I know many of you will agree that nothing goes better with a thick, juicy steak than a baked potato. I’ve been to the fanciest steakhouses in all the land and when it comes to the perfect side dish, I’ll order a baked potato–loaded, for sure–every time. Oh, I’ve tried the creamed spinach, the frou-frou hollandaise-drenched asparagus, and even the wine-infused mushroom mélange, but you can have ‘em all. Give me a perfectly baked jacket potato and I’m set. Or better yet, the ultimate Crawfish Baked Potato.
Crawfish stuffed and twice baked, this Cajun recipe for Crawfish Baked Potato will change the way you look at baked potatoes. (All photos credit: George Graham)
But c’mon, let’s face it, the plain and simple baked potato isn’t exactly a gourmet dish. In most homes, it’s usually a microwaved afterthought for a cheap meal in a hurry. Even on most restaurant menus, the baked potato is almost always relegated to the bottom of the back page just below steamed broccoli. But I challenge the premise that a baked potato can’t stand on its own and take center stage. All it needs is a bit of creativity–Cajun creativity.
So, here’s the thing–baked potato artistry is not as simple as it appears. Do it right and it is sublime. Skip a few steps and you fall short. Just find the perfect russet potato, scrub it, oil it, poke it, wrap it, and bake it in a hot oven. Pretty straightforward, huh? Well, my Cajun recipe version takes this basic recipe and twice-bakes it for fluffier interior and crisper skin. Oh, and one more thing–crawfish.
Now, you know this Louisiana boy is gonna up the flavor on a simple baked potato. Oh yeah. Down on the bayou, we have a take on the term “loaded” that sends this simple spud soaring into the high heavens. Crawfish is that singular Cajun recipe ingredient that defines good Cajun cooking and when baked inside a creamy, cheesy potato it’s time to lock and load. With this Crawfish Baked Potato recipe, I combine the interior of the potato with butter, cheese and the rich fat of plump Louisiana crawfish tails, and it’s all stuffed and twice baked inside a hulled out potato. A crawfish baked potato is one savory, saucy side dish.
No half-baked idea here. Give this twice-baked Cajun recipe for Crawfish Baked Potato a try and you’ll never look at a baked potato the same way again.
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- ½ cup diced yellow onions
- ½ cup diced celery
- 2 tablespoons diced green onion tops
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- Dash of hot sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound Louisiana crawfish tails
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Wash and dry the potatoes. Using a fork, poke a few holes in each side to allow moisture to escape during cooking. Coat the potatoes with olive oil and slice in half vertically. Keep the two halves together and wrap the pre-sliced potato in aluminum foil. Bake in the oven until completely tender, about 1 hour. Unwrap and scoop out the inside flesh of the potato without breaking through the outer skin. Chop the scooped-out flesh of the potato into small pieces. Keep warm.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter. Add the onions, celery, and green onion tops and cook until the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, seasoning, and hot sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and add the crawfish tails along with the potato flesh that was scooped out earlier. Mix thoroughly to combine and add the cheese and sour cream. Mix together. Stuff the crawfish mixture back into the potato shells and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the tops begin to brown, about 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with a salad as an entrée or as a side dish with a perfectly grilled steak.
Creamy and cheesy with spicy crawfish flavor, this Crawfish Baked Potato is a baked potato like never before.
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Thanks, George.
Looks great & sounds DELICIOUS!!!
Hey Stefanie – And tastes delicious, too! Give the recipe a try and tell me what you think. Thanks for the comment. Best, George
I just printed the recipe and will be making these tonight with a salad!
Any idea where a land locked cajun food lover can get ‘fresh’ tails? I’m in Colorado but grew up on the Gulf Coast and miss the down home flavors that sparked a love of food at an early age.
Hey Shawn – I hear that Oliver’s Meat & Seafood Market on E 6th Ave in Denver has crawfish tails. Can’t vouch for the quality or even if they are Louisiana crawfish (definitely buy Louisiana). I highly recommend you buy online from Cajungrocer.com – great quality and service, and you can get them overnight if you want. Thanks for the comment. George
My daughter and I are making this tonight. The kitchen smells wonderful! Can’t wait to taste it!
Hey Tamara-
You are a great mom! Making delicious memories are what cooking is all about. Let us know how it tastes. All the best to you and your daughter.
Can’t wait to try this
Just saw the recipe will try it especially with a salad.
Absolutely heavenly!! Loved it and can’t wait to try some of your others.
I’ve been gone from Port Barre for 36 years, but I visit there as often as I can. I will never equal my Mom’s cooking prowess, but I like to cook. I have tried several of your recipes since I found your site. I have never been disappointed. I will definitely make this for my Texas friends.
Hey Ned – Thanks for the kind comments. And be sure to bring your Texas friends some boudin from Bourque’s in Port Barre. Best, George
You forgot the bacon! A stuffed/twice baked potato HAS to have bacon.
Hey Brenton – I love the way you think! And as they say, “everything is better with bacon.” Thanks for the idea. Best, George
Love this recipe for twice baked potato with crawfish cannot wait to try it but first I have to get the crawfish somewhere here in Virginia. (Displaced from NewOrleans due to Katrina)
Hey Irma – Nothing like a taste of crawfish to make you homesick for Louisiana (that’s a good thing). Look around, and if you can’t find Louisiana crawfish, then order them from Cajungrocer.com. All the best.
This is a must try
Gosh! This looks and sounds great! Will be trying this tonight.
love your recipes
Sounds like a great recipe. Can’t wait to try it. Wonder how left over boiled crawfish would spice up this dish.
Hey Stan- Good comment. Most packaged crawfish tails do not have added spice, so using tails from a crawfish boil will add some additional spice. So, either go for the extra spiciness or omit the recipe instruction of adding Cajun seasoning if you want it milder. Quite frankly, I don’t think the heat level will be that noticeable. Also, if you are using tails from a crawfish boil, don’t forget to scoop out some of the fat from the heads for an extra boost of flavor and creaminess. Go for it! George
Hey George. .. I do a craw fish boil every May. … I have some tails in the freezer from two weeks ago. .. I’ll make your potatoes today. . And post pictures later.
I left Louisiana 2 years ago and have been pretty homesick. I’m making this next week for a little taste of home. Can’t wait!
Love the baked potato recipe
I am a lead cook, I love what I do , and I love this recipe. I am looking forward to more recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Love the picture.
Can I substitute the crawfish for crab meat? My husband is allergic to crawfish, but can tolerate crab
Lucretia – For sure, crabmeat (shrimp, too) would be delicious. Let us know how it turns out. Thanks for the comment. Best, George
I can’t wait to make!!
Looking forward to receiving and trying some great recipes from Acadiana Table.
This looks good, will try with shrimp, live in the Bahamas and our crawfish season is closed until August. Looking forward to receiving more recipes
Awesome!
Please add me to email its. Your recipe for crawfish baked potato looks wonderful. Would like to receive more recipes
I love Cajun cooking. I lived in Louisiana for 14 years. Please add me to your list!
Definitely will be cooking this for dinner this weekend. Unfortunately, crawfish are hard to comeby in Inglewood, CA; however, I’ve got everything but the large russets. My faily’s gonna love it. I’ll let you know. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!!!!!!!
Looking forward to future ideas.
I am from the south ,I will make the potatoes real soon.Thank you!!
I will definitely be trying this recipe…it looks heavenly.
Looking forward to receiving tips and now recipes
I will cook this today
I’m making these as we speak (text). I will let ya’ll know!!
This sounds great. I had boiled crawfish last night. Wish I had saved some and could have made this tonight.
Love it.
Sign me up, please! Good looking stuff!
Gotta get on your email list and get these recipes. Can’t wait to try them, Many Thanks.
I am from New Orleans but I reside in Houston TX.I love crawfish and when I saw this recipe I had to make it and OMG it was the bomb.My Family loved them.We added bacon bits and sour cream on top when they were finish.I will definitely be making more recipes from this site.Thanks because they are simple recipes.I will be trying the crawfish pie for Mother’s Day
Please add me to your email list. Needing new ideas and the crawfish baker is a great start. Thanks
I love Cajun cooking. Good to see this page on facebook.
can’t wait to try this, looks great and delicious too