Mardi Grass is a time for tradition and festivity. Since New Orleans is a gastronomic hub that honors its culture and authenticity, particular foods shine during these celebratory days. Although these dishes can be found year-round in the city, they tend to grow in popularity and demand during the Carnival days of Mardi Gras.

Typical Mardi Gras foods carry the history and spirit of the city and festival. Many adapt to variations and morph into creative expressions of culture and personality, but they always maintain their true essence. Try them all as you celebrate the largest New Orleans celebration, or prepare these Mardi Gras foods at home to get a sense of Louisiana cooking.

Related Reading: In NOLA for Mardi Gras? Don’t miss our top ideas for New Orleans souvenirs, including Mardi Gras gifts!

Mardi Gras Main Dishes

Crawfish Etouffee

Crawfish etouffee is a thick and creamy stew-like meal served over white rice. It is a typical Creole dish made with bell peppers, onions, and the typical Louisiana crawfish. Mixing flour and butter to make the sauce makes the consistency velvety and ideal.

Crawfish etouffee is served all over Louisiana, and it is one of the most typical dishes of New Orleans cuisine. It brings the warmth of Creole cooking to the table, along with simple and staple ingredients that work perfectly when mixed. During Mardi Gras, the dish is served to visitors who want to explore the wonders of local gastronomy.

Shrimp Po’boy

Every culinary culture has its sandwich. The Koreans have their fluffy pork belly bao, Argentinians have the choripan, and New Yorkers indulge in the classic Reuben. In Louisiana, locals cherish the shrimp po’boy.

A shrimp po’ boy is a baguette-based sandwich with fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and remoulade sauce. It is simple and perfect – everything you need for a Mardi Gras halftime snack. Po’ boys can also be made with other proteins like beef or seafood. However, the shrimp po’boy is definitely the most famous as a Mardi Gras food.

Jambalaya

Jambalaya is literally a melting pot of different cultures. With Spanish and French influences, the Creole dish combines rice and meat with the typical Louisiana blend of onions, celery, and bell peppers. Many recipes usually use andouille sausage and chicken as their meat choices for Jambalaya, which grant it that fatty aspect we all love.

During Mardi Gras celebrations, many people eat giant bowls of this warm, delicious, and hearty meal.

Muffuletta Sandwich

Italian immigrants in New Orleans created the muffuletta sandwich, now one of the most typical Mardi Gras dishes. It consists of Sicilian sesame bread stuffed with salami, ham, cheese, and olive salad. The sandwich is delicious, easy to make, and perfect for Carnival snacking when you’re on the go or hanging out with friends.

Gumbo

Gumbo is one of the most typical dishes in Louisiana. It consists of a stew or thick soup with a blend of meats and shellfish and the holy trinity of Creole cuisine: bell peppers, onions, and celery. It can be made with various types of meat and proteins, and is pretty open to interpretation and flavor.

The dark bechamel-like sauce – called the roux – is the secret to a good gumbo, and it needs to be thick and rich in flavor for the dish to be delicious. During Mardi Gras, many visitors search for gumbo dishes in restaurants, wanting to taste one of the state’s most traditional dishes.

Read Beans and Rice

Nothing reflects Mamma’s cooking better than red beans and rice. This seemingly simple recipe is hard to perfect, and each household and venue adds a special touch to the dish, which always makes it unique. That’s why no one can make it quite like your mama.

It is made with andouille sausage and garden vegetables, but what truly adds magic to the dish are the zesty and rich spices that go into the mixture, like bay leaves and cajun seasoning. During Mardi Gras, those looking for a homey meal can always find comforting flavors in a bowl of red beans and rice.

Mardi Gras Desserts

King Cake

Nothing screams Mardi Gras louder than a slice of King Cake. The traditional multi-colored pastry is the edible symbol of the carnival and is sold everywhere during celebration days. It is typical for a King Cake to have a tiny figurine of baby Jesus hidden inside. Whoever gets the slice with the figure receives a stroke of good luck – or has to buy the next cake, depending on who you are eating with!

Insider’s Tip: King Cake may be one of the most well-known local treats, but there are so many more! Check out our top nine Louisiana desserts that you have to sample on a trip to New Orleans.

Beignets

Beignets are the pastry equivalent of American’s sweetheart in New Orleans. It is one of the most traditional Louisiana dishes, and it booms during Mardi Gras celebrations. They are small, fried pastries sprinkled with powdered sugar, and that’s it. Again, the beauty of beignets lie in their simplicity, and they always tastes better in the morning with a side of hot coffee.

Pecan Pralines

Pecan pralines are a classic New Orleans candy and another Mardi Gras food staple. They are sweet and crunchy, with buttery and creamy caramel flavors blending perfectly with the nuttiness of the pecans. Pralines are extremely easy to make at home, and there are many adaptations with chocolate and other nuts.

Mardi Gras Drinks

Hurricane Cocktail

Mardi Gras is also a time for drinking and partying; the most traditional New Orleans cocktail for that is the Hurricane. Sweet, tropical, easy to make, and refreshing, a Hurricane is a ticket to a good time. Because of its fruity flavors, people can’t usually feel the taste of rum and the actual strength of the cocktail.

To make a Hurrican, you blend light and dark rum and add passion fruit, orange, and lemon juice. Finish the drink off with grenadine and simple syrup to kick the sweetness up a notch. It is best served walking down Bourbon Steet with a beignet in the opposite hand.

Sazerac

For those who like a more “serious” drink, the Sazerac is another New Orleans and Mardi Gras classic. A jazz-bar cocktail, the Sazerac showcases the strong notes of its base spirit (cognac or rye), all while displaying notes of star anis from the added absinthe and aromas of Peychaud bitters.

Sit at an authentic New Orleans jazz bar and sip on a Sazerac while listening to live music. It may just be the highlight of your trip.

The Best of Mardi Gras Food

Mardi Gras is one of the liveliest celebrations in North America. The Louisiana Carnaval is packed with music, dance, colors, parties, and, of course, food. Typical Mardi Gras dishes are easy to prepare and showcase the essence of Creole cuisine and tradition.

While exploring New Orleans during these festive days, take a bite of some of the dishes described above! You will be surprised at how delicious it can all be.