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Appetizers Mardi Gras

Crawfish Beignets with Cajun Dipping Sauce

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Looking for crawfish recipes? Crawfish meat is fritter fried into crispy golden “beignets” and served with a spicy dipping sauce.

Looking for crawfish recipes? Crawfish meat is fritter fried into crispy golden "beignets" and served with a spicy dipping sauce.

three crawfish beignets on a wooden board with sauce in the background

The onset of warmer weather means one thing to my husband – it’s crawfish season!  I would venture to say it’s the husband’s favorite time of year; maybe even more than deer season. A month before the season officially begins, he starts obsessing over these little mini crustaceans. He gets a glint in his eyes and starts licking his lips. It’s an addiction he’s just got to feed and the man can polish off 10 pounds without blinking an eye.

A few weeks ago, the Husband and one of his friends went on a crawfish eating binge.  The husband purchased more than he could eat and rather than letting all that good crawfish meat go to waste, he peeled the uneaten crawfish and brought home a doggie bag with about a pound of fresh meat.  He brought home the goods. Now it was my turn to find a way to use meat.

What is a crawfish?

handing holding a single crawfish over a cooler full of carwfish

A crawfish is a freshwater crustacean that looks like a little tiny lobster. Other aliases they go by are crayfish, crawdads or mudbugs. Crawfish are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters. Like lobster, the meat is very sweet, succulent, and tasty. Traditionally, crawfish are boiled in a mixture of vegetables (usually potatoes and corn) and spices.  If they are cooked right they are usually REALLY spicy!

As soon as they are cool enough to touch, you pull the head apart from the body.  You suck out any juice that has accumulated during cooking (also known as “sucking the head”), then you extract the meat and discard the headless shell. Juice runs down your arms, your nose is running, and your lips are burning.

person holding a bowl of crawfish and corn

Where to Find Crawfish Meat

If you live in the southern United States, look no further than your nearest seafood shack or crawfish boil from mid-January through early July. Peak months for crawfish are March – May — the price per pound tends to be a little lower during these months as well.

If I don’t have access to fresh crawfish meat, I can usually find frozen crawfish tails in the seafood department at my grocery store. However, crawfish are a regional treat. It may be impossible to find in your neck of the woods, especially if you live north of the Mason Dixon line.  Chopped cooked shrimp would be a perfectly acceptable substitute.

If you are truly interested in giving crawfish a go, there are several wholesalers that will ship crawfish – fresh or frozen – right to your door.  If you want the freshest crawfish possible, I urge you to buy directly from a wholesaler based out of Louisiana.

How to Make Crawfish Beignets

Crawfish don’t have to be limited to just crawfish boils. The extracted meat is also delicious in a variety of recipes, including fettuccine alfredo, gumbo,  étouffée, this delicious cream sauce poured over cornbread and of course, crawfish beignets.

Beignet the French word for “fritter” or “doughnut.” In it’s truest form, it’s fried dough. You are likely more familiar with the famous beignets of Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, which are sweet and served under a mountain of powdered sugar. Crawfish beignets are savory, golden and crispy on the outside, warm and tender on the inside.

mixing crawfish meat with green onions and eggs

Start with one pound of cooked crawfish tails, roughly chopped. Combine the meat in a large mixing bowl with one large egg, four chopped green onions, 1 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Add 1/3 cup all-purpose flour and mixing with a wooden spoon until the flour is moistened and everything is combined.

Heat a few inches of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. I prefer to use cast iron for frying because it heats quickly and evenly. Once the surface of the oil looks like it is shimmering, lower the heat to medium. Drop the dough into the hot oil by heaping tablespoons. These don’t have to be perfect. Just be sure not to over crowd the pan.

frying the crawfish beignets

Fry the crawfish beignets until they are golden brown on all sides, about five minutes. Remove them from the hot oil onto paper towels to drain any excess oil.

How to Make Cajun Dipping Sauce

Crawfish beignets are better with something to dip them in. Cajun dipping sauce is the perfect creamy cool, yet spicy accompaniment. Simply whisk together 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, 1/2 cup ketchup, and 1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish.

prepared horseradish

If you’ve never bough horseradish before, it’s important to note that prepared horseradish and horseradish sauce are not the same thing. Prepared horseradish is grated horseradish pickled in vinegar. Horseradish sauce is made with prepared horseradish and mixed with sour cream or mayonnaise. The flavor of horseradish sauce is not as strong as prepared horseradish. Just make sure the label on the bottle says prepared.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of hot sauce like Crystal, Louisiana Hot Sauce or Tobasco to the dip. If you like a spicier dipping sauce, add more hot sauce, a 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until you’ve reached your desired heat level. Serve alongside your freshly made crawfish beignets.

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crawfish beignets
5 from 5 votes
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Crawfish Beignets with Cajun Dipping Sauce

Looking for crawfish recipes? Crawfish meat is fritter fried into crispy golden "beignets" and served with a spicy dipping sauce.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Cajun
Keyword cajun crawfish, crawfish beignets, crawfish fritters, crawfish recipes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 10 people
Calories 97 kcal
Author Lisa B.

Ingredients

Crawfish beignets:

  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 pound chopped cooked crawfish tail meat or shrimp
  • 4 green onions chopped
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons butter melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • Oil for deep-fat frying
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the egg, crawfish, onions, butter, salt and cayenne. Stir in flour until blended.
  2. In large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Once the surface begins to shimmer, reduce the heat to low. 

  3. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter, a few at a time, into hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

  4. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish if desired and pepper sauce. Serve with beignets.

Recipe Notes

Inspired by Taste of Home Magazine

Nutrition Facts
Crawfish Beignets with Cajun Dipping Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 beignet)
Calories 97 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 35mg 12%
Sodium 160mg 7%
Total Carbohydrates 3g 1%
Sugars 1g
Protein 4g 8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Looking for crawfish recipes? Crawfish meat is fritter fried into crispy golden


16 Comments

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Comments

  1. Jessica {The Novice Chef} says

    April 22, 2010 at 9:45 pm

    Looks wonderful!

    And I also saw Crawfish 🙂

    Reply
  2. Christine says

    April 26, 2010 at 12:30 pm

    Looks good. I have to admit, I’ve served my husband Crawfish so many times but not like this. Thanks for sharing this one. I can’t wait to see my husband’s reaction when I serve him this. I get my crawfish recipe at Foodista
    ( http:// http://www.foodista.com ).

    Reply
  3. Carol Bailey says

    June 14, 2013 at 2:41 pm

    Can’ wait for the wk-end! Those lil’ dudes are mine! Ha!

    Reply
    • The Cooking Bride says

      June 15, 2013 at 5:33 pm

      HA! Carol, that’s awesome! Enjoy!

      Reply
  4. c Lino says

    July 12, 2016 at 9:11 pm

    Can I make the bingnets crawfish at home and take to the party later

    Reply
    • The Cooking Bride says

      July 12, 2016 at 9:31 pm

      They might need to be reheated in an oven for a few minutes before serving. My concern is they could become soggy. But an oven should crisp them right up again.

      Reply
  5. Brandi says

    December 2, 2016 at 9:52 pm

    Do I have to use bread flour for the recipe or can I use all purpose flour?

    Reply
    • The Cooking Bride says

      December 3, 2016 at 11:09 pm

      Hi Brandi, you can use regular flour.

      Reply
  6. Elaine Benoit says

    February 7, 2019 at 10:16 am


    I haven’t had crawfish in a long time! I need to find some so I can make this delicious recipe!

    Reply
  7. Caroline says

    February 7, 2019 at 10:17 am


    My goodness, these sound so addictively tasty, love the idea!

    Reply
  8. Justine Howell says

    February 7, 2019 at 10:28 am


    Obsessed with anything crawfish…so good!

    Reply
  9. Katie says

    February 7, 2019 at 10:35 am


    Beignets of any kind are delicious, but this sounds like such an amazing idea! Can’t wait to try it out!

    Reply
  10. Kristina says

    February 7, 2019 at 10:37 am


    These look so crispy and packed full of that fresh crawfish flavor! That dipping sauce sounds amazing!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 10 Best Mardi Gras Recipes! - B. Lovely Events says:
    February 8, 2016 at 10:32 pm

    […] are two huge food loves with it comes to cajun cooking, when you combined them together like Cooking Bride did in this recipe, you have a extraordinary […]

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  2. 25 Mardi Gras Recipes - Real Housemoms says:
    February 26, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    […] Cheesy Muffuletta Dip | Mardi Gras Grilled Oysters | Grilled Cajun Chicken Wings | French Quarter Pecan Cheese Spread | Crawfish Beignets with Cajun Dipping Sauce […]

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  3. Flash Freebie: Mardi Gras SVG Files says:
    February 2, 2018 at 1:21 pm

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Who Is the Woman Under the Veil?

I am Lisa, a thirty-something-year old “bride” living in the Jackson, Mississippi, metro area. By day I am a wife, mother, and freelance writer. By night, I am a cook, amateur photographer, and food blogger. Read More…

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