Cajun Seafood Boil Recipe (Video) - Cooked by Julie (2024)

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Seafood lovers are going to love this cajun seafood boil. Fresh shellfish, potatoes, corn, and sausage simmered in a flavorful broth, then topped off with garlic butter sauce.

I love seafood recipes that are delicious and easy to make, some of my favorites include, seafood mac and cheese and seafood enchiladas.

Seafood boils are so much fun to eat and if made right, always packed with flavor. I like to add a lot of seafood but feel free to add less expensive items like sweet corn, andouille sausage, and boiled eggs. You can literally add any vegetable or protein to this dish.

Once you make this, you’ll never buy those store-bought seafood boil seasoning bottles. All you need is water, butter, spices, and a few other ingredients to make this.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Crab Legs – feel free to use king crab legs, snow crab legs, or Dungeness claw.
  • Lobster – I used lobster tails but whole lobsters work too.
  • Shrimp (prawns) – I highly recommend using raw fresh jumbo shrimp. I left the peels and tails on, but feel free to use peeled and deveined shrimp.
  • Sausage – Beef, turkey, or pork sausage works.
  • Potatoes – baby red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes.
  • Corn – fresh or frozen
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Garlic – freshly minced
  • Onions
  • Old Bay Seasoning – if you don’t have old bay seasoning on hand feel free to use Cajun seasoning instead.

How To Make Cajun Seafood Boil

Begin by adding the butter and onions to a large stockpot and cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, old bay seasoning, spices, lemons, bay leaves, and 12 cups of water. Once the water comes up to a boil you’ll want to start cooking the seafood separately.

How Long To Boil Seafood

  • Potatoes: I cooked the baby red potatoes for 14 minutes but cook them until tender and then remove them from the stockpot.
  • Lobster: 5-8 minutes.
  • Crab and Corn: 5 minutes.
  • Sausage: 2 minutes.
  • Shrimp: 1 minute.

Once you’re done cooking the seafood in batches, get started on the lemon garlic butter sauce. Add the butter to a skillet and cook over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the fresh minced garlic, old bay seasoning, paprika, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Check for seasoning and pour the sauce over the seafood or place it in a small bowl. Dip the seafood into the sauce and enjoy!

Top Tips and Recipe Variations

  • Because shrimp cook super quickly and potatoes take a long time to cook, you cannot simply dump all of the ingredients in the stockpot. Unless 2 items cook for the same period of time, it must be cooked separately.
  • Add some clams, mussels, crawfish, or a meaty fish like swordfish.
  • Make sure to adjust seasoning to your liking. If you like it spicy, add some cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. If you like it saltier, add more salt.
  • Have your seafood thawed and ready to go before the seafood broth starts boiling.
  • Place all of the cooked seafood, potatoes, and corn in an oven bag with all of the lemon butter garlic sauce and shake the bag. That will help the sauce coat the seafood well.

Can I Use Frozen Seafood?

Yes, just make sure you thaw it completely before cooking. Try to find fresh wild-caught shrimp, frozen works too but fresh will always taste better.

Can You Eat A Seafood Boil The Next Day?

Yes, make sure to place the leftovers in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

What Can I Serve With This?

I love to serve this with creamy coleslaw, hush puppies, bread, and roasted potato salad.

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me onFacebook,InstagramorPinterest!

Cajun Seafood Boil Recipe (Video) - Cooked by Julie (5)

Cajun Seafood Boil

Print RecipePin Recipe

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 317kcal

Author: Julie Maestre

Seafood lovers are going to love this cajun seafood boil. Fresh shellfish, potatoes, corn, and sausage simmered in a flavorful broth, then topped off with garlic butter sauce.

Ingredients

  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup old bay seasoning
  • 1 onion roughly chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves smashed
  • 2 lemons quartered
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 12 cups water
  • salt and pepper to taste

Garlic Butter Sauce

  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 4 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp old bay seasoning
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

  • Add 8 tbsp butter and onions to a large stockpot and cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.

  • Stir in the garlic, old bay seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, lemons, bay leaves, and 12 cups of water. Once the water comes up to a boil you'll want to start cooking the seafood separately.

  • Add the potatoes and cook them for 14 minutes or until fork-tender. Remove them once cooked, and set aside.

  • Add the lobster and cook for 5-8 minutes, add the crab and corn and cook for 5 minutes. Cook the sausage for 2 minutes and the shrimp for 1 minute.

  • Once you're done cooking the seafood in batches, get started on the lemon garlic butter sauce. Add the butter to a skillet and cook over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes.

  • Stir in the fresh minced garlic, old bay seasoning, paprika, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Check for seasoning and pour the sauce over the seafood or place it in a small bowl. Dip the seafood into the sauce and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Because shrimp cook super quickly and potatoes take a long time to cook, you cannot simply dump all of the ingredients in the stockpot. Unless 2 items cook for the same period of time, it must be cooked separately.
  • Add some clams, mussels, crawfish, or a meaty fish like swordfish.
  • Make sure to adjust seasoning to your liking. If you like it spicy, add some cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. If you like it saltier, add more salt.
  • Have your seafood thawed and ready to go before the seafood broth starts boiling.
  • Place all of the cooked seafood, potatoes, and corn in an oven bag with all of the lemon butter garlic sauce and shake the bag. That will help the sauce coat the seafood well.

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1556IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @cookedbyjulie or tag #cookedbyjulie!

Cajun Seafood Boil Recipe (Video) - Cooked by Julie (6)

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Cajun Seafood Boil Recipe (Video) - Cooked by Julie (2024)

FAQs

What is the name of the seafood boil in Louisiana? ›

As it goes by a number of different names: Beaufort Stew, Beaufort Boil, or Lowcountry Boil, its name is more commonly known as Frogmore Stew, which is taken from the small town of the same name on St.

How to boil shrimp and crawfish together? ›

(10 minutes total cooking time) 🦞 Add crawfish and shrimp to the basket, stirring them in a bit. Return to boil and boil for 5 minutes (regulate burner so rolling boil is maintained but the pot does not boil over) 🦞 Turn the burner off, keep the pot covered, and let the crawfish soak for 20 to 30 minutes.

How do you eat crab in a seafood boil? ›

It's simple—first, you break off the legs, which exposes a chunk of meat. To get to the larger part of the crab meat, you must turn the crab upside down and rip off the apron, which is the bottom flap on the underside.

What kind of crab is used for boils? ›

Perfect for seafood boils, hard shell blue crabs are usually steamed or boiled with Old Bay seasoning before the succulent crab meat is picked. Their soft white meat bears a rich and nutty flavor and is full of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.

How much Louisiana boil seasoning to use? ›

Before dropping in the crawfish, you'll want to add some more seasoning (anywhere from 1-3 extra pounds) to the water and then bring the water to a boil. Usually we suggest 1 lb. of seasoning per 10 lbs.

Why do you put orange juice in crawfish boil? ›

"A lot of home cooks spend a lot of time cutting up fruit. It's a waste of time," Willie Chapman said. Chapman said he uses juice for two reasons: One, using a gallon of citrus helps to add some mild flavor, and two, the sugar in the juice helps to balance the heat of the crawfish.

What other meat can you put in a crawfish boil? ›

Meats, such as bologna or sausage, can add fat to the water, so consider adding them after the crawfish have been removed from the boil.

When to add raw shrimp to crawfish boil? ›

Cook for 5 minutes then remove the pot from the heat. 4. Let the crawfish, veggies and potatoes sit for 5 minutes before adding the shrimp in. Let both sit for 10 more minutes.

Why do they put boiled eggs in seafood boil? ›

One of the oft-overlooked proteins in seafood boils is eggs. These are great as they help soak up the flavors and thus add more flavor to the meal. You can boil the eggs at any point during the cooking process. Adding them towards the end helps, ensure they get all of the right flavors from other ingredients.

Why do you put vinegar in a seafood boil? ›

Day Dream Kitchen explains that vinegar helps to loosen the attachment between the shell and the meat of the shrimp. They claim it is not 100 % effective, but it does help. Vinegar also helps to add flavor to the shrimp.

Is cajun seafood boil healthy to eat? ›

Cajun boil can be healthy if prepared with lean proteins and plenty of vegetables, but it can also be high in calories and sodium if it includes excessive butter and sausage. How many calories in a Cajun seafood boil?

What part of a crab can't you eat? ›

Thankfully, nearly every part of a crab is edible, with one exception: The lungs, also known as the gills. These feathery, cone-shaped parts line the outer edges of the crab's shell.

When using a crab boil do I put the crabs directly in the water? ›

Once the water is boiling, carefully place your crabs in the water and cook for about 10-20 minutes.

What is the yellow stuff in boiled crabs? ›

mustard Yellow substance found inside a cooked crab. Contrary to popular belief, the "mustard" is not fat, rather it's the crab's hepatopancreas, the organ responsible for filtering impurities from the crab's blood.

What are names for seafood boils? ›

Seafood Boil ~~ It's called many names: Frogmore Stew, Beaufort Stew, Lowcountry Boil, Louisiana Crawfish boil or a Tidewater Boil.

What are Louisiana crabs called? ›

The Atlantic Blue crab (Callinectessapidus)species is the main species of crab caught and harvested in Louisiana, however, the Ornate Blue crab (Callinectes ornatus), Lesser Blue crab (Callinectes similis), and Gulf stone crabs are also found and caught in Louisiana waters but do not contribute significantly to ...

What is a seafood boil called in the South? ›

Georgia and the Carolinas. Shrimp boil, also known as Lowcountry Boil or Frogmore Stew Low country boil with shrimp, potatoes, corn, and sausage.

Why is it called Lowcountry Boil? ›

Over the years the dish became more popularly known as “Lowcountry Boil” because of the key ingredient, shrimp, which is a principal product of the Lowcountry. Many recipes differ, but the staple ingredients of shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes remain the same.

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