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If you’re wondering what to serve with your crawfish etouffee, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I list 42 of the most popular side dishes for crawfish etouffee.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best dishes to serve with crawfish etouffee are garlic confit toast, whole-fried okra, cilantro lime rice, and bacon cornbread. You can also try corn maque choux, fried catfish, or potato salad. For low-carb alternatives, go for roasted spaghetti squash and mashed cauliflower.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

Garlic confit toast

This recipe uses garlic confit instead of raw garlic to make the garlic butter.

The results?

An extra garlicky bite with a hint of nuttiness and a creamy texture – YUM!

All you need is a saucy dish like crawfish etouffee to dip these crunchy treats into.

Why we love this recipe: you get some bonus garlic-infused oil from making the confit.

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Garlic confit toast
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Texas toast
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Garlic breadsticks

Cilantro lime rice

Crawfish etouffee is usually served over plain white rice, but why not shake things up with cilantro lime rice instead?

It’s super easy to make – just add lime juice, lime zest, and fresh cilantro to your freshly cooked rice.

These additions give the rice a bright and refreshing flavor that will cut right through the richness of your etouffee.

Why we love this recipe: it’s a great way to make your dinner feel summery.

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Cilantro lime rice
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Cilantro-lime cauliflower rice
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Coconut rice

Lemon pepper fried catfish

Just like when you’re making fried chicken, this recipe recommends soaking the catfish filets in buttermilk first.

The buttermilk keeps the catfish moist and helps the cornmeal breading stick better, meaning no spots are left uncovered.

All it needs is to be smothered with crawfish etouffee!

Why we love this recipe: you can’t go wrong with the classics.

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Lemon pepper fried catfish
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Oven-baked catfish
Make it different
Beer-battered fish

Cheesy Southern grits

When it comes to grits, cooking them Southern-style is the way to go.

It involves cooking the grits in cream and broth and adding two kinds of freshly grated cheese to achieve a thick and luscious porridge-like dish.

Who could say no to that?

These grits are usually topped with shrimp, but saucy crawfish etouffee is a fabulous option too.

Why we love this recipe: it’s pure comfort in a bowl.

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Cheesy Southern grits
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Polenta
Skip the stovetop
Baked garlic cheese grits

Roasted spaghetti squash

Spaghetti squash is my go-to pasta alternative, but I hate it when the shredded strands get mushy.

Good thing it’s an easy fix – slice the squash into rings instead of lengthwise.

This technique will yield drier, longer spaghetti squash strands.

Toss the faux noodles in your crawfish etouffee for a fun and healthy “pasta” meal.

Why we love this recipe: there’s zero hands-on cooking involved.

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Oven-roasted spaghetti squash
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Garlic parmesan spinach spaghetti squash
Another pasta alternative
Zucchini noodles

Corn maque choux

Stick to crawfish etouffee’s Cajun roots and serve it with corn maque choux.

It’s a simple dish involving sauteed corn, peppers, and tomato seasoned with classic Cajun seasoning.

And a splash of cream is added at the end to give the veggies a hint of decadence.

Psst… this recipe adds jalapenos to amp up this dish’s heat level, but you can leave them out if you prefer.

Why we love this recipe: it’s endlessly customizable.

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Cajun corn maque choux
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Green salad

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/383861568243449988/

A simple green salad is always a welcome addition to a dish as rich and flavorful as crawfish etouffee.

This recipe uses a mixture of greens like arugula, lettuce, and frisee to add a fresh, crisp bite to your meal.

And when it comes to dressings, I always stick to a balsamic vinaigrette laced with maple syrup for a hint of sweetness.

Why we love this recipe: it’s great when you’ve left everything to the last minute.

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Simple green salad
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Cucumber salad with lime vinaigrette

Traditional potato salad

There are loads of recipes for potato salad, but you can never go wrong with the traditional recipe.

It features a slightly tangy mayo-based dressing that will help mellow out the tomatoey crawfish etouffee and provide a cooling contrast.

Psst… want to make this lighter? Swap the mayo for plain Greek yogurt.

This gives you a similar creaminess sans the extra calories.

Why we love this recipe: it’s even better the next day.

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Potato salad
Make it dairy-free
Garlic herb potato salad
Another summer classic
Creamy coleslaw

Mashed cauliflower

Whether you’re cutting down on carbs or just want something new, this mashed cauliflower is a must-try.

I recommend roasting the cauliflower instead of simply boiling it to give your mash a more complex flavor.

Plus, roasting draws out moisture from the florets, ensuring your mash won’t turn watery.

Spoon a hefty helping of crawfish etouffee over this low-carb mash for a well-balanced meal.

Why we love this recipe: a serving only has 154 calories.

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Mashed cauliflower
Another low-carb alternative
Mashed rutabaga
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Mashed red potatoes

Bacon cornbread

Not a fan of sweet cornbread? This recipe is for you.

It doesn’t use any sugar, and it’s chock-full of bacon bits (AND the drippings) for a smoky, savory twist.

You can also use bacon drippings to grease the skillet, so get super crispy edges.

Save a slice to soak up all the goodness from your etouffee’s rich gravy.

Why we love this recipe: everything’s better with bacon!

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Bacon cornbread
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Hot water cornbread
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Cheddar garlic cornbread biscuits

Grilled ribeye

Ribeye is my favorite cut of steak – it’s a bit fatty, but I like this because the meat is extra juicy.

All the steak needs is a quick sear in a VERY hot pan, and then a few minutes in the oven to ensure it’s cooked through.

Why we love this recipe: it’s 5* dining in the comfort of your own home.

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Perfect ribeye steaks
Ditch the grill
Herb butter basted cast iron steak
Make it budget-friendly
Baked stuffed flank steak

Whole fried okra

I was never the biggest fan of okra, but everything changed when I tried fried okra.

Frying helps eliminate okra’s naturally slimy texture and gives it an irresistibly crunchy bite.

You can use any high smoking oil to fry, but this recipe recommends going with shortening for a lighter, crispier coating.

Complete your crawfish etouffee meal with a platter of whole fried okra for the table.

Why we love this recipe: it’s highly addictive.

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Whole fried okra
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Sauteed green beans

Sometimes it pays to keep it simple.

And you can’t get much more simple than steamed greens.

Green beans are cheap, packed with tons of vitamins and minerals, and they’ll look great next to the deep red of your crawfish etouffee.

Pro tip: don’t overcook the beans or they’ll go soggy!

Why we love this recipe: it’s great for busy weeknights.

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Sauteed green beans
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Potatoes and green beans

Baked sweet potato

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/407786941260231825/

Baked sweet potatoes are easy and oh-so-satisfying.

Just pop them in the oven, and about an hour later you’ll have tender, fluffy potatoes with deliciously crisp skins.

You can enjoy them with just a pat of butter, but they go great with saucy crawfish too.

Why we love this recipe: it’s perfect when you don’t want to spend any time cooking.

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Baked sweet potatoes
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Twice-baked sweet potatoes with bacon and chives
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Sweet potato tots

The best side dishes to serve with crawfish etouffee

Garlic confit toast
Cilantro lime rice
Lemon pepper fried catfish
Cheesy Southern grits
Roasted spaghetti squash
Corn maque choux
Green salad
Traditional potato salad
Mashed cauliflower
Bacon cornbread
Grilled ribeye
Whole fried okra
Sauteed green beans
Baked sweet potato