22 New Orleans Classics to Celebrate Mardi Gras
Make each one of these Mardi Gras recipes—it’s called Fat Tuesday for a reason
Whether or not you observe Lent, Fat Tuesday is a great excuse for an indulgent New Orleans-style feast. We have all the Mardi Gras recipes you need, from colorful king cake and crawfish étouffée to gumbo and bananas Foster. Make sure you have the right tools and ingredients for gumbo: the thick, rich stew is great no matter what you put in it and is a great way to clean out leftover vegetables from your fridge. Oysters and okra are also perfect for the holiday and require only minutes to prepare. For even more Cajun food recipes, check out our classic New Orlean’s recipes. We’ve rounded up our favorite Mardi Gras recipes here.
This recipe combines inexpensive cuts of meat, including oxtail, ground sausage, and turkey necks, yielding a rich, hearty gumbo that, despite its humble ingredients, is nothing short of extraordinary. Get the recipe for Oxtail Gumbo »
Located in a Lafayette, Louisiana farmhouse from the 1830s that has served as both a Confederate Army headquarters and, during the city’s 1980s oil boom, a singles bar, Café Vermilionville smokes the turkey for this luxurious gumbo right out back in a makeshift smoker. The resulting dish embodies the rich flavors of dark roux and barbecued meat.
Oyster Pie with Buttermilk Biscuits
This classic oyster stew from Justin Devillier, the chef of La Petite Grocery in New Orleans, is packed full of Swiss chard and flavored with smoky ham and absinthe, which perfumes each steaming bite with an enticing note of licorice. The buttermilk biscuits on top are just as delicious cooked separately and slathered with butter and honey. Get the recipe for Oyster Pie with Buttermilk Biscuits »
Crawfish Etouffée
Crawfish tails are cooked with tomatoes, paprika, and cream to make a luscious stew. Get the recipe for Crawfish Etouffée »
King Cake
This traditional cake, made here with a rich brioche dough and stuffed with a decadent cream cheese filling, is drizzled with a buttermilk glaze and sprinkled with crunchy green, gold, and purple sanding sugars.
Mr. B's Gumbo Ya-Ya
This dark-roux gumbo originates in Cajun country. Get the recipe for Mr. B’s Gumbo Ya-Ya »
White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bananas and Rum Sauce
Two of our favorite New Orleans desserts combine in an extravagant white chocolate and banana rum bread pudding.
Oyster Po'boy
This classic New Orleans sandwich is stuffed to the gills with spiced cornmeal-breaded oysters and rich mayonnaise on French bread. Get the recipe for Oyster Po’boy »
Brennan's Bananas Foster
Banana liqueur heightens the flavor of the bananas in this flambeed dessert from the New Orleans restaurant Brennan’s. Get the recipe for Brennan’s Bananas Foster »
New Orleans French Bread
Known for its irresistibly crunchy crust and sparse crumb, French bread is the ideal po’boy canvas, or cut it into quarters and serve with crab maison. Get the recipe for New Orleans French Bread »
Crab Maison
A popular appetizer at Galatoire’s restaurant in New Orleans, this light and satisfying salad is a great lunch with crusty French bread.
Upperline's Oysters St. Claude
Fried oysters are paired with a garlicky sauce in a toothsome appetizer served at Upperline, a restaurant in New Orleans’ Uptown neighborhood. Get the recipe for Upperline’s Oysters St. Claude »
LeRuth's Red Shrimp Rémoulade
Spicy paprika and whole-grain mustard sauce coats plump shrimp in this classic New Orleans red rémoulade from the late chef Warren Leruth.
Pigs' Ears (Oreilles de Cochon)
These crunchy fritters are typically eaten for breakfast or as an afternoon snack with a cup of cafe au lait. Get the recipe for Pigs’ Ears (Oreilles de Cochon) »
Oysters Rockefeller
This ubiquitous New Orleans dish was invented at Antoine’s in 1889. Get the recipe for Oysters Rockefeller »
Red Beans and Rice
In this slow-cooking Creole classic, ham hocks give the dish a savory, smoky depth. Get the recipe for Red Beans and Rice »
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