Crawfish Cornbread

This crawfish cornbread is pure Louisiana. A full pound of crawfish tails folded into a cheesy, jalapeno-spiked cornmeal batter with creamed corn for moisture and onion for depth. It’s dense, savory, and substantial enough to serve as a main course.

Creamed corn is the secret to the texture here. It keeps the cornbread incredibly moist and adds a natural sweetness that plays off the briny crawfish and the heat from the jalapenos. No milk or buttermilk needed when the creamed corn is doing that job.

The cheese melts into the batter during baking, creating pockets of gooey richness between bites of crawfish tail. Between the crawfish, cheese, corn, and peppers, every forkful has something different going on.

Chef Tips

• Stir the crawfish in last and gently. Rough mixing can break up the tender tails.
• Seed the jalapenos if you want less heat. Leave the seeds in for a proper Cajun kick.
• Don’t overbake. Pull it when the top is golden brown. The creamed corn makes the center stay softer than regular cornbread, which is normal.
• Let it cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before cutting. It firms up as it sits.

Variations

• Use shrimp in place of crawfish if crawfish tails aren’t available.
• Add a teaspoon of Cajun seasoning to the batter for more spice complexity.
• Top with a drizzle of hot sauce or remoulade for serving.