If you love crawfish, you're going to fall in love with this spicy, cheesy, gooey Hot Cajun Crawfish Dip! Tender crawfish tails, cream cheese, sharp white cheddar, parmesan, bell peppers, and bold Cajun seasoning come together in one cast iron skillet with tangy Creole mustard and a little kick of horseradish. It comes together in under an hour - most of that is hands-off oven time while the top gets golden, bubbly, and irresistible. Serve it hot with crusty baguette slices, Ritz crackers, tortilla chips, or veggies for scooping! 🤤
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
This Cheesy Baked Louisiana Crawfish Dip Is a Party Must-Have 🦞
Almost all of my favorite memories from visiting my dad in Louisiana involved food - and crawfish was a main character, always! Crawfish season doesn't last forever, but we keep frozen Louisiana crawfish tails stocked in our freezer year-round so we can enjoy that flavor anytime... even in the dead of Michigan winter!
We cook a lot of Cajun and Creole food at home! If you're hosting guests, and a full seafood boil feels like too much work, this dip gives you incredible crawfish flavor in a cheesy, scoopable form. It's loaded with classic Louisiana flavors - the holy trinity of bell peppers, onion, and celery, plus plenty of garlic and a generous splash of hot sauce.
Whether you're gearing up for Mardi Gras, hosting a Super Bowl party, or just craving something rich and indulgent, this dip delivers!
🦞 Ingredients for Hot Baked Crawfish Dip
This dip comes together with simple pantry staples and one special ingredient - tender Louisiana crawfish tails!
How to Make Cajun Crawfish Dip ✨
This dip comes together in two stages - stovetop to build all those flavors, then into the oven to get golden and bubbly on top. Here's how to make it:
- Step 1: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the white parts of the green onions, the green and red bell peppers, the onion, and the celery with a pinch of salt.
🧅 This is the holy trinity! Bell peppers, onion, and celery are the flavor base for so many Cajun/Creole dishes! Green bell peppers are classic, while red ones are non-traditional, but we use them a lot for color and sweetness!
- Step 2: Sauté until the vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Take your time here and let them soften - it's worth it. Add the garlic, Cajun seasoning, and lemon zest. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
🌶️ Cajun seasoning: Salt-free blends work best here since we season separately, but if yours has salt, just adjust accordingly. Try our DIY Cajun seasoning blend, it's truly delicious, easy to make, and free of any added salt!
- Step 3: Add the crawfish tail meat and season with salt and pepper. Stir to warm through.
🦞 About the crawfish: We buy frozen, pre-cooked Louisiana crawfish tail meat - you can find it in the freezer section of well-stocked grocery stores like Sam's Club, or order it online. Just make sure they're from Louisiana! Thaw it in the fridge overnight or in cold water before using. You could boil and peel fresh crawfish, but that's a lot of work for a dip! The frozen tails work beautifully here.
- Step 4: Add the cream cheese, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and Creole mustard. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir often to melt the cream cheese.
🧈 Soften your cream cheese first! Leave it out at room temperature for about an hour before you start cooking. This helps it melt smoothly into the dip without lumps.
🫙 What's Creole mustard? It's a coarse-ground brown mustard with a tangy, slightly spicy kick - totally different from yellow mustard! It adds so much depth to this dip. Look for Zatarain's or any Louisiana-style Creole mustard.
🌶️ Louisiana-style hot sauce like Crystal or Louisiana Brand is thinner and more vinegar-forward, giving it a distinct Cajun flavor and heat. Crystal is our favorite!
- Step 5: Once the cream cheese is melted and smooth, start adding the parmesan and sharp white cheddar in small handfuls, stirring to melt each addition before adding more. Save some cheese for topping! Stir in some of the dark green parts of the green onions (reserve some for garnish).
- Step 6: Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
🧀 Grate your cheese fresh! Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly. If you shred it yourself, you'll get way better cheese pulls. Trust us on this one!
- Step 7: Top the dip with the remaining cheese and crushed Ritz crackers.
Transfer to a 375°F oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes.
⏱️ Keep an eye on it in the final minutes! You want a gorgeous golden crust on top, but you don't want to burn the crackers.
Top with fresh parsley, green onions, and extra crawfish if you're feeling fancy! Serve hot with crusty baguette slices, Ritz crackers, tortilla chips, or veggies for dipping. Don't forget the hot sauce on the side! 🔥
🌟Leave a Review!
If you make this Hot Baked Cajun Crawfish Dip, we'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below with your rating for the recipe. Share with us by tagging us on Instagram! We love seeing your creations! 📸
📖 Recipe
Cajun Crawfish Dip Recipe - Hot Baked with Cream Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 whole green onions white and green parts divided
- 1 medium green bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 2 - 3 teaspoons kosher salt to taste, deepnds on how much added salt your Cajun or Creole seasoning has
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3-4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning Can sub Creole seasoning, no salt added if possible, and to taste
- 1 pound Louisiana crawfish tail meat thawed, or more if you'd like!
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoons Creole mustard
- 2 teaspoons horseradish sauce
- 2-3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese 8 ounces, freshly shredded and divided
- 1½ cups parmesan cheese 6 ounces, freshly shredded and divided
- 15 crushed Ritz crackers optional
- Chopped parsley, green onions, more crawfish, and hot sauce for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the white parts of the green onions, the green and red bell peppers, onion, and celery with a pinch of salt.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 6 whole green onions, 1 medium green bell pepper, 1 medium red bell pepper, 1 large yellow onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 - 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- Sauté until the vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Cajun seasoning, and lemon zest. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.10 cloves garlic, 3-4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, Zest of 1 lemon
- Add the crawfish tail meat and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to warm through.1 pound Louisiana crawfish tail meat, ¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the cream cheese, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and Creole mustard. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir often until the cream cheese melts.8 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Creole mustard, 2 teaspoons horseradish sauce, 2-3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Begin adding the parmesan and white cheddar in small handfuls, stirring to melt each addition before adding more. Reserve some cheese for topping. Stir in some of the dark green parts of the green onions (save the rest for garnish).2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, 1½ cups parmesan cheese
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Top with the remaining cheese and crushed Ritz crackers.Juice of ½ a lemon, 15 crushed Ritz crackers
- Bake until golden brown and bubbly, 25-30 minutes.
- Top with fresh parsley, green onions, and extra crawfish if desired. Serve hot with baguette slices, crackers, tortilla chips, or veggies.Chopped parsley, green onions, more crawfish, and hot sauce for garnish
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Video
Notes
- Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350°F oven until warmed through. We don't recommend freezing.
- Make ahead: Prep the dip up to 2 days in advance - just stop before baking. Store covered in the fridge, then bake when ready to serve.
- Crawfish: We use frozen, pre-cooked Louisiana crawfish tail meat. Find it at well-stocked grocery stores or order online. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
- Cajun seasoning: Salt-free blends work best since we season separately. (Try our homemade Cajun seasoning blend!) Adjust the added salt if yours contains salt.
- Scaling: Half the ingredients for a smaller batch (use an 8-inch skillet). Double for a crowd (use a larger baking dish).
Comments
No Comments