The Best Creole Seafood Pot Pie with Cheddar Bay Biscuits
There’s regular pot pie… and then there’s Seafood Pot Pie made the way we like to do things down South.
This recipe takes everything I love about classic Southern comfort food and gives it a Creole seafood spin. Imagine the rich, flavorful gravy of shrimp étouffée, some of those deep savory flavors you expect from gumbo, and the creamy comfort of a traditional pot pie—all topped with buttery, cheesy Cheddar Bay-style biscuits.
If you love this seafood pot pie recipe, then you’ll definitely want to check out my Seafood Dressing or The Best Southern Fried Catfish Recipe next!
Instead of the traditional peas, carrots, and pie crust, we’re making a Creole seafood pot pie loaded with shrimp, crawfish, and lump crab in a rich roux-based gravy with the holy trinity, seafood stock, garlic, herbs, and spices.
Then comes my favorite part.
We cover the whole thing in Cheddar Bay biscuits, bake it until that seafood filling is bubbling around the edges, and brush those golden biscuits with garlic-herb butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
If shrimp étouffée, seafood gumbo, and chicken pot pie had a baby, this would be it.
Why You’ll Love This Seafood Pot Pie
This isn’t your average seafood casserole. There are layers of flavor throughout the entire dish.
You’ll love this recipe because:
Customizable: You can easily change the seafood or adjust the spice level.
Three kinds of seafood: Shrimp, crawfish, and lump crab give you seafood in practically every bite.
Creole-inspired gravy: A roux, the holy trinity, garlic, seafood stock, and Creole seasonings create a gravy reminiscent of étouffée and gumbo.
Cheddar Bay biscuit topping: Forget pie crust. Fluffy cheddar biscuits make this pot pie even better.
Made for entertaining: Bring that bubbling skillet to the table and you’ve got a SHOWSTOPPER.
What Is a Creole Seafood Pot Pie?
First, A traditional pot pie usually consists of meat and vegetables cooked in a creamy gravy and baked beneath pastry or biscuits.
This version takes that same comfort-food concept and brings it to the Gulf Coast.
Instead of chicken and vegetables in a traditional cream gravy, we’re using shrimp, crawfish, and lump crab in a roux-based Creole seafood gravy.
The filling takes inspiration from two Louisiana classics: gumbo and étouffée.
The roux, holy trinity, seafood stock, herbs, and seasonings give you some of those deep gumbo flavors, while the thicker, buttery gravy has a consistency closer to étouffée.
Then instead of traditional pie dough, we’re dropping cheddar biscuit dough right over the top.
It’s not gumbo.
It’s not étouffée.
It’s definitely not your grandma’s chicken pot pie.
It’s the best of all three.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Seafood Pot Pie
Don’t let the ingredient list intimidate you. A lot of these are pantry staples and seasonings, and several ingredients work together to build the same flavor base.
Seafood:
Shrimp: Use large peeled and deveined shrimp. I like larger shrimp because you still get substantial pieces after the pot pie bakes.
Crawfish tails (optional): Crawfish immediately brings that Louisiana flavor to the recipe. Louisiana crawfish tails are my first choice whenever they’re available.
Lump crab meat(optional): Fold this in gently at the very end so you keep those beautiful pieces of crab intact.
Andouille Sausage
add this in with the trinity to really deepen that creole flavor
The Holy Trinity
If you’ve made gumbo or étouffée before, you already know where we’re going.
You’ll need:
- Yellow onion
- Green bell pepper
- Celery
- fresh garlic because… obviously.
For the Creole Seafood Gravy
You’ll need:
- Butter, All-purpose flour, tomato paste, Seafood stock, Heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, Hot sauce, Smoked paprika, Cajun or Creole seasoning, Thyme, Garlic powder, Onion powder, Black pepper, Bay leaf, Lemon juice, Fresh parsley, Green onions
The Secret Is the Roux
This is probably the most important part of the recipe.
We’re starting the seafood gravy by cooking butter and flour together to make a roux.
But here’s the key:
Don’t make this roux as dark as you would for a traditional gumbo.
For my seafood pot pie, I take it to around a peanut-butter or light-medium brown color.
Why?
The darker you cook a roux, the less thickening power it has. We’re making pot pie, so we need enough thickening power to transform our seafood stock into that luxurious gravy.
Cooking it until light brown still gives us that toasted, nutty flavor while keeping the sauce thick enough to hold up underneath the biscuits.
How to Make Seafood Pot Pie
Making this seafood pot pie with biscuits is easier than it looks.
Step 1: Make the Roux
Melt butter in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven.
Whisk in the flour and cook over medium-low heat for about 8–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the roux develops a peanut-butter-like color.
Don’t rush it!
Step 2: Add the Holy Trinity and andouille sausage
Add your andouille sausage, diced onion, bell pepper, and celery directly to the roux.
Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, then add the garlic.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook it for another minute or two.
Step 3: Build the Seafood Gravy
Slowly whisk in the seafood stock.
Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoked paprika, Creole seasoning, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and a bay leaf.
Let everything gently simmer until the gravy begins to thicken.
Reduce the heat and stir in the heavy cream.
Now we’re talking.
Step 4: Add the Seafood
This is where you need to move quickly.
Add the shrimp and crawfish and cook them for only about 1–2 minutes.
Then gently fold in the lump crab.
We’re purposely undercooking the seafood at this point because the entire skillet is about to go into the oven.
Finish the filling with butter, lemon juice, parsley, and green onions.
How to Get Perfect Biscuits on Seafood Pot Pie:
There are a few things that make a big difference.
Don’t Completely Cover the Filling
Drop individual scoops of biscuit dough over the filling instead of spreading the dough into one solid layer.
Leaving small spaces between the biscuits allows steam to escape and gives the biscuits room to expand.
Don’t Make the Filling Too Watery
An overly thin filling can prevent the bottoms of your biscuits from baking properly.
Use a Hot Oven
Bake at 425°F so the biscuits rise quickly and develop a beautiful golden exterior.
Brush Them with Butter Immediately
Brush your garlic-herb butter over the biscuits while they’re still piping hot.
That’s when they absorb all that buttery goodness.
My favorite Seafood Recipes
Everyone loves Seafood. So here are some of my other favorite seafood recipes you should try!
- The Best Southern Fried Shrimp Recipe
- Cajun Shrimp Garlic Bread
- Seafood Rotel Dip
- Lobster Rolls
- BBQ Shrimp Recipe
- Seafood Gumbo
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make seafood pot pie ahead of time?
Yes, but prepare the gravy separately and wait to add the seafood and biscuits until shortly before baking. This prevents the seafood from overcooking.
Why is my seafood pot pie watery?
The gravy may not have simmered long enough before the seafood was added, or your seafood may have released excess water. Completely thaw and drain frozen seafood and allow your gravy to thicken before assembling the pot pie.
How do I keep the biscuits from getting soggy?
Make sure your seafood filling is properly thickened before adding the biscuit dough. Leave a little space between each biscuit and bake the pot pie in a fully preheated 425°F oven.
Can I use pie crust instead of biscuits?
Absolutely. You can cover the filling with refrigerated or homemade pie dough instead. But those cheesy garlic biscuits are one of the things that make this recipe special.
How do I reheat seafood pot pie?
For the best results, reheat your seafood pot pie in the oven at 350°F until the filling is hot and bubbling. Loosely cover it with foil if the biscuits begin getting too dark. The microwave works when you’re in a hurry, but the biscuits will soften.
Can I Use Frozen Seafood?
Absolutely. Frozen shrimp and crawfish work great. Thaw them completely before cooking and pat or drain away excess moisture.This is especially important with crawfish because extra liquid can thin out your gravy.
I hope you enjoy this Seafood Pot Pie recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook when you make this recipe! I already know that biscuit pull with that creamy seafood underneath is about to go CRAZY.
Creole Seafood Pot Pie with Cheddar Bay Biscuit Topping
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Arrange six oven-safe soup bowls or 12–16-ounce ramekins on a large sheet pan. The sheet pan makes the individual pot pies easier to transfer and catches any filling that bubbles over during baking.
- If you’re not using an oven-safe skillet, lightly grease a 9×13-inch or approximately 3-quart baking dish and set aside.
- Pat the shrimp dry and lightly season with a little Cajun or Creole seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
- Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until completely combined.
- Cook the roux for approximately 8–12 minutes, stirring frequently, until it develops a light to medium brown, peanut-butter-like color and a nutty aroma.
- Don’t take the roux as dark as you would for a traditional gumbo. A lighter roux retains more thickening power, which helps create the rich pot pie consistency we’re looking for.
- Add the diced andouille sausage and cook for about 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage begins to brown and releases some of its flavorful fat.
- Add the diced onion, green bell pepper, and celery directly to the roux.
- Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for approximately 1–2 minutes to caramelize it slightly.
- Gradually pour in 3 cups seafood stock, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoked paprika, Cajun seasoning, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and bay leaf.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream.
- Continue cooking for another 2–3 minutes.
- The filling should be thick and creamy but still have enough liquid to coat the seafood generously. If it becomes too thick, gradually add some of the remaining seafood stock until you reach the desired consistency.
- Add the crawfish tails and seasoned shrimp.
- Cook for only 1–2 minutes, just until the shrimp begin turning pink. They do not need to cook completely because they'll finish cooking in the oven.
- Gently fold in the lump crab meat, being careful not to break up the large pieces.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, chopped parsley, and green onions.
- Taste and adjust the salt, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce as needed.
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Divide the seafood and andouille filling evenly among your oven-safe soup bowls or ramekins.
- Fill each approximately 3/4 full, leaving enough room at the top for the filling to bubble without overflowing.
- You also want to make sure each bowl gets a good mixture of shrimp, crawfish, crab, and andouille.
- Prepare the Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix according to the package directions.
- For an extra-cheesy topping, fold an additional 1/2 cup freshly shredded sharp cheddar into the biscuit dough.
- Using a large spoon or scoop, drop portions of biscuit dough evenly over the seafood filling.
- Leave a little space between each biscuit so the filling can bubble up around the edges and the biscuits can expand as they bake.
- Scoop biscuit dough onto the center of each ramekin.
- For larger soup bowls, you can use 2 smaller scoops of biscuit dough instead of one large biscuit. I actually prefer this because you get more golden edges and it's easier for the biscuit to bake through.
- Don't completely seal the top of the ramekin with biscuit dough.
- Leave some of the seafood filling exposed around the perimeter. This allows steam to escape, gives the biscuit room to rise, and creates that beautiful bubbling seafood-gravy-around-the-biscuit look.
- Place the sheet pan of individual seafood pot pies into the preheated 425°F oven.
- Bake at 425°F for 18–23 minutes, or until the seafood filling is bubbling around the edges and the biscuits are risen and golden brown.
- Depending on the size and depth of your bowls, the biscuits may need another 2–3 minutes.
- While the pot pie is baking, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, parsley, and a small pinch of Cajun seasoning.
- As soon as the seafood pot pies comes out of the oven, generously brush the warm biscuits with the garlic-herb butter.
- Garnish with additional parsley and sliced green onions.
- Allow the pot pies to rest for 10 minutes before serving. This gives the seafood gravy time to thicken slightly and makes it easier to scoop.
