Because Not Everyone Has Time for a Full Boil
Celebrate crawfish season with these flaky, golden Crawfish Hand Pies. They’re stuffed with a savory Cajun filling, wrapped in buttery puff pastry, and come with a hint of Vietnamese flair thanks to a splash of fish sauce. Quick, easy, and perfect for anyone craving that crawfish boil flavor—minus the giant pot.
If I had it my way, I’d be throwing crawfish boils left and right every weekend from now until summer. But alas, I don’t have a backyard with a burner the size of a hot tub, and live crawfish aren’t exactly easy to come by unless you’re lucky enough to live in south Louisiana.
These Crawfish Hand Pies are golden, flaky pockets are my way of honoring crawfish season without the setup, cleanup, or crustacean wrangling. I used frozen crawfish tails (the Louisiana kind, none of that imported stuff), and if you’ve got leftovers from a boil, even better—those tails are already seasoned and ready to party.
The base is a simple Cajun trinity of onions, bell pepper, and celery, but here’s where I veer slightly off the traditional path: fish sauce. Yep, I said it. That umami-packed punch adds a little Vietnamese flair that works surprisingly well. I mean, let’s not forget—Cajun and Creole cuisine has heavy French influence, and Vietnam was a French colony. C’est logique, right?
Why this Recipe Works
•No need for a crawfish boil – Frozen or leftover crawfish tails make this weeknight-friendly.
•Store-bought puff pastry – No dough-making necessary. Just thaw, roll, and go.
•Bold Cajun flavor – The trinity, spices, Gruyère cheese, and a kick of Sriracha? Chef’s kiss.
•Perfect for entertaining – Make ahead, freeze, and pop them in the oven when guests arrive.
Tips for Making Crawfish Hand Pies
•Use Louisiana crawfish tails if buying frozen. The imported stuff just doesn’t hit the same.
•Let the filling chill – Warm filling + cold pastry = disaster. Chill it for 20 minutes first.
•Seal well – Press down from the center out, making sure no air bubbles sneak in.
•Trim the edges after chilling – This helps clean up the sides and keeps them looking bakery-worthy.
How To Make Crawfish Hand Pies
Celebrate crawfish season with these flaky, golden Crawfish Hand Pies. They’re stuffed with a savory Cajun filling, wrapped in buttery puff pastry, and come with a hint of Vietnamese flair thanks to a splash of fish sauce.
Make the Filling
Sauté butter, onion, bell pepper, and celery until softened. Stir in flour and stock to thicken. Add crawfish, seasoning, fish sauce, Gruyère, parsley, lemon zest, and Sriracha. Let it cool in the fridge.
Prep the Pastry
Roll out both pastry sheets to the same size. Place one on a baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Divide the cooled filling into four even mounds. Top with the second pastry sheet, pressing around each mound to seal.
Freeze and Cut
Freeze the whole tray for 15 minutes (don’t skip this step!). Then cut into four squares, trim edges, and brush with more egg wash.
Brush the pastry with egg wash
Bake the Crawfish Pies
Bake at 400°F for 24 minutes, rotating halfway through, until golden and puffed.
Puff, Stuff, and Crawfish Love
Crawfish season doesn’t have to mean 40 pounds of shelling and sweating over a stockpot. With these flaky, cheesy hand pies, you can enjoy the flavor of a boil with zero cleanup and 100% satisfaction. Make a batch, freeze the extras, and let puff pastry do the heavy lifting.
Ready to give these a try? Let me know in the comments if you’re team fish sauce or not!
Crawfish Hand Pies
Description
Celebrate crawfish season with these flaky, golden Crawfish Hand Pies. They’re stuffed with a savory Cajun filling, wrapped in buttery puff pastry, and come with a hint of Vietnamese flair thanks to a splash of fish sauce.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Make the Filling
- In skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add in the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Saute for 3 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
- Stir in the flour and the stock. Stir well to combine and thicken the stock.
- Add the crawfish tails, Creole seasoning, and fish sauce. Stir to combine, then add the Gruyere cheese, parsley, lemon zest, and Sriracha. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Place filling in a bowl and chill in the fridge while you prepare the pastry puff.
-
Fill the Pastry
- In. a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and salt. Add a tablespoon of water and set aside.
- On a clean surface, lightly dusted with flour, roll out both the the puff pastry into about the same size. Do this separately for each sheet. Place one sheet onto a baking sheet. Brush egg wash onto the sheet, diving into four quadrants for filling. Brush the outside border as well.
- Remove the filling from the fridge, and fill each quadrant with the filling, piling it up for height. Place the second sheet on top. Starting in the center of the sheet, seal each pastry using the edge of your hands, making sure there are no air bubbles in each filling area.
- Once sealed, place the sheet tray into the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Remove the sheet from freezer and cut into four squares. Trim the border for even cuts to allow the pastry to puff. Brush. thepastry with the egg wash and bake for 24 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway during baking. Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Equipment
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, i.e., when you buy any product using the links below, we get commissions. but it doesn’t cost you anything extra. If you do purchase any product using the given links, we thank you in advance!
Nutritional Value
Nutritional Value
Servings 4
Serving Size 1
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 577kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 40g62%
- Saturated Fat 16g80%
- Trans Fat 1g
- Cholesterol 89mg30%
- Sodium 850mg36%
- Potassium 408mg12%
- Total Carbohydrate 32g11%
- Dietary Fiber 2g8%
- Sugars 7g
- Protein 24g48%
- Vitamin A 800 IU
- Vitamin C 4 mg
- Calcium 467 mg
- Iron 2 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
This recipe works with all ice cream maker. After pureeing, chill the mixture in the refrigerator, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instruction.
