The 12 Cajun Side Dishes You Should Serve With Red Beans And Rice

Cajun cuisine is rich, varied, but predominantly spicy so you can serve many dishes with red beans and rice.

These could be rich dishes like Slow Cooker Cajun Ham And Beans or Cajun Crab Dip where the beans and rice can add more bulk.

You can also complement this side dish with other sides like Cajun Easy Fried Cabbage, Cajun Roasted Vegetables, and Cajun Potato Salad.

Talking of potatoes, you can serve them crispy and they will go really well with rice and beans too.

In this guide, we will detail 12 Cajun side dishes that you should serve with red beans and rice. There will also be a bonus section for potato-based side dishes.

1. Slow Cooker Cajun Ham And Beans

If you have a bit more time, you can slow-cook some delicious Cajun Ham And Beans.

Grab a package of Cajun 15 Bean Soup which you can rinse and sort, making sure that you remove any debris.

And the beans and a seasoning packet to the slow cooker then set it to high.

Meanwhile, dice onions, carrots, and celery then add to the slow cooker with garlic and chicken broth.

Cover and cook until the beans are tender which may take five hours then add canned tomatoes and ham. Stir and cook for another hour and then serve with sour cream.

2. Grilled Cajun Shrimp Skewers

There is always room for seafood in Cajun cuisine and these Shrimp Skewers should go down a treat.

Large shrimp is threaded onto skewers then coated with a delicious combination of melted butter, lemon juice, honey, and Cajun seasoning.

Grill until nicely charred and then serve.

3. Louisiana Cajun Wingstop Wings

If you want some finger food to go with your red beans and rice then Louisiana Cajun Wingstop Wings will do the trick.

You will need a dry rub from smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, Kosher salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, and cumin.

Toss the chicken wings in oil to coat and then massage in the dry rub and arrange the wings on a baking sheet in one later.

Bake until crispy and completely cooked, then serve with a dressing of your choice.

4. Cajun Maque Choux Corn

Another popular side dish you can serve with red beans and rice is Cajun Maque Choux Corn.

Few side dishes come as traditional as this and it should help you imagine you are in Louisiana.

This is close to a cooked salsa as freshly cut corn kernels are mixed and simmered with cooked green pepper and onion then fresh tomato, milk, and salt.

The real Cajun taste comes from cayenne pepper and crumbled crispy bacon, you could even throw in some jalapeño peppers.

5. Cajun Easy Fried Cabbage

Cajun Easy Fried Cabbage may well be one of those Cajun sides that you simply have to try.

You only need four ingredients and around 15 minutes to prepare this delicious side dish.

Remove the outer leaves from a cabbage head then cut in half and slice one half into strips.

Fry the strips in melted butter then add Cajun seasoning, and red wine vinegar, while continuously stirring until the cabbage is evenly softened.

6. Creole Green Beans

These are not just regular green beans, these are Creole Green Beans which come with a kick and some extra tasty ingredients.

Cook the green beans as you would normally to ensure they are how you want them to be, which may be al dente or a bit more tender.

In another pan, cook up onion, green pepper, and bacon until the vegetables are nice and tender while the bacon is crisp.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, ground mustard, salt, and pepper. Add in the bacon drippings then blend with diced tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Cook until thickened then add the drained green beans and stir in the bacon mixture then serve when it has all warmed through.

7. Cajun Roasted Vegetables

You can create so many dishes with Cajun seasoning that it seems rude not to.

The roasted vegetables you use for this recipe can be a mix of your favorites yet should include red onion and bell peppers.

After that, throw in some squashes or broccoli, but make sure they are coated with olive oil and covered in Cajun seasoning.

Bake in the oven until the vegetables are tender and then serve warm.

8. Bisquick Cornbread

Some gatherings just need something reassuringly warm, soft, moist, and moderately flavored which is why you should try this Bisquick Cornbread.

In a bowl, stir together the Bisquick, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, milk, eggs, and melted butter.

Once the batter is moist and evenly mixed, you should get a fluffy cornbread but do not use an electric mixer as you want a few lumps.

Pour the mixture into a prepared baking pan then bake until lightly golden and cut into squares.

9. Cajun Coleslaw

Of course, if you are having a gathering, you should think of some cold, fresh dishes to go alongside more hearty sides.

That should mean coleslaw and a Cajun version combines shredded carrot, white cabbage, and red cabbage with finely diced red onion and cauliflower.

Mix it all together with mayonnaise, sea salt, sugar, and Cajun seasoning then refrigerate until ready to serve, that’s it.

10. Cajun Crab Dip

If you want to infuse your red beans and rice with more of a seafood twist then throw in some Cajun Crab Dip.

Combine cream cheese with mayonnaise and horseradish then add in Cajun seasoning and hot sauce.

Mix until creamy then fold in the crab meat (claw or lump, it does not really matter) until evenly distributed.

11. Cajun Marinated Cucumber Salad

For a cool side dish to refresh your palate, try this Cajun Marinated Cucumber Salad. There’s still a bit of spice, which you would expect from a Cajun side dish.

The cucumber salad itself comes from thinly sliced cucumbers (a mandolin is ideal), finely chopped onion, green bell pepper, celery, green onion, and parsley.

There’s also a splash of color from roasted red peppers while the fresh taste comes from a marinade.

Create that separately by mixing together brown sugar, extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Tabasco, Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce, garlic, seasoning, and cayenne pepper.

Make sure that you give the cucumber mix a few hours to infuse with the marinade before serving.

12. Cajun Potato Salad

Potato Salad is a staple side dish and a Cajun version should come with some typical ingredients.

You will still need to peel and cube some Yukon Gold potatoes yet a lemon and half an onion are added to the pan of cooking water.

Once tender, combine chopped onion with hard-boiled eggs, dill pickle relish, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and, of course, Cajun seasoning.

Drain the potatoes and rinse them under cold water then discard the lemon and onion, and toss the potatoes with the mayonnaise mixture then refrigerate for a couple of hours before sprinkling with paprika and parsley.

Bonus Section: Potato-Based Side Dishes

Potato-based side dishes are common and these come well-seasoned in Cajun cuisine. You can try Cajun Fries, Cajun Grilled Potato Wedges, and Cajun Baked Sweet Potato Fries.

Cajun Fries

You might have yearned for Cajun Fries from a fast-food restaurant (Popeye’s for instance), yet you can make a batch at home.

These should have a fluffy interior surrounded by a crispy shell with a spicy kick.

Slice and soak the potato sticks and leave overnight then pat dry and fry in hot oil. Once crispy and golden brown, sprinkle them with Cajun seasoning and serve immediately.

Cajun Baked Sweet Potato Fries

If there are Cajun Fries, it stands to reason that there should be Cajun Baked Sweet Potato Fries.

These are prepared pretty much the same way as regular fries with the sweet potato cut into thin strips and then soaked.

This might be a healthier recipe as instead of being fried, the sweet potato sticks are baked with vegetable oil, salt, and spices.

Cajun Grilled Potato Wedges

Then there are potato wedges which are kinda like a cross between fries and sweet potato fries.

You can grill Russet potatoes, just make sure that they are scrubbed and first cut in half lengthwise to get the size right.

Toss them with olive oil and set aside while you prepare a Cajun spice blend.

A typical recipe is a combination of Kosher salt, black pepper, dried thyme, onion powder, white pepper, oregano, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika which you sprinkle on top then grill the wedges until the potato is cooked.

Final Thoughts

A lot of Cajun cuisine is based on a balance of spices which is nicely offset with a side of Red Beans and Rice. You could look to up the spice with Chicken Wings or Shrimp Skewers.

However, look out for texture too so opt for crispy sides like Cajun Fries or Cajun Grilled Potato Wedges.

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