New Orleans is a city bursting with culture, music, and, perhaps most notably, food. The cuisine here is a melting pot of flavors, drawing from French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences to create rich, vibrant, and utterly unique dishes. For those who can’t make it to the Crescent City, bringing a taste of New Orleans into your kitchen is the next best thing. Here’s a guide to some of the most iconic New Orleans recipes you can try at home.
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp and Grits
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp is a dish that, despite its name, has nothing to do with traditional barbecue. Instead, it features shrimp cooked in a rich, buttery sauce flavored with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and Creole spices. The shrimp are then served over creamy grits, making for a comforting and indulgent meal. The key to this dish is to use fresh, large shrimp and to cook them just until they are tender and succulent. The grits should be smooth and creamy, providing the perfect base to soak up all the flavorful sauce.
Beignets
The culinary journey through New Orleans is only complete with beignets, the beloved deep-fried pastries dusted generously with powdered sugar. These fluffy, pillow-like treats are perfect for breakfast or as a dessert. To make them at home, you’ll need a simple dough made with flour, yeast, and sugar, rolled out, cut into squares, and fried until golden brown. They are topped with powdered sugar. Serve them warm with a cup of café au lait for an authentic New Orleans experience.
Po’ Boy
The po’ boy is New Orleans’ take on a sandwich, but it’s so much more than that. Traditionally made with a crispy French baguette, the po’ boy is filled with fried seafood like shrimp, oysters, catfish, or roast beef drenched in gravy. The sandwich is then dressed with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayo. Making a po’ boy at home requires good quality French bread and perfectly fried seafood, but the result is worth the effort.
Muffuletta
The muffuletta is a hearty sandwich originating in New Orleans’ Italian community. It’s made with a round sesame-seed bread layered with salami, ham, mortadella, provolone, and mozzarella, but what truly sets it apart is the tangy olive salad spread. The combination of briny olives, pickled vegetables, and rich meats and cheeses creates a sandwich that’s a true flavor explosion. It’s a perfect make-ahead meal as the flavors meld together the longer it sits.
Gumbo
Gumbo is a hearty stew embodying New Orleans cuisine’s essence. It typically features a flavorful roux—an equal mixture of flour and fat cooked until it reaches a deep, rich brown color—as its base. From there, add the “holy trinity” of Creole cooking: onions, bell peppers, celery, and proteins such as chicken, sausage, or seafood and stock. The dish is usually thickened with okra or filé powder and served over a bed of rice. Each spoonful is a taste of the city’s diverse culinary heritage.
Jambalaya
Jambalaya is another quintessential New Orleans dish that combines meat, seafood, and vegetables with rice in a single pot. This dish has Spanish roots, similar to paella, but with a Creole twist. It starts with the holy trinity sautéed in oil, then meats like sausage, chicken, and shrimp are added along with tomatoes, broth, and rice. As the rice cooks, it absorbs the flavors of the ingredients, resulting in a hearty, flavorful dish perfect for feeding a crowd.
Red Beans and Rice
Traditionally served on Mondays, red beans and rice is a comforting dish that has been a staple in New Orleans homes for generations. The dish is made by slow-cooking red beans with smoked sausage, ham hocks, and the holy trinity until the beans are tender and creamy. It’s seasoned with Creole spices and served over a bed of fluffy white rice. This dish is delicious and a great way to feed a family on a budget.
Crawfish Étouffée
Crawfish étouffée is a dish that captures the flavors of the bayou. “Étouffée” means “smothered” in French, and this dish features crawfish smothered in a rich, roux-based sauce made with butter, flour, and crawfish stock. The sauce is seasoned with various Creole spices and served over rice. While crawfish may not be readily available everywhere, you can substitute shrimp for an equally delicious version of this dish.
Bananas Foster
For dessert, try your hand at making Bananas Foster, a classic New Orleans dish created at Brennan’s Restaurant in the French Quarter. This decadent dessert features bananas cooked in a sauce made from butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and rum. The rum is ignited just before serving, giving the dish a dramatic flair as the flames caramelize the bananas. Serve it over vanilla ice cream for a sweet finish to your New Orleans feast.
These dishes showcase New Orleans’s rich culinary traditions and allow you to bring a piece of the city’s vibrant culture into your home. Whether you’re cooking for a family dinner or hosting a Mardi Gras party, these recipes will impress and transport you straight to the heart of New Orleans.
