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If you've never heard of Corn Maque Choux, this classic Cajun side dish with corn, onions, bell pepper, and Cajun seasoning is about to bless your tastebuds!
Here are some yummy options to serve with your maque choux: Chicken Sauce Piquant, Smothered Turkey Wings, Blackened Chicken, Grilled Salmon, and Southern Pot Roast.
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This is one of the most popular recipes in Creole-Cajun cuisine, side dishes that out of towners don't know about. You won't find corn maque choux on a restaurant menu, and you'll only find it in the home of your friends who are born and raised in Louisiana.
Corn maque choux is the older cousin of succatasoh. Except it doesn't have lima beans. They had similar flavors and approaches to cooking but completely different outcomes and the Native Americans knew what they were doing when they created this dish.
The Cajuns took hold of this dish and put some French cooking techniques to it, and have been mastering the recipe for years. I was first introduced to maque choux in college in my culinary arts program. When my teacher gave me this recipe to make for class, I knew it was going to be in my recipe toolbox for years to come.
I know Cajun food gets a bad rap for being spicy, and our food has some kick, but we just believe in seasoning our food! And this cajun corn recipe is no different.
The best part about this recipe is that it can be an entree or side dish served with roasted chicken, grilled shrimp, or pot roast.
What is Corn Maque Choux?
Corn maque choux, sometimes spelled "macque choux," is a popular dish found in Cajun-Creole cuisine in Louisiana. The dish was introduced by Native Americans who cultivated corn and was known for having over 40 ways to prepare corn.
The easiest way for me to show you how to pronounce maque choux is "mock-shoe." Maque is the Creole word for corn, and choux is the French word for cabbage.
Corn maque choux is made with fresh or frozen corn, onion, bell peppers, celery, cabbage, diced tomatoes, and garlic. It's also seasoned with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and butter. Some versions include bacon grease ham, shrimp, chicken, or crawfish. You can think of the Cajuns for the freshwater seafood addition.
Corn Maque Choux Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need for this amazing corn maque choux.
Frozen Corn
I like to use frozen corn kernels because they're available year-round, and I use fresh corn in the summer.
Onion, Bell Pepper and Celery
Any time you prepare any Cajun-Creole recipe, the base is vegetables known as the holy trinity, onion, celery, and bell peppers. I like to think of garlic and green onions as first cousins.
Chicken Stock
Adding some chicken stock allows us to shave some time off by boiling the corn down some.
Cajun Seasoning
You'll need a decent Cajun spice. I like Savory Low-Sodium Cajun seasoning because it's made without preservatives or sugar and tastes just like New Orleans. You can also use my Homemade Creole Seasoning mix.
How To Make Corn Maque Choux Recipe
I want my corn maque choux to be straightforward, loaded with flavor, and an addition to your family dinner!
Heat a cast iron over medium-high heat, and add oil (or bacon grease) and unsalted butter; once the butter has melted, add corn kernels, onion, bell pepper, celery, and jalapeño pepper, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir frequently to keep corn sugars from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
Mix sugar, dry thyme, Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Season corn with half the seasoning mix, and cook for 1 minute.
Add the garlic and remaining seasoning mix, and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in chicken stock, bring to a boil, lower heat to medium, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately and garnish with green onions.
How To Store Maque Choux
Corn maque choux is best 2 days after making but store the leftovers in an airtight container for 7 days in the fridge.
I don't recommend freezing the maque choux.
Reheat corn maque choux in a large skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until hot.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few notes I had from making this incredible Cajun corn.
- Add cooked chopped chicken to make the corn maque choux a full meal.
- Try adding canned kidney red beans or black beans to make this an entree.
- You can also add shrimp or crawfish to your maque choux. Add them with 5 minutes remaining.
- If you do use bacon grease, omit the oil from the recipe.
- If you use fresh corn kernels, make sure you use the back of your knife to remove some of that delicious corn milk.
- If you're in a rush, you can use frozen seasoning mix (onion, bell pepper, and celery).
- You'll need about 8 ears of fresh corn as a swap for frozen corn.
- The key to cooking corn so it's digestible is cooking it down for about 20 minutes.
- I don't recommend using canned corn or creamed corn in this recipe.
- I love adding cayenne pepper for a spicy flavor. Add 1-2 teaspoons instead of jalapeño pepper.
- You can use red bell pepper for more color instead of green bell peppers.
- If you want to tame the heat from jalapenos, remove the white pith and seeds from the inside of the pepper.
- I like to stir in shredded red cabbage at the end to give it a nice pop of color.
- Try adding ½ cup of heavy cream to the skillet for a creamier dish.
- Cajun and Creole seasoning are synonymous.
- If you use a different Creole seasoning other than Savory, omit the salt from the recipe.
- If you do not have a cast iron skillet, use a Dutch oven or heavy bottom skillet.
FAQs
Here are the top questions readers have about making corn maque choux.
What does corn maque choux mean in French?
Corn maque choux is a combination of Creole and French in origin. Maque is Creole for corn, and choux is the French term for cabbage.
How do you say corn maque choux?
You pronounce maque choux "mahk shoo" or "mock-shoe."
What does maque choux mean in English?
In English, maque choux means smothered corn and cabbage.
Is maque choux Cajun or Creole?
Maque choux is a popular Cajun-Creole dish that they enjoyed by cooking baked corn and shrimp in a casserole dish.
Where is maque choux from?
Corn maque choux is a dish from South Louisiana that combines Native American, Creole, and French cultures.
Is frozen or fresh corn better for maque choux?
Fresh corn is always better, but it's only available during the summertime, so if you decide to make this recipe once the weather cools off, using frozen corn is best.
Do I need to use heavy cream?
Adding heavy cream is not traditional, and most home cooks from the region may look at you weird for doing so, but it will add an interesting creamy finish to the dish.
How to remove corn from the cob?
This is the easiest way to remove corn from the cob. After shucking corn and removing silk from corn, lay corn down on the cutting board and slice corn kernels off. Adjust your knife placement and slice off corn kernels if you feel resistance. Rotate each side until all corn is removed from the cob with the root side on
More Cajun-Creole Recipes
If you love Cajun-Creole recipes as much as I do, then you'll want to add these recipes to your inventory.
- New Orleans Seafood Gumbo
- New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
- Beignets
- Bananas Foster
- Mambo Daiquiri
- Barbecue Shrimp and Grits
- Mock Turtle Soup
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.
Step 1: Pull out all the corn maque choux ingredients on the counter.
Step 2: Put everything measured into individual bowls.
Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for a finger-licking corn dish.
If you're looking for a delicious, easy side dish to make this Thanksgiving, look no further than my corn maque choux recipe. This Cajun-inspired dish is perfect for any gathering and can be made with fresh or frozen corn. I hope you enjoy it! Be sure to give the recipe a star rating.
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📖 Recipe
Corn Maque Choux
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10 oz. frozen corn
- 1 medium onion chopped medium
- 1 red bell pepper chopped medium
- 2 celery stalks chopped medium
- 1 jalapeno chopped medium
- 5 garlic cloves chopped fine
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon dry thyme
- 1 tablespoon Savory Cajun Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 5 green onions sliced
Instructions
- In a cast iron or heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and butter; once the butter has melted, add corn, onions, bell pepper, celery, and jalapeno, and cook for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, thyme, Cajun seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Season corn with half the seasoning mix, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add garlic and remaining seasoning mix, and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in stock and cook for 8 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot and garnish with green onions.
Notes
- Add cooked chopped chicken to make the corn maque choux a full meal.
- Try adding canned kidney red beans or black beans to make this an entree.
- You can also add shrimp or crawfish to your maque choux. Add them with 5 minutes remaining.
- If you use fresh corn kernels, make sure you use the back of your knife to remove some of that delicious corn milk.
- If you're in a rush, you can use frozen seasoning mix (onion, bell pepper, and celery).
- You'll need about 5 ears of fresh corn as a swap for frozen corn.
- The key to cooking corn so it's digestible is cooking it down for about 20 minutes.
- I don't recommend using canned corn or creamed corn in this recipe.
- I love adding cayenne pepper for a spicy flavor. Add 1-2 teaspoons instead of jalapeño pepper.
- You can use red bell pepper for more color instead of green bell peppers.
- If you want to tame the heat from jalapenos, remove the white pith and seeds from the inside of the pepper.
- I like to stir in shredded red cabbage at the end to give it a nice pop of color.
- Try adding ½ cup of heavy cream to the skillet for a creamier dish.
- Cajun and Creole seasoning are synonymous.
- If you use a different Creole seasoning other than Savory, omit the salt from the recipe.
- If you do not have a cast iron skillet, use a dutch oven or heavy bottom skillet.
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