Mardi Gras… That annual Carnival celebration is one of the famous in the world. Celebrated in a number of countries, it is now most associated with the wild parties on the streets of New Orleans.
To help you celebrate, we’ve compiled this list of great Mardi Gras Recipes to cook in your own kitchen.
Here you’ll find everything from fun appetizers to festive mains, cool cocktails to tasty desserts.
Go through this list of amazing Mardi Gras recipes, and put on the best celebration ever!
Mardi Gras Recipes:
1. Yakamein for Mardi Gras
Ya-Ka-Mein… Never heard of it? Well, you’re not alone. It is one of New Orleans’s best-kept secrets.
Famous for curing hangovers, this noodle soup with Asian origins is a must the next day!
2. Shrimp Po’ Boy Sandwich
Po’ boy… New Orleans’ most famous sandwich. That over stuffed sandwich on flaky French bread with fixings of your choice… Mmm.
Our go to Po’ boy is mostly the one overflowing with a ridiculous amount of perfectly fried shrimp with Cajun flavorings. It’s an essential Mardi Gras food!
3. Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice
Beans and rice are a staple cheap dinner option. This Louisiana style red beans and rice recipes takes the flavors to a whole new level!
One of the most famous dishes out of New Orleans, you’ll find plenty of people chowing down on it during Mardi Gras.
4. Shrimp Creole
This Shrimp Creole with Andouille Sausage is a flavor bomb! Plump shrimp and hearty sausage in a great Creole seasoned tomato sauce.
If you’re a fan of New Orleans style food like us, this one is a must try!
5. Mardi Gras Special – Grillades and Grits
This one is special to many when Mardi Gras is around… Grillades ‘n’ Grits, a Creole delight.
Tender medallions of meat are simmered in a tomato based gravy and served over creamy, cheesy grits. This is one of our favorite Mardi Gras recipes!
6. Jambalaya Soup
Jambalaya Soup! This hearty soup is boldly flavored with great Creole seasoning and is loaded with meats and veggies.
It’s a soupified version of Louisiana’s most famous dish!
7. New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
These are nowhere near what you would think BBQ shrimp would taste like. They’re called BBQ shrimp, but actually have nothing to do with a BBQ.
Delicious, plump gulf shrimp are cooked in a rich, buttery sauce spiked with Cajun seasoning. All you need is warm crusty bread to mop up this dish in minutes… Delicious!
8. Cochon de Lait
Cochon de Lait is a delicious pulled pork recipe from Louisiana. Traditionally, it was an all day pig roast event for a crowd.
This recipe shows you the crockpot method and instant pot methods. The end result is succulent Cajun deliciousness…
9. Dirty Rice
Dirty Rice is a famous dish in Creole and Cajun cuisines. White rice gets a “dirty” color from bits of meat and a generous dose of seasonings.
It’s a super delicious recipe that’s packed with flavor. And although it’s usually served as a side dish, we love it as a main.
10. Homemade Creole Seasoning
Good Creole Seasoning is essential if you want to make authentic NoLa style food. This recipe for homemade Creole seasoning is the best!
Skip the store bought stuff, this is much better.
11. Jambalaya Pasta
Jambalaya Pasta, aka Pastalaya, is a super tasty dish featuring shrimp, chicken and sausage smothered in a creamy, cheesy sauce full of Louisiana flavors.
This is seriously one of the most delicious pasta dishes you will ever eat.
12. Maque Choux
Give your corn a Louisiana style makeover with this Cajun Maque Choux!
Corn is sautéed in bacon grease with Cajun or Creole seasoning, along with other flavor enhancers. It’s so good!
13. Eggs Cochon
Eggs Cochon – Meet this amazing benedict variation out of New Orleans…
A fluffy buttermilk biscuit topped with Cajun pulled pork, a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. It’s one of the best Mardi Gras foods you’ll ever eat!
14. Creole Coleslaw
This creamy Creole Coleslaw is an amped up version of that cookout classic side dish.
The addition of some special flavor enhancers takes this slaw to top notch!
15. Cajun Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp and grits is a southern classic, and can be found on seafood restaurant menus all over New Orleans.
It’s pure comfort food, and one of our favorite Mardi Gras recipes!
16. Louisiana Style Remoulade
If you need a perfect dipping sauce for you fried seafood, or spread for those piled-high po boy’s, here it is!
This Louisiana style remoulade is a flavor packed condiment that will make you forget all about tartar sauce.
17. Shrimp Remoulade
This recipe is a famous appetizer in New Orleans. Plump boiled shrimp drenched in a creamy, tangy and slightly spicy remoulade sauce.
This is a New Orleans classic that never gets old. If you like shrimp, then you are going to love our Shrimp Remoulade…
18. Gumbo
Gumbo, a traditional Creole specialty from Louisiana. A classic blend of meat and seafood and the holy trinity of vegetables along with Creole spices and herbs.
This would take a few hours, simmering in its goodness, but the wait would be well worth it when you get to sip your first spoonful.
Get the Recipe @ gimmesomeoven
19. Oysters Rockefeller
Oysters Rockefeller is an elegant seafood dish commonly associated with fancy restaurants. It’s loaded with butter, garlic, spinach and herbs.
Another New Orleans invent since 1889. It’s one of the can’t-miss Mardi Gras recipes.
Get the Recipe @ cookingwithcocktailrings
20. Beignets for Mardi Gras
If you’ve never had a beignet, you’re in for a real treat. These famous New Orleans creations are like freshly cooked doughnuts without the hole, and loaded up with powdered sugar.
It wouldn’t be a proper Mardi Gras if you didn’t eat a few of these goodies!
Get the Recipe @ bakerbynature
21. Mardi Gras Crawfish Boil
Crawfish are one of the unique highlights of Louisiana cuisine. The most popular way to eat them is a crawfish boil.
The crawfish are cooked with corn, red potato and smoked sausage, and plenty of Cajun seasonings. Chow down!
22. Creole Mustard
Add a pop and vibrancy to anything and everything for your taste buds. This mustard is irresistible… the Creole way!
It may become your new favorite condiment.
23. Muffuletta Sandwich
The Muffaletta Sandwich is a real New Orleans specialty. It’s loaded full of olive salad, cheese, and a variety of meats, all on a loaf of Italian bread.
It’s huge, so be sure to share!
24. Pralines
A signature sweet of New Orleans, Pralines are unique candied treats adored by natives and visitors alike.
They are kinda like fudge, made with candied pecans and melt deliciously in your mouth.
Get the Recipe @ houseofnasheats
25. Crawfish Étouffée for Mardi Gras
Crawfish Étouffée is a delicious dish of sweet and meaty crawfish served up in a rich and flavorful gravy that is made from a quick roux.
So comforting over some warm rice, it’s one of the very best Mardi Gras recipes.
Get the Recipe @ thecaglediaries
26. Louisiana Crab Cakes
Give your crab cakes a Cajun makeover with this amazing recipe! They’re spicier than Maryland style, and breaded before frying.
Give this amazing recipe a try, you’re going to love it!
Get the Recipe @ southerndiscourse
27. Blackened Redfish
Imagine a tender, succulent fish fillet coated in Cajun spices and then seared on a hot pan with tons of butter… that’s blackened redfish.
It’s a staple in NoLa seafood restaurants, and now you can make it in your own kitchen!
Get the Recipe @ stacylynharris
28. Cajun Fried Gator Tail
A Louisiana classic, this fried gator tail is a Cajun delicacy. If you have an adventuresome palate, you’ve gotta try it!
Get the Recipe @ themccallumsshamrockpatch
29. Sazerac for Mardi Gras
It wouldn’t be Mardi Gras without some beverages, and this one is iconic.
Sazerac is the official cocktail of New Orleans! Cognac, whiskey and absinthe make up this famous drink that tastes like no other.
30. Mardi Gras King Cake
We’re wrapping up this list of Mardi Gras recipes with the famous king cake. It’s a true Mardi Gras tradition!
This sweet treat is like a cross between a cinnamon bun and a coffee cake, and gets topped with colorful icing. YUM!
Get the Recipe @ savortheflavor
Wow, so many great Mardi Gras recipes! Which ones will you make this year?
30 BEST Mardi Gras Recipes
This list of amazing Mardi Gras Recipes includes a huge variety of dishes to help you put on the best Carnival celebration ever! You just have to try these tasty red beans and rice:
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 14oz andouille sausage, sliced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp Creole seasoning
- 3 cans red beans, drained
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1.5 cups white rice (uncooked)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook till brown on both sides. Remove to a plate.
- Add the onion, celery and bell pepper. Sauté till it becomes soft.
- Add the tomato paste, garlic and Creole seasoning. Cook 3-4 minutes.
- Return the sausage to the pan, along with drained beans, chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring to a low simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.
- While the beans are simmering, cook the rice according to the directions on the package.
- Serve immediately.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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