A style of cooking originating in Louisiana which blends French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Asian Indian, Native American and African influences, as well as general Southern cuisine. It is similar to Cajun cuisine in ingredients (such as the holy trinity), but the important distinction is that Cajun cuisine arose from the more rustic, provincial French cooking adapted by the Acadians to Louisiana ingredients, whereas the cooking of the Louisiana Creoles tended more toward classical European styles adapted to local foodstuffs. Broadly speaking, the French influence in Cajun cuisine is descended from various French provincial cuisines of the peasantry, while Creole cuisine evolved in the homes of well-to-do aristocrats (or those who imitated their lifestyle). Although the Creole cuisine is closely identified with New Orleans, much of it evolved in the country plantation estates.

Southern European influences introduced the use of chilli peppers, citrus juice marinades, the importance of rice and beans. The Spaniards and the Italians also used tomatoes extensively, which had not been a frequent ingredient in the earlier French era. Pasta and tomato sauces arrived during the period when New Orleans was a popular destination for Italian and Greek immigrants. The African and Asian influences were largely derived from the slave population.

Significant Creole dishes include oysters Rockefeller, gumbo, crawfish étouffée, jambalaya and shrimp Creole.