8 Best Andouille Sausage Recipes

Andouille sausage is a staple of Cajun cuisine that harkens back to the South's ties to France. But while the original Andouille sausage recipe may have originated in French territory, the good people of Louisiana have adapted the original Andouille into the smoky, spicy sausage we know and love today. We've enjoyed many recipes that use this sausage and thought it would be a good idea to pull together some of our favorites.

As you make your way through the list, you'll likely notice the fact that all of these recipes are either direct from the Cajun cookbook or heavily inspired by the cuisine. That's no coincidence, as the sausage immediately conjures the image of hearty jambalaya, flavorful gumbo, and steamy crawfish boils. The sausage is an indelible piece of the regional cuisine and, although other regions also make good use of Andouille, it is first and foremost a Cajun and Creole ingredient.

There's a good variety of recipes here — some work better as side dishes that pair well with similarly flavorful main plates, but we focus on entrees as well, ranging from classic iterations of Cajun cooking to inventive fusions of Cajun sensibilities and other food genres (namely, pasta). There are a lot of different types of sausage out there so make sure you're getting the right one. It's the Cajun Andouille sausage you want here.

Starting off with a powerful side dish, this Cajun potato casserole is a great way to bring bold flavor to a timeless format. Potato dishes come in all shapes and sizes but they aren't always as flavorful as they could be. This recipe gets around the muted potato profile by adding Southern Andouille sausage, which is different from the original French style because of its extra kick. Topped with a light layer of cheese, this creamy side dish is highly versatile and freezes easily in the unlikely situation that you don't finish the whole pan.

Recipe: Cajun Potato Casserole

Looking for a great new lunch idea? This sandwich takes its inspiration from the mouthwatering flavors of Cajun po'boys and gives you a reason to pull your panini press out from the back of the cupboard. Complete with a rich slathering of remoulade (which is similar to aioli) and a nice bed of diced peppers, this mouthful of goodness is sure to brighten your work day, and the combination of Andouille sausage and sliced turkey give you the energy you need to keep on hustling.

Recipe: Cajun Turkey Po'Boy-Ish Panini

Ubiquitous in the South, hush puppies are a delicious ball of fried dough, and this recipe improves on the classic appetizer by adding bits of Andouille sausage into the batter for a meaty kick. The origin of hush puppies is hotly debated, but you don't need to be a food history buff to appreciate what a little cornmeal and oil can do. If you've got some leftover remoulade sauce from your Cajun panini, it makes for a great dipping sauce for these little guys.

Recipe: Cajun Andouille Hush Puppies

American food culture wouldn't be the same without the big flavors of Southern Cajun cooking, and there's no better way to appreciate our roots than with this traditional jambalaya. Not to be confused with gumbo, this one-pot dish tops off a bed of rice with chicken, Andouille sausage, and shrimp with a bona fide parade of spices and seasonings. You haven't lived until you've taken a bite of good old jambalaya, so get some cornbread and collard greens for side plates and chow down.

Recipe: Traditional Jambalaya

Just because something is traditional doesn't mean we shouldn't see where else the formula can take us. This version of jambalaya is great in the fall when sweet potatoes are in season, though you can make it all year-round. Swapping out the shrimp for sweet potato cuts down on the cost and removes the salty, briny seafood aspect of the traditional dish. You still have chicken and Andouille sausage to keep the jambalaya character intact, but this version is a touch more restrained in its flavor profile.

Recipe: Wild Rice And Sweet Potato Jambalaya

Chicken Alfredo is fine and well but its flavor doesn't usually have that wow-factor we crave. This Cajun twist on the Italian classic is the delicious love child of fettuccine Alfredo and classic jambalaya. It's got Andouille sausage and shrimp for protein and a creamy sauce dressed up with iconic Cajun seasoning all on a bed of tender fettuccine pasta. The whole thing comes together in just half an hour, so this would even be good for a busy weeknight dinner when you want something a little more special.

Recipe: Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

If you're looking for a hearty stew, this gumbo recipe is as far as you need to go. Filled with hearty bits of chicken and Andouille sausage, the flavorful broth is great to soak up with some bread or when paired with rice. The variety of vegetables is also a big plus nutritionally, with chopped up okra, bell pepper, onion, and celery all tossed in the pot. The best part of this meal is obviously the flavor, but don't forget that cooking in a Crockpot is unbelievably easy to do.

Recipe: Crockpot Chicken Gumbo

We love how fresh and innovative this crab boil carbonara is. Traditionally, carbonara is made with guanciale (though it's sometimes substituted with pancetta). This dish flips the script on its head and subs in diced Andouille sausage for carbonara's signature meaty chunks — but that's not all. By tossing in bits of crab meat, we get a bouquet of fresh seafood that makes this an easy summer recommendation. A useful tip is to save yourself the time and trouble of shelling the crab meat yourself by simply opting for canned crab meat.

Recipe: Crab Boil Carbonara