10 Best Mardi Gras Recipes (Slideshow)

Fried Oysters

Although considered a delicacy, oysters truly are an acquired taste. For fans and non-fans alike, try this recipe for fried oysters. Just the simple act of frying gives oysters that crunch and heartiness the skeptics might be craving.

Click here to try this Fried Oysters Recipe

Jambalaya

Similar to Spanish paella, this rice dish is central to Louisiana-Creole cuisine. With a hearty mix of seafood and pork sausage, this dish tastes like it's been stewing all night long. Luckily, it's a quick and easy take on the classic recipe. 

Click here to try this Vegetable Jambalaya Recipe

Cajun Boiled Peanuts

If you thought salted peanuts are enough to keep you snacking, think again. Simple, yet generously flavored with a crab boil, this dish takes peanuts to a whole new level.   

Click here to try this Cajun Boiled Peanuts Recipe

Chicken Over Grits

Celebrate your one last night of indulgence with this decadent chicken and grits recipe. Between the hickory-smoked BBQ flavors and the southern hominess of grits — this rustic dish redefines comfort food. 

Click here to try this Shredded Barbecue Chicken Over Grits Recipe

Shrimp and Grits

 This dish is the essence of Cajun cooking, using double-smoked andouille sausage and wild caught shrimp atop a bed of steamy grits. Finished off with some butter and cheddar cheese, this dish will make you wish Mardi Gras was everyday.

Click here to try this Southern Art's Wild Caught Georgia Shrimp and Grits Recipe 

King Cake

Holidays are all about tradition and Mardi Gras is no exception. Everyone will delight in King Cake, the multi-colored dessert with a small, plastic baby figurine baked inside. Whoever gets the slice with the baby then gets to be King or Queen for the day. Surprise!

Click here to try this David Guas' King Cake Recipe 

Cajun Catfish

As a staple of Southern cuisine, catfish is bound to make its way into your Mardi Gras menu. Try the Cajun Catfish Supreme, a lush and creamy dish, perfectly flavored with a blackened fish seasoning. 

Click here to try this Cajun Catfish Supreme Recipe 

Baby Buttermilk Beignets

Everyone loves an after-dinner treat, especially when its fried and covered in sugar. Falling somewhere between a doughnut and a churro, this dessert is tangy, but mostly sweet.

Click here to try this Baby Buttermilk Beignets Recipe

Maque Choux

This side dish stands out on its own because of its Cajun spiciness and heat. Vegetables are left to simmer just long enough to create a tender accompaniment to any entrée dish for the holiday. 

Click here to try this Maque Choux Recipe

Creole Seafood Gumbo

Perhaps the defining dish of Creole cooking, the base of this recipe is a savory, homemade crab stock. Between that and roux, the homemade thickener, this dish is practically gourmet. 

Click here to try this Creole Seafood Gumbo Recipe