Cajun Seafood boil

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.

cooked lobster tails, corn, potatoes, sausage, crab legs, and shrimp, with sauce and parsley on top.

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.

ingredients for seafood boil. Raw shellfish, corn, potatoes, and sausage.

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!

seasoned reddish broth in a large stock-pot over the stovetop.

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.

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!

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.