How much do I love New Orleans cuisine? Judging by the tens (hundreds?) of bowls of gumbo I’ve eaten, the answer is: A LOT. NOLA has some of the best food in the U.S., so compiling this list wasn’t easy.
There’s just something about these flavors and textures that makes a person feel good in their heart. You have the obvious (but still delicious) stuff like jambalaya and beignets. But even “plain” food like cornbread and biscuits tastes better there.
It took time, but I finally narrowed down 20 of my favorite NOLA recipes. You could call them “the best of the best.”
1. New Orleans Beignets
Oh my goodness. If you know anything about NOLA cuisine, then you already know what beignets are.
We’re talking sweet, deep-fried goodness just buried in powdered sugar. They are life-giving in a way that regular donuts just can’t touch.
This recipe takes a little time because the dough has to rise, but trust me, it isn’t complicated at all, and you will just love the results.
Some people like to serve theirs with chocolate sauce or jams, but can I be honest with you? I think they’re perfect just as they are. No extras needed.
2. Red Beans and Rice
Making this the authentic New Orleans-style way takes about an hour, but it is SO GOOD and well worth the time. You deserve it! It’s earthy and herby, and it has precisely the correct amount of heat to make your tastebuds perk up.
Whether you add the sausage or leave it out, this is one dish you need to get down to business with.
3. New Orleans Baked Mac and Cheese
Call it baked mac and cheese, baked spaghetti, or anything else you like. This baked dish is cheesy, creamy, and just a little bit spicy. It’s not like most mac and cheese you’ve tried, but it’s not precisely like spaghetti either.
It’s like mac and cheese meets spaghetti. I know, it’s a unique dish that’s hard to describe, but it’s excellent, nonetheless. A++.
4. New Orleans Gumbo
You’ve never had gumbo until you’ve had New Orleans gumbo, and that’s just a fact. NOLA chefs make gumbo like no one else in the world.
I’ll just put it out there, this recipe is probably the best one I’ve found for authentic New Orleans gumbo.
The chicken is tender, the sausage is juicy and flavorful, and the shrimp adds just the right amount of rich, savory goodness.
Plus, there are plenty of veggies, herbs, and seasonings for you to enjoy, as well. This gumbo recipe is tough to beat.
5. New Orleans Po’Boy Rolls
You can’t make a po‘boy if you don’t have the correct rolls for the job. This recipe shows you precisely how to make these warm, fluffy rolls using only six everyday ingredients. We’re talking pantry staples!
6. Bananas Foster
YUM. You can make this delectable dessert in about 15 minutes with only seven ingredients.
The bananas are sweet and tropical, and the ice cream and dark rum sauce add even more sweetness and complexity to take the already fantastic dish right over the top.
7. Crawfish Beignets
Typically, we think of beignets as sweet, deep-fried desserts. These crawfish beignets are nothing of the sort. Not even close. They’re deep-fried, but that’s where the resemblance to sweet beignets ends.
These are crunchy seafood goodness, and every bite is packed with onions, shrimp, crawfish, and cayenne pepper. The Cajun dipping sauce is tangy and zippy, and it complements the beignets flawlessly. It just WORKS.
8. New Orleans Grillades and Grits
Tender, juicy beef cutlets, thick tomato and herb sauce, and sauteed vegetables over a bed of warm grits. Just thinking about it makes my happies run on overdrive.
This meal takes some time to pull together, but once you take the first bite, you’ll agree that it was worth every single step.
You won’t need side dishes, either. This hearty meal will fill you right up. It’s a total one-and-done type meal.
9. Dirty Rice
First of all, the dirty rice you can buy in a box is not Louisiana-style dirty rice. Not even close. For one thing, it’s missing the beef, pork sausage, and veggies. Second of all, this recipe for dirty rice is THE BOMB!
It takes only 30 minutes to make, requires minimal hands-on work, and is so-super-yummy.
Primarily served as a side dish, this dirty rice could easily be a meal in and of itself.
10. New Orleans King Cake
We need to talk. No list of New Orleans recipes is complete without a king cake. This light, colorful cake is a Carnival season tradition.
You’ll love the gorgeous swirl inside, and the multi-colored sugared glaze is equally attractive and so pretty.
Be sure you don’t forget to add the baby! Someone in your circle of friends needs that year of good luck.
11. Shrimp Po’Boy
Most of the work in these yummy sandwiches goes into preparing the creamy Cajun sauce. Luckily, even that isn’t very hard.
If your shrimp is pre-cooked, it’s just a matter of assembling. If you have to cook the shrimp first, it’ll take you about 20 minutes to make the sandwich.
It’s simple. There’s not much to it. Just bread, Cajun sauce, shrimp, cabbage, and seasonings. But it doesn’t need anything else to taste like sheer joy.
12. Sweet Cornbread
This cornbread is sweet, crumbly, and delicious. All the ingredients are common pantry staples, and you can make it without any trouble. It’s ridiculously easy.
For an extra sweet treat, add a topping of syrup, honey, or butter before serving it. It also tastes great with savory foods like rice and beans, gumbo, or buttermilk.
13. Jambalaya
People often get jambalaya and gumbo confused, but the two are actually very different. Gumbo is more like a stew, whereas jambalaya is a thick, hearty rice dish.
The two do share similar ingredients: peppers, onions, sausage, chicken, shrimp, and more.
Both are also extremely filling and full of spice and flavor. Jambalaya is just a little less brothy.
14. New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp
For me, this dish is entirely about the spices and sauce. The shrimp is not the star. It could just as well be pork, beef, or chicken under all that sauce, and I’d still love it just as much.
Both the spice mixture (paprika, ancho chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt) and the luscious sauce (butter, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and water) are perfectly scrumptious.
I love food, and I’ve discovered many great combinations of ingredients over the years, but those particular ingredients just SING together.
They make the shrimp spicy, smoky, savory, and just a touch salty. Plus, those garlic and butter vibes make everything taste better. Trust me on this: The meat doesn’t matter in this dish.
15. New Orleans French Bread
French bread may not look all that impressive, but it’s super tasty. It’s humble, I know. But it’s the best. The outside is a perfect, crispy golden-brown, and the inside is dense, pillowy, and highly absorbent.
It’s the ideal bread for sopping up gumbo or dipping in garlic butter or creamy Cajun sauce.
16. New Orleans Hurricane Cocktail
The Sazerac may be the “official cocktail” of New Orleans, but the hurricane is one of the most popular. It’s really having a moment.
There isn’t a bar in all of NOLA that can’t make a mean hurricane, but who needs a bar when you can make it at home?!
All you’ll need is some dark and light rum, orange, passion fruit, and lime juices, grenadine, and some fruit for a garnish. A couple of these, and you’ll be feeling real good.
17. Brabant Potatoes
These potatoes are buttery and full of garlic flavor, and they’re some of the tastiest you’ll ever eat. Plus, they require only seven ingredients (two of which are salt and pepper) and are ready in just 30 minutes.
They have crispy skins, but their insides are soft and tender. I like to add some diced scallions to mine, as well.
18. New Orleans Pralines
Chewy, nutty, and exceptionally sweet, pralines are a New Orleans delicacy that not everyone can get right. They can be a little intimidating.
However, with this recipe, you should be able to make excellent, golden-brown pralines without too much trouble.
And if you mess up the first couple of times, don’t worry about it. That just means you get to eat the “mistakes” and try again.
19. New Orleans Muffuletta
A great muffuletta has four key components: good bread, crisp and zippy olive salad, tender meat, and the perfect selection of cheeses. This recipe gets it exactly right. A++.
Everything from the top of the sandwich to the bottom is a grade-A quality muffuletta ingredient.
It leaves nothing out and doesn’t add any unnecessary stuff. It’s all there. Plus, if you pre-make your olive salad, you can pull the whole sandwich together in just 10 minutes. It comes together so ridiculously fast.
20. French Quarter Cheese Spread
This decadent cheese spread is creamy, crunchy, sweet, and salty all at once. The cheese is smooth and rich, and the sugared pecans on top take it to a whole other level. Serve it with crackers, fruit slices, or veggies.
21. New Orleans Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
The name says it all with this famous New Orleans dessert. It’s a warm, flaky pie crust filled with chocolate, bourbon, and pecans. It’s like a chocolate pie, pecan pie, and a stiff glass of bourbon, all smooshed up into one delicious dessert.
Take this to a family gathering, and you’ll come home with an empty pie pan. Everyone will be licking the bowl.
22. Corn Maque Choux
This spicy, creamy corn dish is a staple at most Mardi Gras celebrations, but with this recipe, you can make it in the comfort of your own home.
All you’ll need is corn, butter, onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, Cajun seasoning, salt, and heavy cream. You can have it ready to serve in a little over half an hour.
