Boudin Balls
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By Alyssa Rivers
on Feb 06, 2024, Updated Nov 20, 2024 |
Crispy on the outside and perfectly tender inside, Boudin Balls are a Cajun classic! A seasoned mixture of sausage, veggies, and rice is formed into balls, then breaded and fried until deliciously crisp and golden.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Amazing Flavor: The mixture of the pork sausage rice, veggies, and seasonings is good on its own. Fry it into a tasty ball, and it’s game over!
- Great Appetizer: These are great appetizers for game day, parties, or other gatherings. You can even enjoy them as a side dish to complete a traditional Cajun meal!
- Cajun Food: If you love Cajun food as much as I do, try this juicy Cajun popcorn shrimp, creamy Cajun chicken meatballs, or amazing baked Cajun fries!
What is in Boudin Balls?
If you don’t live close to Louisiana, it’s unlikely that you will find boudin sausage in your neck of the woods. Luckily, the authentic pork, rice, and veggie mix is easy to make at home. You can find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Pork Sausage: If you’re using sausage in a casing, be sure to remove this before cooking.
- Green Bell Pepper: Diced and sautéed with the other veggies, green bell pepper adds color, flavor, and texture.
- Yellow Onion: Adds a savory depth of flavor to each bite.
- Celery: Balances the other savory veggies with a slight sweetness.
- Rice: Traditional boudin sausage includes rice. However, if you choose to use pork sausage, you’ll need to add 1 cup of cooked rice.
- Cajun Seasoning: For that authentic cajun flavor, you can add store-bought cajun seasoning or homemade cajun seasoning.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for a nice crispy breading.
- Paprika: Along with salt & pepper, paprika adds flavor to the breading.
- Eggs: Helps the breading mixture stick to the sausage balls and will result in a golden crust.
- Breadcrumbs: We recommend panko bread crumbs for maximum crispiness.
- Oil: Use any neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil for frying.
How to Make This Boudin Balls
Cajun boudin balls resemble fried meatballs, so prepare to obsess over every bite of this delicious Southern snack! Serve them hot and crispy with a dipping sauce on the side for the best experience. Here’s how they come together:
- Cook: In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, bell pepper, onion, and celery until the sausage is fully cooked. Remove from heat.
- Blend: Place the sausage and vegetables in a food processor or blender and pulse until mostly pureed.
- Chill: Mix the rice and cajun seasoning into the pureed sausage. Chill the sausage in the fridge for about an hour so it firms up. Form the sausage into tight, 1 ½-2 inch balls.
- Dredging Station: Set up a dredging station. Whisk the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika together in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in a second shallow dish. Pour the panko breadcrumbs into the third dish.
- Breading Station: Working a couple of balls at a time, roll them in the flour first, then dredge in the eggs and move to the breadcrumbs, ensuring the sausage balls are completely covered. Set the breaded boudin balls aside.
- Fry: Heat enough oil to submerge the balls over medium-high heat (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Once the oil has heated up, fry the boudin balls in the hot oil until they are evenly golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Work in batches to prevent the balls from crowding.
- Cool and Serve: Place the cooked balls on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Let them cool for a few minutes, then enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.
Recipe Tip
Can I make the boudin mixture ahead of time?
Yes! You can make the sausage, rice, and vegetable mixture up to 24 hours before making and frying the balls. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and the flavor will get even tastier over time!
Cajun Boudin Balls Tips and
This Cajun appetizer recipe is really very easy to make, but here are some tips so these Cajun snack balls turn out wonderfully delicious!
- Boudin Sausage: Traditional boudin balls are made with boudin sausage, which is not easily available in all regions. If you have boudin sausage where you live, I suggest using that instead of making my easy version of it.
- Frying: I like to use a fry daddy for recipes like this, but you can use a deep pan on the stove. If the balls cannot be fully submerged, cook them on each side for about 3-5 minutes. They should still be an even golden brown.
- Serving Sauces: A few of my favorite dipping sauces to serve with these are Comeback Sauce, Remoulade Sauce, or Garlic Aioli.
- Ball Size: I made 1 ½ inch balls, and I was able to get about 22 from this recipe. You may get more or less depending on how big or small you make them.
Storing Leftovers
Surprisingly, boudin balls make great leftovers. They’re easy to store and stay tasting delicious for days. They’re even freezer-friendly!
- In the Refrigerator: Once completely cool, store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat balls in the oven at 350ºF for about 10 to 15 minutes and until they’re warmed through. You could also reheat them in an air fryer at 350ºF for 5 to 8 minutes. While not the best for maintaining crispiness, you can rewarm them in the microwave in 20-30 second intervals until warmed through.
- Freezing: Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer in the freezer until they’re firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, you can fry them directly from frozen.
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In a skillet over medium high heat, cook the sausage, bell pepper, onion, and celery until the sausage is fully cooked. Remove from heat.
Place the sausage and vegetables into a food processor or blender and pulse until it is mostly pureed.
Mix the rice and cajun seasoning into the pureed sausage. Chill the sausage in the fridge for about an hour so it firms up. Form the sausage into tight, 1 ½-2 inch balls.
Set up a dredging station, whisk the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika together in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in a second shallow dish, pour the panko breadcrumbs into the third dish.
Working a couple balls at a time, roll them in the flour first, then dredge in the eggs and move to the breadcrumbs, ensuring the sausage balls are completely covered. Set the breaded boudin balls aside.
Heat enough oil to submerge the balls in over medium high heat (350 degrees fahrenheit). Once the oil has come up to temp, fry the boudin balls until they are evenly golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Work in batches to keep the balls from crowding.
Place the cooked balls on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Let them cool for a few minutes, then enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.
Calories: 112kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 263mgPotassium: 92mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 259IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.