Fresh baked pistolette bread roll stuffed with a creamy, cheesy flavorful crawfish filling. Cajun cooking at its best, using up those yummy leftover crawfish tails - crawfish pistolettes are a southern staple around crawfish season.

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Next time try my Crawfish Pie, for another great Cajun recipe!

Crawfish recipes are abundant at the beginning of the year, when crawfish season is upon us. I always like to make these crawfish pistolettes as a treat during Mardi Gras. It's a nice surprise for any visitors who are tired of the same old typical crawfish boil / barbecue type food you'd see.

This was inspired by my Crawfish Bread Recipe also on this site, and pairs well with this amazing corn and crab bisque recipe.

Groceries you'll need: Ingredients

• Butter
• Cajun Sausage Meat
• Onions
• Green Bell Pepper
• Celery
• Garlic
• Velveeta Cheese (processed cheese)
• Green Onions
• Creole Seasoning
• Evaporated Milk
• Cheddar Cheese
• Crawfish Tails
• Pistolette Bread Rolls

See recipe card 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.

• Step 1: In a large skillet cook the sausage meat and set aside.
• Step 2: Add the butter to the skillet and melt/heat.
• Step 3: Add the chopped onion, bell pepper and celery and cook until translucent.
• Step 4: Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes, until fragrant.

• Step 5: Peel the crawfish tails and set aside.
• Step 6: Add the crawfish tails and the cooked sausage meat back to the skillet.
• Step 7: Add the velveeta, seasoning, green onions and evaporated milk and heat through until melted.
• Step 8: Add the freshly grated cheddar cheese, stir until combined and melted.

The Cagle Diaries

• Step 9: Cut out a hole in the center of each pistolette. Keep the top portion as a plug.
• Step 10: Fill the hollowed out pistolette with spoonfuls of crawfish mixture.
• Step 11: Top with the reserved plug and brush with melted butter.
• Step 12: Place pistolettes on a pan and bake in the oven until golden brown (350°F) for 20 minutes.

Recipe variations and substitute ideas

• Lettuce - instead of using pistolette bread rolls use a large leaf of lettuce and make this a lighter option.
• Bun - use gluten free buns instead of white pistolette buns to make this gluten free.
• Shrimp - if crawfish is not as easy to come by for you feel free to try using shrimp instead, this is also a great option!
• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish, or chopped fresh chilies.
• Deluxe - add extra salad items, like lettuce, crispy onions etc on the side.
• Kid friendly - add crushed potato chips (ketchup chips!) and use less heat/seasoning.
• Garlic Powder - add for a little extra flavor.
• Black Pepper - same as above.
• Parsley - can add a little freshness and a pop of color.

Necessary gear: Equipment

See in the recipe card below for links to my favorite skillet that I use in this recipe. A heavy bottomed skillet is best because the heat is more evenly distributed.

How to store leftovers

Once the Crawfish Pistolettes have cooled completely store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Other Crawfish Recipes I think you'll love

• Crawfish Ravioli
• Crawfish Etouffee
• Crawfish Monica
• Crawfish Bread
• Crawfish Enchiladas
• Crawfish Dip
• Crawfish Pistolettes
• Crawfish Pie
• Crawfish Mac and Cheese
• Crawfish Au Gratin

If you liked this Cajun classic, you should try my Cajun Muffuletta Sandwich recipe.

Mel's kitchen notes

Expert Tip: Reheat in the air fryer for best results! If you don't have an air fryer, use the oven, to keep the pistolettes crispy.