Our Top 12 Mouthwatering Cajun Recipes

Louisiana Cajun- and Creole-style cuisine is something truly special. Developed over several hundred years and with influences from Caribbean, French, African, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Native American cultures, there’s nothing quite like this unique blend anywhere in the world. This vibrant combination of cultures has combined in the kitchen to produce a variety of trademark dishes and ingredients that today seem to embody the very essence of what’s “quintessentially Louisiana.”

If you’re a longtime native of Louisiana, then you’re probably already well-versed in many of the authentic Cajun recipes we love here in Baton Rouge. But if you’re new to the area, just visiting or perhaps have lived here for years but never been much interested in cooking, you may be a bit more unfamiliar with these recipes, and that’s exciting. It means you get to try them all out for the first time, as you take a tour of Louisiana and Baton Rouge through some of the best Cajun recipes around.

Today, we want to help you learn more about Louisiana in general and Baton Rouge in particular by sharing some of our very favorite Baton Rouge soul food recipes. Next time you’re looking for something to make for dinner, try whipping up one of these. And once you’ve tried them all, don’t forget to come back and tell us which of these Baton Rouge classics is your favorite.

1. Cajun Shrimp and Grits

What says Louisiana and the South more than Cajun Shrimp and Grits? This recipe lets you combine the grits you know and love from all your favorite breakfasts with delicious shrimp and gravy. Perhaps best of all, the recipe is easy enough for anyone to prepare, no matter your level of proficiency in the kitchen. With a prep time of just 15 minutes and a cook time of 45 minutes, it won’t cut into your other chores or responsibilities, either.

To make your gravy, simply sauté chopped onion, bell pepper and celery in butter, add in flour and stir until a roux forms. Stir in garlic, vegetable or chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning and salt and pepper, then leave it all to simmer while you prepare your grits according to the instructions on the box. Throw the shrimp into the roux and let this cook for a few moments before removing the pot from heat. To serve this tasty dish, fill a bowl with grits and pour the shrimp-and-gravy mixture over the top.

2. Seafood Gumbo

Seafood gumbo is a great food to keep you warm and toasty as the temperatures drop in the winter. Here in Baton Rouge, however, we like our gumbo so much that we tend to eat it year-round, no matter what the temperature is. And with a tasty recipe like this one in your back pocket, we think you’ll soon begin doing the same. Unlike a lot of recipes which require advanced kitchen equipment you may not have on hand, this gumbo recipe is simple. As long as you have a large soup or stock pot, you can make this recipe just as well as anyone else.

To understand how to make a delicious seafood gumbo, you’ll need to start by understanding the three main components — the base, the roux and the seafood. The base is made largely of sautéed bell peppers, onion and celery, followed by minced garlic, bay leaves, plenty of Creole seasoning, diced tomatoes, okra and chicken or vegetable stock, all brought to a boil. You’ll make the roux out of butter and flour before adding it to the pot. Finally, don’t forget to add the seafood. We recommend shrimp and crawfish tails. For best results, serve your gumbo over rice and garnish with green onions.

3. Smothered Chicken

Whether you’re from the South or not, chicken is a staple in many of our kitchens. We eat it grilled, marinated, breaded and chopped up in pasta, rice, salads and sandwiches. But we’re willing to bet you’ve never tried anything quite as tasty and flavorful as this smothered chicken recipe. Served with a deliciously mouthwatering roux and plenty of spices, this smothered chicken is the perfect way to add a little variety into your kitchen, and once you’ve tried it, you’ll never want to go back to your old chicken recipes.

Cooking this chicken is simple. All you need to do is dust the chicken in flour and cook it in an oiled skillet until it’s browned. Remove the chicken and turn down the heat before adding flour to the pan, whisking it into a roux. Add celery, bell peppers, onions, garlic, herbs and seasoning, and cook until they become soft. Cut the cooked chicken and add it into the pot. Cook on low heat until the chicken is fork tender. Then, we recommend serving this smothered chicken over rice with a dash of whatever hot sauce you like best.

4. Seafood Au Gratin

When it comes to dishes that are easy, quick and involve just a handful of ingredients, it’s hard to beat a classic like Seafood Au Gratin. And while this isn’t necessarily a dish that’s unique to Louisiana or Baton Rouge, this particular recipe is targeted directly at our home state and has all the spice and pizzazz you’d expect for such a recipe. It’s also incredibly versatile, and you can enjoy it by itself or pair it with pasta, grits or an omelet. Here’s how to make it.

Melt butter into your sauté pan and cook up diced bell peppers, onions and celery. Mix in flour and stir until a blond roux begins to form. Pour in heavy cream and gently bring the mixture to a simmer, all while seasoning with garlic, salt, cayenne and Cajun seasoning blends. Add in your choice of seafood, such as peeled shrimp, lump crab or crawfish tails. For a final touch, throw in some cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and the entire dish is blended. Then, enjoy your au gratin either plain or over pasta or another dish.

5. Louisiana Crab Cakes

If you’ve ever lived in or visited any seaside city, then you’ve probably sampled crab cakes. A staple of many ocean-side communities, these delicious patties all share many characteristics in common while still taking on a unique flavor and appearance depending on which region they represent. For example, our Louisiana crab cakes have a lot in common with crab cakes you might get along the coast in Maryland while still bringing something unique to the table. To celebrate what sets our crab cake tradition apart, why not learn how to whip up a batch of your very own?

Prepare the mixture for your cakes by sautéing shallots, bell peppers and garlic before combining them with eggs, mustard, mayonnaise, parsley, salt and Cajun seasoning. Fold these together gently before adding the crab meat as the final step. To make the individual cakes, fill the bottom of a ring mold with breadcrumbs, add in the crab filling and then top off with more breadcrumbs. Push the mix down and remove the mold before repeating this process until the crab mix is used up. Chill these in a cooler for several hours before pan searing the cakes with butter in a skillet.

6. Blackened Cajun Shrimp Tacos

Initially, a taco might sound like more of a Mexican recipe than a Cajun food you might find in Baton Rouge. But the beauty of Louisiana is the incredible range of cultures that have all been blended together to create the delightful result that is the Cajun and Creole food scene of today. Our tacos take the same basic premise of a traditional taco but create something new and exciting through the use of seafood, Cajun seasoning and homemade salsa. Why not try it for yourself?

Toss peeled shrimp with Cajun seasoning until they’re well-coated, and then cook the shrimp in a skillet until they’re no longer pink. To make the avocado salsa, combine tomatoes, black beans, corn, diced red onion, diced avocado, chopped cilantro and lime juice. Season the whole mix with salt and pepper. Finally, to assemble your tacos, fill your tortillas with the salsa and top with shrimp. Garnish with crumbled feta and let all your guests enjoy this tasty treat.

7. Smothered Cabbage

For the days when there isn’t much left in the cupboards, and it’s time for a trip to the grocery store, squeeze one last meal out of your leftovers with this Smothered Cabbage recipe. It’s extremely simple and so easy that you should have no trouble preparing it no matter your previous experience level. Just grab some leftover sausage and cabbage, and you’ll be all ready to whip up this easy one-pan dinner.

Cut your sausage into small bite-size pieces and brown them in a pan on the stove. Add a diced onion and sauté for about three minutes. Chop up a head of cabbage into pieces and toss them into the pan as the mix continues to cook. Cover the dish and let it cook slowly for 50 minutes, lifting the lid occasionally to stir. Just before it’s finished, remove the lid and sprinkle the mix with cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Cook everything for five more minutes, then remove from heat and serve either on its own or over rice.

8. Pimento Deviled Eggs

It’s easy to try to box in Southern cuisine and claim it’s nothing more than seafood and a few spices. But while Cajun-style cooking does rely heavily on the seafood so naturally abundant throughout Louisiana, not every dish is based around this menu staple. These Pimento Deviled Eggs serve as a perfect reminder that Southern cooking has just as much variety as any other style and offers plenty of hidden surprises that are well worth trying. When it comes to these eggs, we think you’ll find them a refreshingly modern take on a Louisiana classic.

Begin by hard-boiling and peeling your eggs. Once you’re finished with that, slice the eggs in half and scoop out the yolks. Combine these yolks with sour cream, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, relish, mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce and salt and pepper, and run the entire mix through a food processor until it becomes smooth and creamy. Fold in the pimentos as a final step before piping the mixture back into the empty egg whites. For elegance and an extra pop of flavor, add a dash of paprika and a garnish of green onions on top.

9. Quick Shrimp Dip

Not all of us have time to prepare elaborate meals and snacks. If you’re running short on time but still want to serve your family or guests an authentic Cajun treat, then this Quick Shrimp Dip might be just the ticket. It’ll taste so good that no one will ever guess how easy it was.

Pop open a container of your favorite French onion or ranch dip and spoon it into a serving dish. Add a can of shrimp and your favorite Cajun seasoning to taste. Stir well to combine and chill in the fridge. When the guests arrive, serve it with crackers for a snack everyone is sure to enjoy.

10. Cajun Crawfish Cornbread

No matter what part of the South you’re from, we all enjoy our cornbread. But here in Baton Rouge, we pride ourselves on taking a great everyday recipe and improving it to make it more delicious and more Cajun-styled. With a dash of heat and a bit of seafood, this dish is all Louisiana and beats any other cornbread you’ve ever tried. Here’s how you can prepare a batch yourself.

Combine cornmeal, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat eggs in a separate bowl, and combine them with rinsed crawfish tails, chopped jalapeno peppers and onions, grated cheddar cheese, oil and cream corn. Once you’ve combined these ingredients well, add them to the cornmeal mix and stir together. Pour this mix into a baking dish and bake at about 375 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown, for about an hour.

11. Granny’s Sweet Potatoes With Praline Topping

It’s important to know how to make classic Cajun appetizers, snacks, sides and entrees, but it’s impossible to put together a full Southern spread if you don’t have at least one traditional dessert recipe up your sleeve. We’d like to suggest Granny’s Sweet Potatoes With Praline Topping. This sweet treat is sure to delight family and friends of all ages and comes as the perfect follow-up to some of the recipes we’ve shown earlier. For the ideal send-off to any get-together, serve your guests some of this treat before they head out the door.

Stir together mashed cooked sweet potatoes, milk, sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Once combined, scrape the mixture into an ungreased casserole dish. For the topping, combine brown sugar, shredded coconut, melted butter, flour and chopped pecans. Spread this topping on top of the potato mix and bake the whole thing at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.

12. Creole Eggnog

What’s a party without a themed beverage to tie all the different dishes together? While you can never go wrong with a classic lemonade or sweet tea, there’s something to be said for having a unique winter-themed beverage for when the holidays eventually roll around. As it comes time to plan your holiday menus this year, don’t forget to include this special item on the list. Mix up a few glasses of Creole Eggnog at your holiday parties and watch as everyone lines up to ask for the recipe.

Start by whipping cream until it’s stiff, then adding in sugar one small tablespoon at a time. Crack your eggs and separate the yolks from the whites, beating the yolks and slowly adding sugar. Keep beating the yolks until the sugar dissolves and the mixture feels smooth. Separately, whip the egg whites into frothy peaks, adding sugar one tablespoon at a time. Finally, mix the yolks with bourbon and add the whipped cream. Fold the egg whites into the mix and serve sprinkled with nutmeg.

Visit Milford’s on Third Today

Need to pick up a few last minute groceries before cooking one of these tasty recipes? Or maybe it’s one of those days when you don’t have time to cook at all, and you’d rather just grab a delicious prepackaged bite to eat and call it a day? Here at Milford’s on Third, we offer both options.

We’re an NYC-style delicatessen that combines the look and feel of New York with the flavors and hospitality of the South, and we want to make it easy for you to grab your favorite foods whenever you want them. Between our breakfast-and-lunch counter, our wall of groceries, grab ‘n go options and our delivery service, there’s a way for everyone to enjoy Cajun food in downtown Baton Rouge when you visit Milford’s on Third. Check out our menu today and plan your visit.