35 Easy Cajun Recipes for a Crowd (Great for Mardi Gras!)

ByJessica Ashcroft December 21, 2025May 2, 2026 May 2, 2026

These crave-worthy Cajun recipes are great for family dinner or Mardi Gras party food when you need to feed a crowd.

Planning your Mardi Gras menu or just love easy Cajun recipes?

We’ve got you covered with delicious Cajun food and New Orleans recipes that are perfect for feeding a crowd.

Find classic Cajun dishes like Cajun shrimp pasta, New Orleans gumbo, and dirty rice, plus Mardi Gras-Themed desserts like King Cake, and more!

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Easy Cajun Recipes

From The Ashcroft Family Table

A large black cast iron skillet filled with jambalaya with shrimp and sausage.

1. Tasty Sides for Jambalaya

Close up photo of wooden spoon holding yellow and white corn kernels.

2. Honey Butter Skillet Corn

Nine pieces of cornbread arranged on parchment paper with pats of butter on 2 pieces.

3. Extra-Moist Cornbread

Appetizers

Cajun fries with house sauce in a large white bowl.

1. Cajun Fries with House Sauce

Seafood dip in a large black skillet with shrimp on top.

2. Cajun Shrimp Dip

Cajun deviled eggs with green garnish on a white background,

3. Cajun Shrimp Deviled Eggs

Crab dip in a large cast iron skillet with crackers on a wooden cutting board.

4. Hot Cajun Crab Dip

Fried green tomatoes with Cajun shrimp sauce on a white plate.

5. Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Cajun Sauce

Cajun oyster crackers in a large white bowl.

6. Cajun Seasoned Oyster Crackers

Cajun chicken wings in a large silver serving bowl with green garnish.

7. Baked Cajun Chicken Wings

Cajun kale chips in a large white bowl.

8. Crispy Cajun Kale Chips

Cajun shrimp stuffed avocados with green garnish.

9. Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Avocado Recipe

Main Dishes

BBQ shrimp New Orleans-style in a cast iron skillet.

1. New Orleans-Style Skillet BBQ Shrimp

Shrimp and grits in a white bowl with green garnish.

2. Cajun Shrimp and Grits

Creamy salmon pasta with lemon garnish in a white bowl.

3. Creamy Cajun Salmon Pasta

Creamy shrimp with mushrooms and green garnish in a large skillet.

5. Shrimp Creole with Cream Sauce

Cajun shrimp pasta with bell peppers on a plate with green onion garnish.

6. Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Cajun dirty rice in a large Dutch Oven skillet with green garnish.

6. Cajun Dirty Rice

Creole gumbo with shrimp and a scoop of rice.

7. Creole Gumbo Recipe

Crawfish Monica in a blue Dutch Oven with green garnish.

8. One Pot Crawfish Monica

Fish Po' boys with Cajun slaw and pickles on the side.

9. Fish Po’ Boys with Cajun Slaw

Gumbo in a white bowl with green garnish and a gold spoon.

10. No-Roux Instant Pot Gumbo

Cajun sausage spaghetti with bell peppers and green onions.

11. One Pot Cajun Sausage Spaghetti

Red beans and rice in a black bowl with green garnish.

12. Red Beans and Rice New Orleans Style

Shrimp etouffee with rice in the center and green garnish on a white plate.

13. Shrimp Etouffee

Creamy Cajun chicken in a metal skillet.

14. Cajun Chicken

Side Dishes

Cajun macaroni on a white plate with green onion.

1. Cajun Mac and Cheese

Cajun okra in a large shallow white bowl.

2. Roasted Cajun Okra

Cajun macaroni pasta with corn and green garnish.

3. Cajun Macaroni Salad

A round wheel of bread with a large wedge cut out of it.

4. Homemade Muffaletta Bread

Desserts

Mardi Gras king cake on white parchment paper with Mardi Gras beads.

1. Homemade Mardi Gras King Cake

Carnival cookies with powdered sugar on top.

2. Carnival Cookies

Monkey bread King cake with purple, green, and yellow icing.

3. Easy King Cake Money Bread

Carnival fritters with powdered sugar on a wood cutting board.

4. Carnevale Fritters

Southern pralines on white parchment paper next to two silver spoons.

5. Southern Buttermilk Pecan Pralines

Bananas foster cheesecake with toffee and sliced bananas on top.

6. Bananas Foster Cheesecake with Toffee

Recipes for What’s Next

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