New Orleans is responsible for countless culinary feats in the comfort food department, and you can bet your bottom dollar -- Crawfish Pie is one of them. Loaded with savory crawfish cooked in a Creole sauce and baked in a buttery, flaky pie crust, this dish is a true masterpiece of flavor and textures. And, best of all, it's one you can make at home in your very own kitchen.
This is where Crawfish Etouffee and Pot Pie collide, and it is absolutely glorious.
In fact, this Cajun/Creole creation is so adored, you've probably heard about it in the famous country music song "On the Bayou," originally performed by, the one and only, Hank Williams, Sr. If you haven't heard the song, you might want to give it a listen. It's sure to bring a smile to your face, as well as a likely hankering for filet gumbo, and of course, (the real star of the show) Crawfish Pie.
WHAT'S IN CRAWFISH PIE?
Crawfish Pie and Etouffee have more in common than just flavor. The filling for Crawfish Pie is almost identical to the makeup of Etouffee.
THE FILLING
It begins with melted butter, diced yellow onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. There is no need for any canned, condensed soups to make Crawfish Pie. Flour is the only thickener you need.
The liquid portion of Crawfish Pie can be made up of either chicken broth or seafood broth, and it is flavored with tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, Creole seasoning, and a bay leaf.
The last items to go in are diced tomatoes and cooked crawfish tails.
THE CRUST
You can either make your Crawfish Pie crust from scratch or use store-bought pie crusts. To make pie crust from scratch, you’ll whisk together flour, and salt, cut in cold butter and shortening using either a pastry blender or your food processor, and then drizzle in ice-cold water. Mix until a dough has formed, divide into two discs (preferably with one disk being slightly larger than the other), and transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
HOW TO MAKE CRAWFISH PIE
Making Crawfish Pie at home comes down to three things: The filling, the crust, and the bake. None of which are complicated, but just in case you're in need of a little guidance, everything you need to know is below.
1. MAKE THE FILLING
- Melt butter and soften vegetables.
- Add flour, tomato paste, chicken broth, and seasoning -- stir and simmer.
- Add tomatoes and crawfish tails and simmer 5 minutes more.
The Cajun trinity (bell pepper, celery, and onions) along with a little butter will get your Crawfish Pie started on the right foot. Once the vegetables have softened up, add the garlic and then it's time for the thickener -- all-purpose flour. The flour is sprinkled over the vegetables and stirred for about one minute.
Add the tomato paste just before you begin adding in the broth. When you first add the broth, add it one big splash at a time, stirring well after each addition. This is a foolproof way to make sure that your sauce stays smooth in consistency, with no lumps.
Next, you’ll add in the Worcestershire sauce, the hot sauce, all of those glorious spices, and the chopped tomatoes and then it's time to simmer, allowing the sauce to thicken up and the flavors to marry. You’ll want to stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of your pan. Lastly, add the crawfish tails and let it simmer for about 5 minutes more.
2. ROLL OUT THE CRUST AND ASSEMBLE
- Roll out the pie crusts and place bottom crust in pie dish.
- Add filling, top with the top crust and pinch to seal.
When the pie filling is ready, you’ll roll out the bottom crust, lay it in the pie dish, and add your filling. Then, roll out the top pie crust and cover your pot pie with it, bring the bottom crust up and over the top, pinching the two together to enclose.
For an extra golden crust and a special touch, brush the pie crust with egg wash and sprinkle with Kosher salt.
3. BAKE UNTIL GOLDEN
All of the ingredients inside the Crawfish Pie are already cooked, so the only thing we are concerned with at this point is cooking the pie crust.
The crust should be fully baked within 45-50 minutes. If the top crust should start to look golden brown before the time is up, simply cover the edges with either a pie shield or with aluminum foil and continue cooking for the allotted amount of time.
You might have a hard time resisting the pie right away, but it's best if you allow it to sit and cool for about 20 minutes or so. The longer the Crawfish Pie has to cool, the more set up the filling will be when you cut into it.
STORING AND FREEZING CRAWFISH PIE
According to FDA guidelines, seafood items can be kept safely in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, so eat it up quickly! However, you can extend the shelf life of your Crawfish Pie by freezing it.
To freeze Crawfish Pie, transfer it to a freezer-safe, airtight container and seal. Alternatively, you could wrap it tightly in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a couple of layers of aluminum foil. Crawfish Pie from the freezer is best eaten within a 3-month time span but can be frozen for up to 6 months.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CRAWFISH PIE
Crawfish Pie is filling enough to be served on its own, however, if you're feeding a crowd and looking for side dishes to serve alongside it, consider any of the following items:
- Classic House Salad
- Rosemary Roasted Potatoes or Roasted Baby Dutch Potatoes
- Green Beans
- Stewed Collard Greens or Mustard Greens
And, of course, Crawfish Pie would pair nicely with an ice cold beer or a crisp glass of white wine.
I served this to my husband and some football watching buddies recently, and it's safe to say these men were over the moon for Crawfish Pie. In fact, it was even a hit with the kids! But, then again, it's pretty tough to go wrong with a dish that combines a buttery, flaky pie crust with savory crawfish baked in a Creole-infused sauce. Please, enjoy!
5 MORE DINNER RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Cowboy Casserole topped with cheesy tater tots is a kid-friendly dinner that’ll have everyone lining up for seconds!
- Roast Beef Po' Boys feature perfectly tender, slow cooker roast beef, served over crusty French bread with sandwich toppings piled high.
- Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas are always a dinnertime hit! There's nothing quite like an authentic Tex-Mex enchilada gravy combined with a flavorful ground beef filling and melty cheese.
- Chicken Fried Steak is the ultimate comfort food dinner in the South! Breaded cube steaks, fried and topped with easy homemade country gravy. Yes, please!
- Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti is perfect for feeding a crowd! Loaded with chicken, peppers and onion, and a creamy homemade cream of mushroom sauce.
A classic New Orleans Crawfish Pie Recipe featuring a savory, Creole crawfish filling, enclosed in buttery, flaky pie crust and baked to perfection.
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 stalks of celery, finely diced
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups unsalted chicken or seafood broth
- 2 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 ounces cooked crawfish tails
- 1 large tomato (pulp and seeds removed), diced
- 2 uncooked pie crusts
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
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Preheat the oven to 400° and have ready a greased, 9" (preferably deep dish) pie tin.
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Add butter to a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. As soon as the butter has melted, add the celery, bell pepper, and onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
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Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir until evenly coated. Stir in the tomato paste and begin adding the chicken broth one big splash at a time, whisking after each addition. Do this until the mixture begins to resemble a thick pudding. Once this consistency is reached, the remaining broth can be added in.
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Add the Worcestershire, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, and the bay leaf and allow the mixture to simmer, stirring often, about 6-8 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the crawfish and tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes more. Set aside until ready to use.
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Roll out the pie dough so that it is a ¼" thick. Lay one dough round on across the bottom of the pie dish, and allow the excess to lay over the sides of the dish.
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Pour the filling into the dish. Roll out the second dough round just the same, and place it over the dish. Crimp the edges of the pie crust together.
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To make the egg wash, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water, and using a pastry brush, lightly brush the mixture across the top crust and the edges. Create vent holes in the center of the pie, and transfer to a sturdy, rimmed baking sheet to catch any spillage.
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Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 350° and bake for 25-28 minutes more, or until the top is golden-brown. Use a pie shield to prevent the edges from over-browning.
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting into. Serve and enjoy
