This Crawfish Pie recipe is a great way to use up those leftover crawfish tails, a delicious pie crust with a filling that is very similar to etouffee. Juicy crawfish tails in a filling full of vegetables and seasoning to give a dish full of flavor. We absolutely love this pie around here.
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Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
You will need:
- Louisiana Crawfish Tails
- Butter
- Flour
- Yellow Onions
- Green Bell Pepper
- Celery
- Garlic
- Canned Tomatoes and Chilies
- Chicken Broth
- Bread Crumbs
- Creole Seasoning (or Cajun seasoning)
- Parsley
- Black Pepper
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Dried Thyme
- Liquid Crab Boil
- Heavy Cream
- Milk
- Egg
- Coarse Salt
See quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Tip: The above crawfish pie was made using a frozen pie crust (the type that has a foil dish). Just bake according to the instructions below, but minus putting the crust on top. It is similar to a quiche, without the egg!
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.
- Step 1: Melt butter in a Dutch Oven pot, or a cast iron pot (or large skillet), on a medium heat.
- Step 2: Add the flour and cook until you get a caramel color (roux).
- Step 3: Add the trinity of bell pepper, onion and celery and cook until translucent.
- Step 4: Add garlic and cook a further few minutes, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Step 5: Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and chilies, bread crumbs and all the seasonings. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Step 6: Add the crawfish tails and stir carefully.
- Step 7: Add the cream and cook a further 10 minutes.
- Step 8: Add the milk and turn off the heat.
- Step 9: Press your pie crust into a 10" pie dish and spoon the crawfish pie filling (mixture) into the bottom crust.
- Step 10: Cover with another pie crust and cut three slits into the middle. Brush with the egg wash.
- Step 11: Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 20 minutes. After those 20 minutes turn the oven down to 350°F and cook a further 20 minutes.
- Step 12: Remove from the oven when golden brown and allow to rest for 20 minutes before cutting into the pie.
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- You can swap out the crawfish for shrimp if you prefer, or don't have access to crawfish.
- Order the crawfish online if you prefer to boil your own and don't have access. I recommend Louisiana Crawfish Co, they do an excellent job of shipping/packaging live crawfish etc. See link below to use Amazon for the ordering process.
- The pie shell is flexible, you could use your own favorite crust recipe, or use the frozen type. I like to use the refrigerated version that I can put into my own pie dish.
- This recipe can be made into an open face pie (with no crust on top), or hand pies or the pie like I made. I used the extra filling to make an open faced pie to show you.
- Add some green onions to the filling after cooking it.
- Add a little spice and add some hot sauce to the filling.
- Red Bell Pepper - use this instead of green pepper, for sweetness.
- White Pepper - add for a little different kind of spice.
- Chicken Stock - instead of broth.
How To Serve
Crawfish Pie is one of those dishes that is all in one. You don't really need anything else, however, it is good with a little salad on the side. Some crusty garlic bread. Mmmmmm.
Serve 20 minutes after coming out of the oven. If you try too soon, it may be a little on the sloppy side and not set completely. Tasty sloppy though, if you don't mind that!
How to store leftovers
After cooling completely you'll need to keep the pie covered with some foil, or in an airtight container and in the refrigerator.
To reheat, I recommend the oven for a few minutes. The microwave can make the crust a little on the soft side.
The pie does freeze well, make sure to wrap tightly in plastic wrap and again in foil. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator before warming up again.
More crawfish recipes I think you'll love
- Crawfish Ravioli
- Crawfish Etouffee
- Crawfish Monica
- Crawfish Bread
- Crawfish Pastalaya
- Crawfish Enchiladas
- Crawfish Mac and Cheese
You should also check out this list of 18 Amazing Cajun Seafood Recipes.
Frequently asked questions: FAQs
On average you're looking at about 20-30 crawfish, however much smaller will get you more (like 40 or so) and bigger monster crawdads will get you about 10-15.
Yes, you can. I prefer to use the leftovers from a crawfish boil as the seasoning is killer, but you can adjust the seasoning in the cooking.
It has quite a firm texture, kind of like a shrimp but the flavor is sweet, like a cross between shrimp and crab.
If you’ve tried this Crawfish Pie Recipe or any other great recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section below, how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers!
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Crawfish Pie
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter 1 Stick
- ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 Each Yellow Onions chopped
- 2 Ribs Celery chopped
- 2 Each Bell Peppers chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- ¼ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 2 Pounds Peeled Crawfish Tails
- 1 (10 Ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes and Chilies mild
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- 1 Tablespoon Creole Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Crab and Shrip Boil liquid
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- ½ Cup Milk
- 2 Each Refrigerated Pie Crusts
- 1 Each Large Egg beaten
- ½ teaspoon Coarse Salt
Instructions
- Using a Dutch Oven melt the stick of butter.½ Cup Unsalted Butter
- Add flour and cook on a medium heat, continuously stirring until a caramel like color has been reached.½ Cup All Purpose Flour
- Add your chopped onions, bell peppers and celery. Cook until translucent (about 10 minutes).2 Each Yellow Onions, 2 Ribs Celery, 2 Each Bell Peppers
- Add garlic and cook a further 2 minutes.4 Cloves Garlic
- Add chicken broth, tomatoes and chilies, bread crumbs and all the seasonings. Cook for 10 minutes.¼ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs, 1 (10 Ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes and Chilies, 1 Cup Chicken Broth, 1 Tablespoon Creole Seasoning, 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, 1 teaspoon black Pepper, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce, 1 teaspoon Crab and Shrip Boil, 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- Add the crawfish tails and stir carefully.2 Pounds Peeled Crawfish Tails
- Add heavy cream, stir and cook for 10 minutes on low-medium heat. Preheat oven to 400°F.1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- Add milk, stir and turn off the heat.½ Cup Milk
- Take one of the pie crusts and press evenly into a 10" pie dish. Fill the crust with the pie filling.2 Each Refrigerated Pie Crusts
- Take the second pie crust (top crust) and layer over the top of the filling. Using fingers crimp the edges to create a seal. Cut three slits into the top to allow steam to escape. Cut around the edge of the pie, anything you have left you can use to add a little decoration on top. Brush with egg wash.1 Each Large Egg
- Sprinkle the coarse salt over the top of the pie. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350°F for another 20 minutes.½ teaspoon Coarse Salt
- Allow the pie to rest for 20 minutes when removing from the oven.
Notes
Nutrition
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Terry says
How many pounds of crawfish tails? One or two?
Melanie Cagle says
Thanks Terry, I missed that in my recipe card (of all things!). I would use 2lb for a pie of this size.