and grits

Baked Blackened Salmon and Grits

Blackened Seasoning Recipe

Blackened Seasoning Recipe

Best New Orleans Pralines (Pecan Candy Recipe)

Best New Orleans Pralines (Pecan Candy Recipe)

louisiana red beans and rice in a bowl

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Creole Butter Smoked Turkey Injection Recipe

Creole Butter Smoked Turkey Injection Recipe

Crawfish Étouffée Recipe

Crawfish Étouffée Recipe

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipe on a light background.

Crock Pot Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice

Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice

Cajun Smoked Turkey

Cajun Smoked Turkey

Hot and Spicy Shrimp and Grits

Hot and Spicy Shrimp and Grits

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Recipe Index

Here you’ll find a growing collection of our favorite comfort food recipes – updated weekly! We’ve got soul food, Southern barbecue, and Creole and Cajun dishes. There’s something here for everyone, so pull up a chair and welcome!