We're always looking for leftover crawfish recipes, or ways to use up our leftover crawfish tails that we have from our crawfish boil. Especially during crawfish season.
Coming up is a list of my favorites (and this list is always growing).
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❤️ Why you'll love these recipes
- Finding new ways or new recipes for crawfish tail meat is a constant goal for most Cajuns. Standing around the crawfish boil pot you'll find Cajun men discussing recipes and methods for cooking crawfish.
You have to love that! - All of these recipes have been kitchen tested and curated by discussing in great length the best preparation methods, with all kinds of people from different walks of life in South Louisiana.
- In the peak of the season, when crawfish prices are lowest this is when you'll see people boiling every weekend. You can guarantee there are bags of leftover tails being put into the freezer, to pull out later. This is when these recipes come in handy.
👩🍳 FAQs
3-4 days in the refrigerator max. You can also freeze though, for up to 3 months.
Many people believe it to be fat, but in fact it's not. The yellowy orangish substance that you usually find in the head of the crawfish - and you hear about people "sucking heads and pinching tails" - that substance is actually an organ. It's called the hepatopancreas and functions much like most creatures' livers.
They're the same animal. It's just the different names based on the area you grow up. People in the south are more likely to call it a crawfish whereas northerners are more likely to use the term crayfish.
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💡 Tips
Expert Tip: Reserve some of the veggies from the crawfish boil for use in your recipes too. Like leftover potatoes, fresh garlic or carrots etc. These are packed full of spices from the boil and can really infuse great flavor into dishes you make with the leftover crawfish tails.
Also, reserve the shells from peeling the crawfish, you could make yourself a great crawfish stock, or seafood stock by boiling those shells and crawfish heads with some fresh herbs and leftover spices. You could freeze it for future use too.
Leftover Crawfish Recipes
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.
Crawfish étouffée is a classic Louisiana dish full of robust flavor. This dish is famous for its Cajun influence and surprisingly easy and quick to make. A few simple ingredients, some crawfish meat and topped with green onions, there's a reason this is a classic dish.
Etouffee is actually a French word - it means 'to smother' - which is exactly what this dish does.
Crawfish Bread is a great way to use up the yummy leftover crawfish tails from your crawfish boil. The crawfish is already seasoned how you like them which adds great flavors to this bread. A delicious creamy crawfish sauce topped with cheese. Pure comfort food.
A delicious crawfish baked potato, it's cheesy, slightly spicy and full of Cajun flavor. Topped with toasted breadcrumbs and cheese it's a great way to spice up a baked potato.
This delicious and juicy Crawfish Pie in one of our favorite ways to cook them. Tasty pie crust with an etouffee-like filling full of Cajun seasoning.
When it's the end of the season, dishes like this start to become more popular as people start to tire of the 'same old'. It's a perfect use of the crawfish boil leftovers.
Cajun cheesy crawfish stuffed pistolettes, filled with sausage and Creole seasoning to bring it up a notch or two. One will never be enough.
A tasty, creamy, cheesy crawfish au gratin recipe that can be served with garlic bread, salad or even as a stuffing for something else.
Delicious flavors of a typical jambalaya, with pasta instead. Swap out the chicken and pork for some tasty crawfish and shrimp.
Delicious enchiladas stuffed with crawfish, rice, corn, beans, cheese and yummy Cajun seasoning! Smothered in an enchiladas sauce and cheese. Delicious!
A favorite during New Orleans' Jazz Fest, Crawfish Monica is a delicious simple creamy pasta dish infused with crawfish tails and parmesan cheese. Tasty and so easy to make!
Make a large pot, enough to feed a big crowd, as that is the tradition.
Deliciously creamy with a hint of spice, crawfish ravioli is the perfect way to use up those leftover tails. Add a pinch of Cayenne pepper if you want to kick it up a notch.
An easy recipe when you're in a pinch for time.
Deliciously creamy, cheesy and full of Cajun flavors this Crawfish Fettuccine Recipe is one of the most famous dishes to make with those crawfish tails.
One of my favorite ways to cook this recipe is in a Dutch oven. A tasty velveeta cheese infused crawfish mixture that is married with a seafood seasoned pasta.
Tasty, cheesy and full of Cajun spice this Crawfish Dip is the perfect use of that leftover crawfish. With cream cheese, Cajun seasoning and crawfish tails it's a skillet full of deliciousness.
I know, I know. This is the recipe before you get the leftovers... but hey, I couldn't make a list of crawfish recipes without including the actual recipe for the crawfish boil! A favorite during Mardi Gras, a crawfish boil is a South Louisiana excuse to 'throw down'.
If you’ve tried any of these Leftover Crawfish Recipes 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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