50 Mardi Gras Party Foods That'll Make You Feel Like You're In The French Quarter
Do Fat Tuesday proud.
March 4 is Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday), the last day of Carnival season just before Lent, which is the 40-day period during which many people spend in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Naturally, it’s a time of great excess (gotta indulge before giving it up!). In New Orleans, it’s celebrated with parades, elaborate costumes, and tons and tons of delicious food. We’ve rounded up this list of 50 of our favorites here, everything from Southern-inspired sides and desserts to Creole-influenced apps and mains. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
One of the most amazing things about traditional New Orleans food is how it has been influenced by cuisines around the world, like French, Caribbean, Italian, and West African, to name a few. Many of these influences are found in modern Cajun and Creole cuisine, which is a great place to start if you’re unfamiliar. Gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp Creole, red beans & rice, and shrimp étouffée are all incredible dishes that’ll make you feel like you’re in the Louisiana bayou.
If attempting full-on traditional recipes like these sounds intimidating, we’ve also got a number of recipes only inspired by Cajun and Creole flavors. Adding seasonings and ingredients to recipes you already know and love is a great way to dip your toes in to food you’re unfamiliar with. Give our Cajun crab cake sliders, smoked sausage Cajun Alfredo, our jambalaya pasta, or our Cajun-spiced chicken & gnocchi a try to see what we mean.
And don't forget about some of New Orleans' most infamous sandwiches—the muffuletta and the po' boy. They were both created out of necessity during important times in history—the "poor boy" during the streetcar worker strike of 1929, and the muffuletta by a Sicilian immigrant in 1906—and now can be found all throughout the city. Every iteration has something a little different or special, so try adding your own little spin when making them at home too. Need an idea? Check our our muffuletta dip or muffuletta pizza to see just how far your imagination can take you.
Want even more Mardi Gras inspiration? Check out our best Mardi Gras appetizers, desserts, and cocktails too.
Cajun Crab Cake Sliders
These classic crab cakes get a Cajun kick with a blend of sautéed trinity vegetables, Cajun seasoning, and lemon pepper seasoning. After a quick pan-fry, these get stacked on a slider bun with remoulade sauce, a juicy slice of tomato, and crisp lettuce to make the most perfect bite you’ve ever had.
Get the Cajun Crab Cake Sliders recipe.
New Orleans-Style Beignets
Want to celebrate Mardi Gras from the comfort of your kitchen? Make beignets. Liberally dusted in confectioners’ sugar, these pillowy deep-fried doughnuts will make you feel like you're at the famous Cafe du Monde in just one bite.
Get the New Orleans-Style Beignets recipe.
Slow-Cooker Shrimp Boil
For this classic shrimp boil variation, throw your Baby potatoes, sweet corn, spicy sausage, lemons, and juicy shrimp tossed in plenty of Old Bay seasoning into the slow cooker with a flavorful broth and let the machine do the work for you.
Get the Slow-Cooker Shrimp Boil recipe.
Shrimp Po’ Boy Burgers
Our shrimp po' boy burger is a twist on the classic Louisiana po' boy sandwiches, pairing cornmeal-crusted shrimp burgers with a tangy, homemade remoulade sauce. The combination of juicy shrimp and Creole seasoning transports your taste buds straight to New Orleans.
Get the Shrimp Po’ Boy Burgers recipe.
Crawfish Étouffée
The word étouffée is French for “smothered,” which makes sense in this spin on shrimp étouffée. This brothy dish features crawfish and vegetables completely covered in a savory butter-and-flour-based gravy (aka a roux). Pro tip: Serve this over white rice to soak up all that flavor.
Get the Crawfish Étouffée recipe.
Cheesy Shrimp & Grits Bites
Shrimp and grits are a Southern staple for good reason. In this two-bite version, smoked gouda grits are breaded and fried until golden brown and crispy, then topped with saucy Cajun-spiced shrimp and a flurry of fresh scallions.
Get the Cheesy Shrimp & Grits Bites recipe.
Muffuletta Dip
If you aren’t familiar with the muffuletta sandwich, you should be. It’s filled with three different cured meats, a plethora of olives, roasted red peppers, and other brined ingredients. It’s big and proud, and this dip is the perfect scoopable version of it.
Get the Muffuletta Dip recipe.
Creamy Cajun Stuffed Shells
Get ready for your new favorite pasta dish. Taking inspiration from our best stuffed shells, this version features a savory Cajun cream sauce and shells filled with andouille sausage and Cajun-seasoned chicken.
Get the Creamy Cajun Stuffed Shells recipe.
Shrimp & Tomato Succotash Skillet
This amped-up take on succotash features blistered tomatoes and charred corn tossed with onion, bell peppers, lima beans, and seared Cajun-spiced shrimp, then topped with a flurry of torn basil.
Mardi Gras King Cake
King cakes are one of the best parts of Carnival season. They’re traditionally sweet pastry shaped into a ring (like a crown) and covered with icing and colored sprinkles (gold for power, green for faith, and purple for justice). Whoever finds the toy baby inside their slice is king for the year (and has to bring the cake next Mardi Gras!).
Get the Mardi Gras King Cake recipe.
Shrimp Creole
Similar to shrimp étouffée, but with a tomato-based sauce, this recipe will transport you to the balcony-lined streets of New Orleans. Aromatic onion, green bell pepper, and celery form the holy trinity of flavor on top of which you'll build this saucy little number.
Get the Shrimp Creole recipe.
Smoked Sausage Cajun Alfredo
This dish expands on what we all love about fettuccine Alfredo, amping it up with the punchy spices and andouille sausage commonly found in Cajun cuisine. If you love gumbo and jambalaya, this recipe has got to be next on your list.
Get the Smoked Sausage Cajun Alfredo recipe.
Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo
Filled with shrimp, sausage, and the signature seasoning, hearty gumbo is the true melting-pot dish of New Orleans. It's a top-notch comfort food stew centered around a flavorful roux and the holy trinity of Southern cooking: aromatic onions, celery, and bell peppers.
Get the Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo recipe.
Shrimp & Grits
Rich and cheesy, shrimp and grits is the comfort food staple we'll welcome all year long, but especially around Mardi Gras. Our recipe is extra-creamy due to a generous amount of cheese and butter. We also took this recipe to the next-level by adding in crispy bacon.
Get the Shrimp & Grits recipe.
Bananas Foster Cheesecake
Bananas Foster is a classic dessert that should never go out of style, and now we’re bringing it back in with this bananas Foster cheesecake. Boozy caramelized bananas are piled over a fluffy banana cheesecake for a classy, show-stopping dessert that’s sure to be the belle of any ball you bring her to.
Get the Bananas Foster Cheesecake recipe.
Louisiana-Style Red Beans & Rice
All Creole cuisine packs a flavor punch that keeps you coming back for seconds, but red beans and rice are in a league all their own. The red beans soak up the smoky, porky, spicy, and earthy flavors and release some starch to create a rich gravy that’s perfect for spooning over steamed white rice.
Muffuletta
The muffuletta was first served at Central Grocery, an Italian deli in Louisiana founded by Sicilian immigrant Salvatore Lupo in 1906. Sicilian farmers would stop by Lupo’s deli in between shifts at the French Market and juggle plates of olives, salumi, and cheese for lunch. To make it easier to eat, Lupo decided to slap all the ingredients between two pieces of bread, and the muffuletta was born. The more you know!
Get the Muffuletta recipe.
Cajun-Spiced Chicken & Gnocchi
Let the good times roll because this chicken and pasta skillet will take you straight to Louisiana. Just like our other gnocchi skillet dinners, this one is absolutely craveable; plus, it brings all the flavors we associate with New Orleans into your kitchen, just in time for Mardi Gras.
Fried Catfish
Our top secret for the most flavorful, extra-crispy catfish? A buttermilk and hot sauce marinade. We know, it may sound odd, but the result is an extra-flavorful, slightly spicy catfish that, once coated and fried, results in crispy fillets that'll rival even your favorite seafood restaurants.
Get the Fried Catfish recipe.
Instant Pot Jambalaya
The Instant Pot is a great way to make jambalaya, a Cajun classic, in just an hour. On top of being super-quick dinner to cook, you won’t need pre-cooked rice or meats. All the rice, veggies, broth, and chicken go in the Instant Pot together and get cooked under high pressure for the perfect, fluffy jambalaya.
Get the Instant Pot Jambalaya recipe.
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Shrimp & Sausage Gumbo
