It's time to whip up a new co-star to go with your seafood or crawfish boil: a creamy, savory cajun crawfish dipping sauce to dip those juicy crawfish and shrimp tails into! Made with a handful of pantry ingredients and with no cooking required, this yummy little co-star is a must try with any type of seafood this season!
My life on the east coast has spoiled me with not only the ability to enjoy so many regional cuisines, but also my fridge is almost always stocked with seafood year round. From Florida with Key West shrimp and warm water lobster, to the Chesapeake Bay with our shrimp, crab, and oysters. And with that comes the best dips and sauces, right?
If you've been following me for a while, you know: I'm all about the sauce. Especially when it comes to a buttery, spicy Cajun seafood boil! I need at least 2 condiments to eat with the corn and potatoes, and my creamy Crawfish Dipping Sauce recipe is one that you'll love and come back to again and again.
When I serve this up, people say it tastes similar to Raising Cane's sauce or Mississippi Comeback Sauce so if you love those flavors, you're going to love this Louisiana favorite.
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Creamy Cajun Dipping Sauce - Put this on Everything!
Crawfish boils are just like seafood boils -- they're even better with a sauce!
My crawfish sauce is so easy to make and just as easy to share, a perfect blend of mayonnaise, Cajun seasoning, ketchup that I know almost every home cook's kitchen has!
And it's not just for crawfish or seafood, this creamy, flavorful sauce is perfect for dipping fried fish and chicken tenders, and delicious drizzled over a piece of fried chicken, roasted vegetables, grilled fish, I could go on and on.
Ingredients Needed for this Recipe
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Mayonnaise - I am partial to Duke's mayo for it's good flavor, but I also enjoy this with Japanese kewpie mayo as well! You could also make your own aioli mayo if you really want to get fancy.
- Ketchup - use one that you like, I try to go for one without high fructose corn syrup so it's not too sweet.
- Cajun Seasoning - this is a mix of paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion, etc. You can find store-bought brands like Slap Ya Mama and Ragin Cajun, but I also have a homemade Cajun seasoning mix that'll have you whipping your own batch together with spices I bet you have in the cabinet right now!
- Lemon Juice - the juice brings brightness. Almost all recipes need a bit of acidity especially ones based in something fatty and sweet like mayo and ketchup, ask any recipe developer!
- Hot Sauce - your favorite hot sauce will add a kick of heat, so if you want this to be more of a 'cool down sauce' for your spicy crawfish, adjust accordingly.
- Worcestershire Sauce - this is a sauce that's full of umami -- that deep, savory taste, the sixth taste on the tongue.
- Fresh Herbs - I like adding a bit of chopped parsley, sliced green onions, or chives to this recipe for a bit of color and a little fresh flavor.
How to Make the Best Crawfish Dipping Sauce
Whip all your ingredients together in a bowl and serve with your juicy seafood and crawfish boils! It literally takes less than a minute!
Even better: make it a couple hours ahead or even the day before so the flavors have time to get to know each other while they chill in the fridge.
Any leftover, unused sauce should stay in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, in an airtight container. Make sure the sauce wasn't dipped into by other food, or it could spoil earlier.
Variations and Pro Tips
Creole and Cajun seasoning tend to taste very similar, so if you don't have Cajun seasoning and don't want to make it, Creole seasoning would work just fine.
Pour the sauce into separate bowls when serving. We never want to contaminate the whole batch with double dipping!
Ways to Use Crawfish Sauce
Your Cajun crawfish sauce can be used as more than a dipping sauce! Try it as a cajun mayo spread on a smoked burger, turkey avocado sandwich, or steak and egg breakfast sandwich!
Drizzle the cajun sauce onto grilled fish tacos, on spicy tuna poke bowls, or even lobster rolls! Honestly, the sky's the limit!
More Sauce Recipes
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The Best Cajun Crawfish Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more, to taste
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- kosher salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together well except the salt. Taste, then season with salt if needed.1 cup mayonnaise, ¾ cup ketchup, 2 teaspoon hot sauce, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, ½ teaspoon black pepper, kosher salt, 1 tablespoon fresh chives or parsley
- Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or use immediately!
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