Like some, you might believe that making Cajun food is not for the faint of heart. Developed in 18th century Southern Louisiana by descendants of West African, Spanish, and French cultures, Cajun food is known for its love of seafood, spice, and ingredients that might startle those of different backgrounds.
However, with rustic ingredients such as alligator, crawfish, and shrimp, famous Cajun dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, pecan pie, turtle soup, and pain perdu create a unique experience your senses won’t want to miss. Spiced to perfection with black and cayenne pepper, the smell of steaming rice, chopped celery, bell peppers and onions mingling with parsley, bay leaf, and thyme fills the air whenever a Cajun chef gets to work.
With the help of these nine Cajun cookbooks, the traditional ingredients, aromas, and dishes of this regional cuisine could soon transform your kitchen into a Louisiana paradise!
PI-YAHHHHH!! The Cajun Ninja’s Cookbook
Famously known online as “The Cajun Ninja,” online personality Jason Derouen combines a love of martial arts with his Cajun heritage in this exciting cookbook. After trying recipes straight from Derouen’s family kitchen like Smothered Pork Chops, Crawfish Étouffée and Sticky Chicken, you might find yourself chopping the air with happiness.
It might not actually make you into a ninja, but permeated with love for family and culture, Derouen’s satisfying cookbook will certainly have you yelling PI-YAHHHHH!!
The 100 Greatest Cajun Recipes
Cajun Chef Jude W. Theriot features often on this list, and it’s easy to see why—his expertise in traditional Louisiana cooking and French cuisine has won his eight cookbooks honored places on the shelves of aspiring Cajun chefs.
In The 100 Greatest Cajun Recipes, Theriot guides readers from savory to sweet, helpfully condensing his wide-reaching knowledge into the most essential, timeless recipes of Cajun cuisine. Easy-to-follow, these fundamental recipes provide a great way to get started making Cajun food while preserving a rich cultural tradition.
The Easy Creole and Cajun Cookbook
If you’re still feeling hesitant, the 50 recipes in Boudreaux’s cookbook are another great place to start. With “easy” in the title, The Easy Creole and Cajun Cookbook offers recipes that can be prepared in less than an hour without compromising authenticity or quality.
Prioritizing affordable, easy-to-access ingredients that any chef can acquire (where, exactly, does one purchase alligator meat?), Boudreaux's recipes are sure to make the novice Cajun chef’s life a little easier.
La Cuisine Cajun
Covering 200 authentic recipes, Chef Theriot’s second cookbook includes family stories in addition to incredible dishes. If you’re looking for a touch of the personal in your Cajun culinary journey, La Cuisine Cajun is for you.
Additionally, in this and many of his other cookbooks on the list, Theriot offers helpful lagniappe—extra suggestions about freezing, storing, and serving guaranteed to turn even the most basic dish into something spectacular.
Kosher Cajun Cookbook
No one should miss out on the flavorful delight that is Cajun food. Motivated by a desire to fuse Jewish and Cajun cooking, the authors of Kosher Cajun Cookbook have created kosher recipes that successfully replicate authentic Louisiana cuisine.
Though Kosher, which prohibits shellfish, shrimp, and other ingredients that Cajun relies on for its distinct savory dishes, might seem incompatible with Cajun cooking, Kosher Cajun Cookbook uses creative substitutions to unite the two delicious styles and prove otherwise.
The Justin Wilson #2 Cookbook
In his second cookbook, Cajun-inspired Chef Justin Wilson merges humor and culture as he unveils the secrets of Cajun cooking. With unforgettable recipes such as Stuffed Cucumbers, Leftover Spaghetti Casserole, and Wild Ducks and Turnips, Wilson brings the time-honored insights of Cajun cooking directly to your table. For example, Wilson describes special Cajun tricks to tenderizing meat in his “Cooking in a Bag” section. Sure to please, the beloved PBS host’s The Justin Wilson #2 Cookbook will have you laughing and licking your fingers at the same time.
Cajun Low-Carb
With Cajun Low-Carb, dieters can confidently enjoy what Cajun food has to offer. Whether you’ve been on keto for years, or are simply trying to cut back a little, this cookbook is perfect for the carb-conscious Cajun chef. Chef Theriot himself lost over 100 pounds eating the recipes in Cajun Low-Carb, demonstrating that weight loss can go hand in hand with a sophisticated palette. Refusing to compromise on taste, these delectable recipes will even satisfy devoted carb-lovers!
Cajun Healthy
Aside from being high in carbs, Cajun food has also been traditionally associated with high-fat, high-calorie dishes. Thankfully, Chef Theriot wrote Cajun Healthy to highlight the cuisine’s malleability to health concerns. In Cajun Healthy, his fifth cookbook, Theriot modifies traditional Cajun recipes by adjusting the amounts used of the ingredients posing the greatest health risks. Because he adjusts recipes rather than substituting ingredients, Theriot’s method preserves the explosive flavors and authentic culinary experience offered by the original recipe. With over 200 expertly modified recipes, Cajun Healthy is the cookbook of Cajun-lovers’ dreams.
Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen
Last but not least, Chef Prudhomme’s cookbook is a sworn must-have by veteran Cajun chefs. Whether Cajun recipes have been passed down in your family for generations, or you’re just venturing out on your Cajun culinary adventure, Prudhomme’s recipes have something for everyone. Though a world-famous culinary master, Chef Prudhomme personally tested each of the recipes in this cookbook using regular appliances in a home-sized kitchen so that any chef could follow them. Merging tradition with new creations, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen is the perfect tool for any chef.
