Louisiana Boudin Sausage

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A wall filled with Cajun boudin
Photo by Hank Shaw

It may be possible to have a bad meal in Louisiana, but it hasn’t happened to me yet. Everything from shrimp out of the back of a van to the off-the-track little diners and restaurants to the palaces of New Orleans to mom-and-pop boucheries in Cajun Country, Louisiana is an eater’s paradise. Cajun boudin is not the least among the state’s culinary glories.

Louisiana boudin (boo-dan) is unlike French boudin, which is a more general term for sausages there. Cajun boudin is more like a meat stuffing packed into a hog casing and poached, grilled or smoked.

Some people eat it by squeezing out the good stuff from the casing — sometimes onto a cracker (Saltines appear to be the general cracker of choice), squirting some mustard on it and sitting on the back of your tailgate munching away and pondering the mysteries of life and sausages. Many others skip the crackers and just eat boudin like a meaty pop-up popsicle.

Boudin is a meal in a bite: Meat, fat, carbs from the rice, lots of vegetables and plenty of spice. Like dirty rice in a casing. It’s Cajun fast food.

If you are a hunter or an angler, boudin is a dish you need to know about, because Louisiana boudin can (and is) made from pretty much anything. Pork yes, but also duck (as I did in this version), venison, rabbit, alligator, chicken, crawfish, shrimp, crabs, nutria, quail, turkey… you get the point.

And since you grind everything, it’s a fantastic way to use the wobbly bits like livers, gizzards and hearts. You won’t really notice they’re in the boudin, and you get the satisfaction of a) not wasting parts of the animals you’ve hunted, and b) telling your offal-hating friends what they just ate — after they’ve eaten seconds. Or thirds.

How do you make this wondrous sausage?

I honestly had no idea until I got a chance to tour Cajun Country as the guest of the folks from Tabasco a few years ago. Among other things, they introduced me to Legnon’s Boucherie in New Iberia. Ted Legnon is famous both for his cracklins’ and his boudin, but I honestly can only eat a few crackin’s at any one time. I can eat inordinate amounts of boudin, so I focused my attention to that.

Ar Legnons in Louisiana, making boudin
Photo by Hank Shaw

Boudin is a cooked sausage, in that everything is cooked before it’s ground up and stuffed into a casing. They’re sold in long links that are often tied into a ring and either poached and served or smoked to be eaten on the go. It’s a sloppy mixture that is only loosely stuffed into the casings — very unlike the tight stuffing you do with German sausages to get that characteristic knacken or snap.

Ratios of meat to rice vary; Legnon’s goes for a 1:1 ratio. My recipe is a little more meat-heavy.

The sausage can be mild or very spicy, with lots of vegetables (usually the “trinity” of onions, celery and green peppers) or few, red with paprika or just a humble gray. The point is that everyone makes boudin differently, and I’d be insane to claim that my recipe is definitive.

But I did learn from Legnon’s and I’ve eaten an awful lot of boudin, so I can tell you that my boudin is at least in the ballpark, even if it’s different from how your grandma or your local boucherie makes it.

If your boudin is different, how so? I’d be interested in hearing your variations.

New to making sausage? You can find my detailed tutorial on how to make sausages at home here.

Cajun boudin recipe
4.96 from 25 votes

Louisiana Boudin Sausage

Boudin can be made with basically any meat or seafood. Crawfish are as good as pork in my opinion. So use what you have in your freezer or fridge and have fun with it. If you don't want to make cased boudin, roll it into balls, bread it and fry it for the ultimate Cajun party treat. My recipe below is an amalgam of what I saw at Legnon's, from Chef Donald Link's book Real Cajun and from former Tabasco cook Eula Mae Dore's book Eula Mae's Cajun Kitchen.
Course: Cured Meat, Snack
Cuisine: Cajun
Servings: 12
Author: Hank Shaw
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 1/2 pounds duck, venison, beef, pork, whatever
  • 1/2 pounds liver
  • 1/2 pound pork fat
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 poblano or green bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Instacure No. 1 (optional)
  • 3 to 5 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, or see below
  • 2 cups cooked white rice (long-grain is best)
  • 1 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup green onions, chopped
  • Hog casings

Instructions 

  • Chop the meats, liver and fat into chunks that will fit in the grinder. Mix the meats, liver and fat with the onion, celery, poblano peppers and garlic, then the salt, curing salt (if using) and either the Cajun seasonings or the spice mix you made from this recipe. Put it all in a lidded container and set in the fridge at least an hour, and up to a day.
  • Put the contents of the container into a large pot and pour in enough water to cover everything by an inch or two. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until everything is tender, at least 90 minutes and up to 3 hours. Strain the cooking liquid (you'll need it later) and spread the meat, fat and veggies out on a sheet pan to cool.
  • When everything is cool enough to handle, grind it through the coarse die (6.5 mm) on your grinder. You can also hand chop everything.
  • Put your meat mix into a large bowl and add the cooked rice, parsley and green onions. Mix well, and add up to 4 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Mix this for 3 to 5 minutes so you make a more cohesive mixture to stuff into a casing. You now have boudin.
  • You can just shape the mixture into balls and fry them (they're awesome), or use your boudin as stuffing for something else, like a turkey. Or you can case it. Stuff the boudin into hog casings, and while you're doing it, get a large pot of salted water hot -- not simmering, just steaming. You want the water to be about 165ºF to 170ºF. Poach the links for 10 minutes, then serve. If you are not serving them right away, no need to poach the links yet.
  • Boudin does not keep well, so eat it all within a couple days. It does freeze reasonably well, however.

Notes

Note that while I poach my boudin, the links are also excellent grilled or smoked. If you smoke them, you absolutely need to use the curing salt, Instacure No. 1, which you can buy online or in some butcher shops.

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 2386mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3924IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

HOMEMADE CAJUN SEASONING

Make this if you can’t find store-bought Cajun seasoning. It’s a little different from my normal spice mix, but it’s reflective of what you often find in boudin. If you want a redder sausage, increase the paprika. If you want it less spicy, reduce the cayenne.

  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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134 Comments

  1. Where can I order casings I live in California and also what type of grinder needed I do have a Kitchen aid but I was told that will not work and I need to purchase a grinder and a sausage stuffer as well
    would like to make next weekend Thank you all for the comments and especially thank you Hank Oh By the way please send a reference on purchase of equipment as well as casings to purchase and type thanks again

    1. Burchell: It depends on where you live in California. I’d get the grinder attachment for the Kitchenaid, but yeah, you need a real stuffer. The Sausage Maker (Ad link is on the right side of this page) makes a great stuffer. If you want to go for a dedicated grinder, order one from either the Sausage Maker or Weston Products. Both companies make sausage casings.

  2. By the way Loignons grocery in Gueydan makes boudin the way my mother made it at the boucheries when we were kids. The best and most original boudin I’ve found since I was a kid.

  3. When we eat it at home we pour Steen’s syrup in a plate or bowl and dip the boudin in it. Deliscious!!!

  4. Great site, respect all your opinions. Best stop and Billy’s were my favorite places to purchase boudin ball / links, cracklin’s, etc. but, appreciate the recipe, ordered from Billy’s after arriving home to Arizona, couldn’t get enough of Billy boudin. Cost more to send than the boudin itsself. However, it is so good and we savor every bite. Now, we are going to try this recipe. I think your Cajun seasoning recipe may just be perfect. We like that just right “kick” to it. I am hoping the cayenne is about the same amount as Billy’s. I too, purchased pork liver at an Asian store in SD. Thanks for everyone’s input, let you know how it turns out. PS, I will make balls for a first attempt before casing.

  5. Nice recipe. I make Boudin for my stuffed flounder, will have to try yours. Recipe isn’t much different. I usually make it too spicy, so my wife may like yours better.

    I grew up in the swamps of south Louisiana. We had crackers and butter on the table at every meal. Didn’t eat a lot of bread. Especially at Grannies house. So yes, if it was poached Boudin, we usually squeezed it onto crackers. I prefer it grilled and just eat it like sausage. We even had crackers with our Gumbo. Still do.

  6. I’m. Polish and love polish sausage products, but I have to say I have never eaten anything as heavenly as boudin. I’m glad I had discovered this great food, I could live the rest of my life on boudin, unfortunately they don’t have it in nc. So. I’m going to try to make my own. I’m exited to make it. I’m sure I’m going to love it however it turns out. It will be better then nothing .

  7. I did cook the rice with broth and discarded the mirepoix from the meat. I replaced it with fresh mirepoix that I sweated in a little butter and a little broth. I did use the Cajun spice blend recommended here but added a tablespoon of Thyme. This turned out really great!

  8. Proclaiming “how boudin is eaten” or not eaten for that matter is absurd & asinine. It’s like BBQ, the cooking method is largely the same, but the techniques & details vary greatly. I’ve had every kind of boudin eaten every kind of way. My family is scattered throughout Louisiana from the city to the backwoods and I can tell you this: They all think their boudin is the best…the way they like it. I have definitely seen some hard core Cajuns put boudin on a cracker and sprinkle some hot sauce on it. I’ve also seen some hard-core Cajuns eat it straight out of the casing. I’ve seen a little of every method mentioned by the author and the comments. Just take the tips, make the Boudin and get over yourselves.

  9. I poach my boudin then cut casing off and mix the stuffing with a little shredded cheese & a little cream cheese & bread crumbs. Stuff this mixture into mushrooms and bake or grill until done to your liking. Boudin stuffed mushrooms are the favorite at any party.

  10. I’ma gonna make loads of boudin soon as Best Stop cajun seasoning arrives on Monday from Aunt Angele. Have to make do with frozen pork liver from Chinese grocery up here in Michigan but appreciate the tips on cooking rice in braising liquid, (re)addition of peppers, onions, celery and thyme. I’ll devein some fat jalapenos, add smoked Spanish paprika…maybe toss in some pork cracklins and call it good. Hella good!

  11. I’ve been eating boudin for over fifty year and have never squeezed it out of the casing. I just heat it in the oven until the casing crisps and eat the whole thing. We drive from the Dallas area to near Mamou and purchase 30 pounds per trip. T-Boy’s Slaughter House has won the boudin cookoff in Lafayette several times…

  12. Great article and comments. Thought I’d mention that Tony Cachare’s (sp?) is availible in salt free. It’s every bit as good!

  13. First time on site and great info. Wondering if anyone has suggestions for an issue I have when making boudin. I have noticed a slight sour smell/taste after making my boudin. Casing seems to sweat after refrigeration. Problem seems to have just started with last few batches.

  14. I love boudin too. My favorite way is remove the casing, put butter/oil combo (small amount) in a skillet and cook boudin till crispy on bottom. Stirand crisp again, turn heat low and top with two eggs. Put on a lid and allow heat and steam to cook the eggs till yolk is thick and creamy. Salt and pepper eggs and savour an awesome meal!

  15. Eating up a mess of Boudin right now – loving your recipe. And this weekend we are cooking up 150 pounds of crawfish. Oh how I love the Cajun’s! Thanks for posting – and eat it up, however it is served it is awesome!