Crawfish Hand Pies

Flaky, golden crust meets rich, spicy crawfish etouffee in these irresistible hand pies! Perfect for parties or weeknight dinners, they’re a taste of Louisiana in every bite. Bake or fry—either way, delicious!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine: Cajun / Creole

Keyword: game day dips, holiday appetizers, Mardi Gras Recipes, Southern Food, tailgating

Prep Time: 40

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Calories: 296kcal

Author: Jennifer Locklin

Equipment

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Ingredients

For the Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup celery diced
1 onion diced
1 bell pepper seeded and diced
1 tablespoon Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons Old Bay seafood seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic minced
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups crawfish stock or seafood stock, chicken broth, or water
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pound crawfish tail meat freshly picked & steamed (or frozen tail meat)
1 cup long grain parboiled rice cooked

For the Pie Dough:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 stick cold butter cubed
½ cup Crisco butter-flavored shortening chilled and cubed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons ice water

For the Egg Wash:

2 eggs beaten
1 tablespoon water

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Instructions

Prepare the Filling:

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add diced celery, onion, and bell pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are tender.
Stir in Creole seasoning, seafood seasoning, and minced garlic. Cook for another minute until fragrant.
Sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly to coat the vegetables and form a roux.
Cook for about 2 minutes, until the roux begins to lightly brown.
Slowly add crawfish stock (or substitute), stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.
Stir in crawfish tail meat, then add heavy cream. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in fresh lemon juice, and allow to cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, mix in the cooked rice. Set aside.

Make the Pie Dough:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the cold butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough comes together into a ball.
Knead lightly until just combined—do not overwork the dough.
Use immediately or wrap and refrigerate until needed (can be stored up to 5 days).

Prepare the Egg Wash:

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and water until well blended.
Set aside for brushing the pies before baking.

Assemble the Hand Pies:

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a circle on a lightly floured surface.
Place a generous scoop of the cooled filling onto one half of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border.
Lightly wet the edges of the dough with water using your finger. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling, pressing the edges together to seal.
Crimp the edges with a fork for a secure seal. Repeat for all pies.

Bake the Hand Pies:

Arrange the assembled pies on a baking sheet.
If freezing for later, cover with plastic wrap and freeze at this stage.
When ready to bake, brush the tops with egg wash.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions:

Crawfish Tail Meat: If unavailable, substitute with small shrimp, lump crab meat, or a mix of both.
Crawfish Stock: Can be replaced with chicken broth, seafood stock, or water with a teaspoon of bouillon.
Heavy Cream: Half-and-half or evaporated milk can be used for a lighter option.
Butter-Flavored Shortening: Regular shortening works fine, but butter-flavored enhances the richness.

Nutrition

*Nutrition information is automatically calculated based on ingredient data and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient options are provided, the first listed is used for calculation. Optional ingredients and garnishes are not included in the nutrition analysis.