What’s in Boudin Balls? (Answered!)

Boudin is a type of sausage made usually with a mixture of cooked pork, onions, rice, pepper, and seasonings.

Traditionally, families created sausages after the pig was slaughtered to guarantee that every part of the animal was used. Therefore, they frequently ate it on the same day it was prepared.

One of the best things to make out of the boudin filling is boudin balls.

In this article, I’ll be answering the question of what’s in boudin balls and how to prepare them.

What Are Boudin Balls?

Boudin is a pork sausage cooked with rice and spices and often put into a casing.

With boudin balls, the filling of boudin sausage is removed from the casing, rolled into balls, floured, and deep fry it to a beautiful crisp.

This elevates sausage to an all-new level, making it a popular meal in Cajun culture all around Louisiana.

They are also a very convenient way of eating boudin in that you can eat them on the go or make them ahead of time and freeze them for later!

Where Did Boudin Balls Originate From?

It all started in 1764 when our forefathers arrived in Louisiana. Louisiana was just ceded to Spain.

However, most arrived in 1785 in what is known as “The Seven Ships.” The Germans had already arrived around 1720.

Surviving in Louisiana’s isolated places required ingenuity and the capacity to make the best of what they had. The only solution was to use every single scrap of a killed hog.

If you’ve ever eaten in a Cajun Boucherie, you’ll understand what I mean.

Boudin was made from pig scraps combined with spices and herbs and packed inside the pork intestine.

The area eventually became a superb place for rice cultivation. The chance to utilize rice as a filling was too tempting to pass up.

Take the bountiful farmlands of South Louisiana, mix in a sprinkle of Cajun industriousness and a dash of German sausage manufacturing, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

This is a recipe for the centuries, and it’s been taken to the next level with boudin balls, which have become a fast-food alternative to this already unique dish.

What Are Boudin Balls Made Of?

Boudin balls are produced from Cajun blood sausage, a combination of ground pork, onions, rice, and seasonings.

The sausage casing is removed, shaped into balls, coated, and fried till golden brown.

Many prefer it sliced, grilled, eaten on crackers, or blended into anything from bean soups and etouffee to po’boys and jambalaya.

Shaping boudin into balls is one of the most common ways to serve them, and they’re a tremendous success at parties.

Served with a conventional bleu cheese dressing or a simple mustard cream sauce, it will definitely be a win.

Types of Meat Used in Boudin Balls

Boudin balls are a feast in a bite: meats, fats, rice, carbohydrates, tons of veggies, and lots of spice. Like dirty rice encased in the intestine. It’s Cajun fast food.

If you enjoy hunting or fishing, boudin is a cuisine you should be familiar with because Cajun boudin can be produced from almost everything.

Yes, pork, but also ducks, deer, rabbit, crocodile, chicken, crawfish, shrimp, crab, nutria, quail, and turkeys. You get the idea.

Because you ground everything, it’s a great way to use squishy portions like livers, hearts, and gizzards.

You won’t know they’re there, and you’ll have the gratification of not wasting parts of the animals you’ve shot.

Also, you can tell your animal organ-hating pals what they just ate – after they’ve had seconds. Or even thirds.

Type of Rice Use in Boudin Balls

Boudin sausage is traditionally made with uncooked white rice.

Nowadays, though, they switch it up from time to time and add brown instead of white rice.

It really doesn’t make a difference which you use, as it is mixed with other ingredients.

The ingredients create this mixture of meat, fats, vegetables, rice, and spices, where the rice serves as the filling element, rather than flavor adding component.

Boudin is also called dirty rice because it resembles dirty rice when you open the casing.

Types of Seasoning Use in Boudin Balls

Boudin has a rich and intense flavor profile, and next to the meat, it has its seasoning to thank for that.

Along with salt, boudin requires different types of pepper such as cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, white pepper.

If you aren’t a pepper kind of person, this dish might be too much for you.

They add a dash of freshly chopped parsley at the end of the seasoning process. Although it’s not very noticeable in the finished product, it still adds a little flair to the blood sausage.

Other Ingredients

Don’t forget the onions. Boudin sausage and boudin balls require a certain amount of chopped onions, green and white.

Butchers usually add chopped celery and, of course, minced garlic to give that unique zing to this fantastic dish—the recipe calls for other vegetables such as bell peppers and cilantro.

But, of course, the most essential ingredient is hog intestines. That will serve as the casing of the meats, fats, rice, vegetables, and spices.

If you’re making balls from boudin, you must also add breading to the ingredients list.

For example, you can dip it into flour and then an egg wash.

Lastly, finish it with some bread crumbs for a textured outer layer.

This mouthwatering dish can be served with different sauces and vegetables or starches like mashed potatoes.

In Summary

From humble farmhouse origins to modern celebrations, boudin balls are the ultimate comfort food.

Regardless of the type of boudin you enjoy or how you cook them, they’re a wonderful treat for family gatherings or just a quick snack.

Although you can add various ingredients to make a boudin recipe your own, remember that they’re not truly “boudin balls” until you remove them from the casings.

After that, the only limit on how to cook and serve your boudin balls is your imagination.