Crawfish Pie Recipe

This is a straightforward homemade version of Luby’s Crawfish Pie — creamy, a little spicy, and packed with cajun-style flavor. It’s cozy, easy to make in under an hour, and perfect when you want something hearty without ordering takeout.

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Quick Summary

• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cook time: 50 mins
• Flavor: creamy, spicy, buttery
• Great for: cozy family dinners, meal prep, weekend warmth

Why I Like This Recipe

Not gonna lie, I wasn’t even trying to cook. Just needed to use up some leftover crawfish tails and… wow. This pie came out so rich, a little fiery, soft in all the right places. That golden crust with the bubbling filling? Ugh. Ate two slices before anyone else got a bite. Total comfort food chaos and I’m not mad about it.

Ingredients

• 1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie crust (store-bought is fine, we’re tired)
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 1½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper (feel the burn or cut it down)
• ⅛ tsp white pepper
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 12 oz peeled crawfish tails (or shrimp, no rules here)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup water

How To Make Crawfish Pie Recipe

1. Pre-bake the crust: Plop your pie crust in a deep dish pie pan. Set it aside. Don’t poke holes in it, trust me.
2. Cook the veggies: Melt butter in a skillet, toss in onion, bell pepper, celery, salt, both peppers. Let it all go soft and shiny—like 5 mins tops.
3. Add the crawfish & tomatoes: Stir them in. Lower the heat. Let flavors hang out for 3-ish minutes. Smells kinda wild now, right?
4. Thicken it up: Mix flour and water in a bowl until smooth—like pancake batter vibes. Pour into skillet. Stir, simmer 5 mins until thick. Like gravy, but spicy.
5. Let it rest: Kill the heat. Let filling chill out for 20–30 mins. It thickens even more. Important or it’ll get soup-y.
6. Assemble & bake: Preheat oven to 400°F. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 30–40 mins until crust is golden, filling is bubbly.
7. Cool & serve: Let it rest 10 mins before slicing. Burns your mouth otherwise (learned that one real fast).

Tips for Success

• Let the filling sit before baking — it thickens as it cools and won’t sog up the crust.
• You can use frozen crawfish tails, just thaw them first.
• Don’t skip the white pepper — it’s subtle but makes a big flavor difference.
• If your crust browns too fast, cover edges with foil halfway through baking.

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: Keeps well for 3 days, covered. Reheats beautifully.
• Freezer: Not ideal. The crust gets weird.
• Reheat: Oven > microwave. Try 300°F for 10–15 mins. Crust stays crisp.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I use shrimp instead?
  Yep. Chopped small. Still delicious.
• Too spicy for kids?
  Maybe. Skip the cayenne and just add a pinch of paprika.
• Store-bought crust okay?
  Please. Who’s making pie dough at 6pm on a Thursday?
• Can I make it ahead?
  Yup. Bake, cool, refrigerate. Reheat in oven.
• Why’s mine soupy?
  Didn’t let the filling sit long enough. It needs that cool down time.

Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them

• Skipping the cool down
  Filling needs time to thicken. Otherwise? Soup pie.
• Too much heat in the pan
  Veggies burn, butter scorches. Keep it medium, chill.
• Crust getting too brown
  Tent the edges with foil halfway through baking if it’s looking crispy too early.
• Not seasoning enough
  Crawfish needs help. Salt, pepper, and cayenne aren’t optional.
• Trying to slice too soon
  Let it cool 10 minutes. Yes, you want a bite. No, you don’t want lava mouth.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, 1 of 6 slices)

• Calories: ~370 kcal
• Total Fat: ~23g
• Saturated Fat: ~10g
• Cholesterol: ~95mg
• Sodium: ~700mg
• Potassium: ~400mg
• Total Carbohydrate: ~24g
• Dietary Fiber: ~2g
• Sugars: ~3g
• Protein: ~15g