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Crispy on the outside and perfectly tender inside, Boudin Balls are a cajun classic that you’re sure to love! A seasoned mixture of sausage, veggies and rice are formed into balls, then breaded and fried until deliciously crisp and golden.
Cajun food is intensely flavorful and satisfying! If you love it as much as we do, try some of our other recipes like tender, juicy cajun popcorn shrimp, creamy cajun chicken meatballs or amazing baked cajun fries!
What are Boudin Balls?
Boudin Balls (pronounced “boo-dan”) are fried Cajun appetizers made with pork sausage, rice and sautéed veggies. They are very popular in Louisiana, and are great as an appetizer for game day, parties or other gatherings. You can even enjoy them as a side dish to complete a traditional cajun meal!
These are the perfect delicious and unique appetizer that will really impress your guests! These warm and savory bites are packed with wonderful flavor that will transport you to the heart of Louisiana. We are big fans of cajun food, and if you’re looking for more recipes to complete your menu, we have plenty of tasty options! Try out New Orleans gumbo, slow cooker jambalaya and southern hush puppies. Don’t forget the beignets to finish the meal with something sweet!
What’s 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 mix of pork, rice and veggies is easy to make at home. Here is a note on all of the ingredients you’ll need. You can find 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 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 Recipe
Kind of like a fried meatball, get ready to be obsessed with everything about this delicious southern snack! These are best served hot and crispy with a side sauce for dipping. Here’s how they come together:
- Cook the Sausage and Veggies: 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 Sausage with Veggies: Place the sausage and vegetables into a food processor or blender and pulse until it is mostly pureed.
- Chill and Make Balls: 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 to 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.
- Bread the Balls: 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.
- Fry: 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.
- Cool and Serve: Place the cooked balls onto paper towels to absorb any excess oil, let them cool a few minutes then enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.
Quick Tips
This boudin balls 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, just cook them on each side for about 3-5 minutes. They should still be an even golden brown.Â
- Serving Sauces: A few of my favorite dipping sauces to serve with these are Comeback Sauce, Remoulade Sauce, or Garlic Aioli.Â
- Recipe: My balls were about 1 ½ inches and I was able to get 22 balls from this recipe, depending on the size of your balls you may get more or less.
Recipe Tip
Can I make the boudin mixture ahead of time?
Yes! You can make the sausage, rice, vegetable mixture up to 24 hours ahead of making and frying the balls. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and the flavor will get even tastier over time!
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 to 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.
More Appetizer Recipes
Appetizers are the perfect thing to get the party started off right! If you need more delicious appetizer ideas then try this dip, these egg rolls, or this amazing cheesy bread. Here are some of our other favs that are so delicious, they’ll fly off the table!
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Boudin Balls
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork sausage
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- ¼ yellow onion, diced
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- 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 to 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 onto paper towels to absorb any excess oil, let them cool a few minutes then enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
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. 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, just cook them on each side for about 3-5 minutes. They should still be an even golden brown. A few of my favorite dipping sauces to serve with these are Comeback Sauce, Remoulade Sauce, or Garlic Aioli My balls were about 1 ½ inches and I was able to get 22 balls from this recipe, depending on the size of your balls you may get more or less.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My husband and I used to eat these every chance we got years ago when we lived in Houston. Now I’m back on the east coast and haven’t seen a boudin ball since 😆 I WILL be trying this recipe soon!