Crawfish Mac and Cheese

Creamy, cheesy and full of flavors of a crawfish boil, crawfish mac and cheese is our favorite go-to recipe for using up those leftover crawfish tails.

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Very close up shot of a spoon lifting out some crawfish mac and cheese from a skillet.

Perfectly cheesy, gooey and full of crawfish boil flavor, Cajun crawfish mac and cheese will be your new favorite crawfish recipe.

Close up side shot of a spoon lifting out some cheesy crawfish mac and cheese. — Crawfish Mac and Cheese

Crawfish season definitely plays a big part in when we make this dish. For us, in South Louisiana, typically we start seeing crawfish for sale early January - they're quite small though.

They're expensive too.

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What makes this recipe so yummy
Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
Necessary gear: Equipment
More crawfish recipes I think you'll love
How to store leftovers
Mel's kitchen notes
Frequently asked questions: FAQs
Crawfish Mac and Cheese
💬 Comments

We usually can't wait to get started boiling crawfish though, so will take the smaller crawfish - which actually work out better for a dish like this mac and cheese.

What makes this recipe so yummy

It's homemade mac and cheese, on Cajun steroids.
It's a great recipe for using up those leftover crawfish tails.
It's actually quite flexible in the use of crawfish, shrimp or crab. All taste great in this mac and cheese.
You can put this together in no time.
It's taking a classic comfort food and adding a southern twist!

Groceries you'll need: Ingredients

Overhead image of ingredients needed to make a crawfish mac and cheese. — Crawfish Mac and Cheese Ingredients

Crawfish Stock (or seafood stock )
Elbow Macaroni
Unsalted Butter
All Purpose Flour
Whole Milk
Colby Cheese
Creole Seasoning
Crawfish Tail Meat
Parsley

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.

Recipe walkthrough: Instructions

This is an overview of the recipe steps. For more detailed instructions visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

A collage of four images showing how to cook a crawfish mac and cheese.

Step 1: Boil macaroni in crawfish stock, then drain liquid and reserve some of the pasta water.
Step 2: In a cast iron skillet heat a few tablespoons of butter.
Step 3: Add the flour and cook a few minutes.
Step 4: Slowly add the warmed milk while stirring with a whisk.

Collage of four images showing recipe steps on how to cook a crawfish mac and cheese recipe.

Step 5: Add the grated cheese and stir over low heat until melted.
Step 6: Add Creole Seasoning and stir.
Step 7: Add the peeled crawfish tails and cooked elbow noodles. Fold into the creamy cheese sauce.
Step 8: Top with more grated cheese and bake.

Hint: Early in the season you might find the crawfish smaller - which is great for mac and cheese. Later, when they're bigger (and oh so delicious) you should chop them into smaller pieces for this dish.

Recipe variations and substitute ideas

Hot Sauce - to add a little heat.
Penne Pasta - or any other pasta for that matter.
Parmesan Cheese - top with a little parmesan too.
Black Pepper - add a pinch.
Cajun Seasoning - a blend full of delicious Cajun spices.
Cheddar Cheese - try a sharp cheddar cheese, or mild cheddar cheese.
Garlic Powder - can add another flavor profile.
Colby Jack Cheese - a little pepper jack added to the colby.
Egg Yolks - to add a little more velvety richness.
Olive Oil - in place of butter.
Truffle Oil - for some decadence.
Cheese Melts - use the slices instead.

Overhead image of a cast iron skillet full of crawfish mac and cheese.

The Cagle Diaries

Necessary gear: Equipment

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I like using my 10" Cast Iron Skillet for this dish, but you could use a small casserole dish, or a Dutch Oven too. A heavy-bottomed saucepan. I have an affiliate link in the recipe card below.

More crawfish recipes I think you'll love

How to store leftovers

After the Crawfish Mac and Cheese has cooled completely decant to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Mel's kitchen notes

If the crawfish you are using is frozen store-bought try to find Louisiana crawfish tails. Imported crawfish can be tasteless.

Also, due to them not being cooked in any seasoning you will need to add some. In this situation I would recommend using about ½ teaspoon of Crab and crawfish Boil Seasoning, more if you like spicy crawfish.

Dished out plate of crawfish mac and cheese.

Frequently asked questions: FAQs

How Do I make Crawfish Stock?

I always like to use my crawfish peelings (just like I do with shrimp). Throw the peelings into a big stock pot with some veggies, like onion, celery, garlic, water, black pepper corns then fill up with water and roll on a slow boil for a few hours. Then strain the fluid back out.

How spicy is this dish?

For us, because we are using our leftover crawfish boil the spice was added during then. We already know our crawfish tails taste amazing. See how we cook our crawfish boil here. Add more as you see fit.

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