Smoked Crawfish Dip

Recipe and Photos by Emily Warren

Summer on the lake often means afternoons gathered around a crawfish boil—cold drinks in hand, the table lined with newspaper, and everyone peeling tails as fast as they can eat them. But what happens when the party winds down and you’ve got a bowl of leftover crawfish tails staring back at you?

That’s where this smoked crawfish dip comes in. It’s rich, smoky, a little spicy, and absolutely perfect for scooping with crackers or crostini. Whether you’re entertaining on the back porch or bringing a dish to the lake, this recipe turns extra crawfish into the star of the show.

🦞 Smoked Crawfish Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 (16 oz) blocks Philadelphia cream cheese

• ½ yellow bell pepper, diced

• ½ red bell pepper, diced

• ½ yellow onion, diced

• 2 jalapeños, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 lb crawfish tails (cooked and peeled)

• ½ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

• 3 tbsp Slap Ya Mama seasoning

• Garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to taste

• Olive oil

🔥 Instructions:

1. Preheat smoker to 200°F.
   While the smoker heats, place cream cheese blocks in a greased cast-iron skillet. Score the tops with a knife, drizzle with olive oil, and season with Slap Ya Mama, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper.

2. Smoke for 1 hour.
   Let the cream cheese absorb the smoke until softened and lightly golden.

3. Mash and mix.
   Remove skillet from smoker and mash cream cheese with a spoon. Stir in diced peppers, onion, jalapeños, garlic, and crawfish tails. Adjust seasoning if desired. Top with Parmesan.

4. Return to smoker at 350°F.
   Cook for another 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

5. Optional: Broil for a crispy top.
   Place under oven broiler for 5 minutes to brown the cheese.

Serve warm with crackers, crostini, or veggie sticks.

🐟 Substitutions:

Shrimp, crab, or smoked catfish can be used for this recipe.