Boudin Balls

There might be no better food to encompass Louisiana cooking than Boudin sausage. Simply put, it’s a pork sausage made with rice and seasoning stuffed in a casing, but there are as many variations as there are Cajun chefs making them.

Originally, it was made every year before the onset of winter, thriftily using every part of the pig so nothing went to waste. Like many similar regional traditions, what could have been a massive family chore was turned into a community event, where butchers and chefs came together in celebration of the year’s bounty.

You can avoid the sausage making but carry on the tradition of celebration with these boudin balls, the perfect appetizer to bring to any party. They keep the Cajun spirit of economy by using leftover rice and whatever sausage you have on hand, and we love how quickly they come together! Simply roll your sausage mixture into balls, bread them, and deep fry them until perfectly crisp. If you can find pre-made boudin sausage, all the better! Just remove them from their casing, roll into balls, and follow breading and frying instructions below. If you want to avoid pork, you can substitute the sausage mixture with dirty rice, though the resulting balls will have a higher rice to meat than traditional Boudin balls (kind of like arancini, yum). 

Whichever you choose, feel free to experiment with spices and herbs to your liking, particularly if you don’t have Cajun seasoning at home. We recommend sticking with paprika for the zesty, mild spice it adds, but you do you!

We like to serve our Boudin balls with a versatile Creole mustard dipping sauce, otherwise known as remoulade. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a number of fried foods, but it’s also a great way to up your mayonnaise game anywhere, from on sandwiches to egg dishes. While you could serve it right away, it tastes even better after being chilled for at least an hour. 

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!