Description
A vibrant and flavorful Cajun Seafood Boil featuring snow crab clusters, jumbo shrimp, andouille sausage, baby potatoes, and sweet corn simmered in a spicy Creole broth, served with a rich homemade garlic butter sauce. Perfect for a lively, communal seafood feast that delivers bold Southern spices and mouthwatering aromas.
Ingredients
Scale
Boil Ingredients
- 3 quarts water
- 1 (12-ounce) can of beer (optional but highly recommended)
- 3 tablespoons Creole Cajun Seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- Hot sauce, to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly sliced into half-moons
- 1 large lemon, cut into wedges plus more for serving
- 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
- 1 lb baby potatoes, red or gold (or a mix of both)
- 1 lb pre-cooked snow crab leg clusters, fresh or frozen
- 1 – 1 ½ lbs jumbo shrimp, deveined, shell-on or peeled
- 4–6 ears sweet corn on the cob (mini ears preferred)
- 4–6 hard boiled eggs (optional)
Garlic Butter Sauce
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 10 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon Creole Cajun Seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Old Bay seasoning and hot sauce, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the boil: In an extra large stockpot or dutch oven (10 quarts or larger) over medium-high heat, combine the water and beer (if using). Bring to a boil. Add Creole Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, and hot sauce to taste. Add sliced onion and lemon wedges, stirring to combine. Let boil for 15 minutes to infuse flavors.
- Add the andouille and potatoes: Carefully add the andouille sausage rounds and baby potatoes. Stir to combine. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are just fork-tender.
- Add the seafood and corn: Nestle snow crab clusters, shrimp, and corn on the cob into the pot, ensuring all ingredients are submerged. Stir gently. Continue boiling for 5-7 minutes until shrimp turn pink. While cooking, prepare the garlic butter sauce.
- Make the garlic butter sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, parsley, Creole Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and hot sauce to taste. Stir and simmer for 5-7 minutes until thoroughly combined and fragrant. Remove from heat.
- Assemble the seafood boil with sauce: Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Use a spider strainer to transfer the seafood boil ingredients onto the sheet, add hard boiled eggs if using, and discard onion and lemon from the pot. Optionally, thin the garlic butter sauce with some boil broth. Pour the sauce over the seafood mixture and toss thoroughly to coat everything evenly.
- Serve: Serve the Cajun seafood boil immediately, either family-style right from the baking sheet or plated individually. Provide extra lemon wedges and encourage sopping up the delicious garlic butter sauce. Enjoy the communal, messy fun!
Notes
- Read the full blog post for additional tips and tricks to perfect your boil.
- The beer adds depth of flavor but can be omitted if desired.
- Hard boiled eggs are optional but add a nice texture contrast.
- Use gloves when tossing the boil with garlic butter sauce for easier cleanup.
- Customize the spice level by adjusting the amount of hot sauce and Cajun seasoning.
- Pre-cooked crab legs speed up cooking time; if using raw, increase cooking time appropriately.
Keywords: cajun seafood boil, seafood boil recipe, garlic butter sauce, shrimp boil, snow crab, andouille sausage, creole seasoning, summer seafood feast