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4.8 from 12 votes

Cajun Seafood Boil

Learn how to make a flavorful Cajun seafood boil recipe with a Cajun-spiced garlic butter sauce, featuring crawfish, shrimp, crab, sausage, corn, and potatoes soaking up the spicy, flavorful broth.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
37 mins
Servings: 6 hearty servings
Calories: 527 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cajun

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Cajun seafood boil seasoning
  • 1/4 cup Cajun Seasoning homemade or use Tony Chachere's or Slap ya Mama brand
  • 4 lemons halved
  • 1 large yellow onion quartered
  • 1 lb baby potatoes cut in half
  • 12 ounces andouille sausage sliced into 2 inch pieces
  • 3 lbs snow crab legs thawed and scrubbed
  • 2 lbs frozen crawfish thawed and rinsed
  • 2.5 lbs 13/15 white shrimp shells on, deveined
  • 6 corn on the cob cut into 2 inch pieces, each
Cajun Garlic Butter Sauce
  • 16 ounces salted butter
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 6 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 tsp hot sauce more or less to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp lemon zest grated
  • 2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
  • Juice of 2 lemons about 1/4 cup
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Put the cajun seafood boil seasoning, the Cajun seasoning, potatoes, lemons, sausage, and onion quarters into your stockpot, then fill it with water about 3/4 of the way full. Bring to a boil on the stove top and let boil for 10 minutes.
  2. Add the snow crab legs and corn to the pot, let cook for another 10 minutes. (While this is going, make the butter sauce using the instructions below).
  3. Turn off the heat, add the crawfish and shrimp and cover the pot with a lid for 5-7 minutes so they can gently cook and soak up the seasoning. When the shrimp is pink and
  4. Use an Asian spider or slotted spoon to scoop all the juicy seafood and fixin's from the pot and onto a newspaper lined baking sheet or into a large enough mixing bowl to fit everything.
  5. Pour half of the butter sauce all over the seafood and give a little toss to coat everything. Have the extra sauce for dipping.
Make the Cajun Garlic Butter Seafood Sauce
  1. In a separate saucepan over medium heat, melt down the butter. As it's melting, whisk in the mustard, garlic, hot sauce, parsley, lemon zest, and Cajun seasoning. Let cook for about 1 minute so the garlic has a chance to cook the raw taste out.
  2. Whisk in the lemon juice, chicken broth, and worcestershire sauce. Let this simmer for 10 minutes and reduce slightly.

Notes

  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container or zip top bag in the fridge for up to 2 days.
  • Rewarm in simmering water seasoned with a little cajun seafood boil on the stove for a few minutes to rewarm everything.
  • Use Frozen Seafood -  fresh seafood is only for if you are buying in season shellfish! Frozen seafood was frozen at its peak, so it's more likely to be
  • Use Frozen Seafood -  fresh seafood is only for if you are buying in season shellfish! Frozen seafood was frozen at its peak, so it's more likely to be
  • What about eggs? - boiling eggs in a seafood boil is a distinctly Floridian thing. If you want to add them, you can, but remove them after about 8-10 minutes, shock and shell them before adding them to the platter of seafood.
  • What about eggs? - boiling eggs in a seafood boil is a distinctly Floridian thing. If you want to add them, you can, but remove them after about 8-10 minutes, shock and shell them before adding them to the platter of seafood.
  • Buy shell-on, deveined shrimp - this is what makes this recipe so quick and easy! I find mine at Costco, or if it's shrimp season here I'll head to my local mom and pop fishmonger and ask them for a few pounds deveined.
  • Buy shell-on, deveined shrimp - this is what makes this recipe so quick and easy! I find mine at Costco, or if it's shrimp season here I'll head to my local mom and pop fishmonger and ask them for a few pounds deveined.
  • Adjust seasoning as needed - the best seafood boil recipe is a flavorful boil, but it shouldn't end up burning your face off. Adjust the seasoning for the butter sauce and add more water if the broth is too spicy!
  • Adjust seasoning as needed - the best seafood boil recipe is a flavorful boil, but it shouldn't end up burning your face off. Adjust the seasoning for the butter sauce and add more water if the broth is too spicy!
  • The cooking times will vary if you use other seafood like mussels, clams, live crawfish, calamari, etc.
  • The cooking times will vary if you use other seafood like mussels, clams, live crawfish, calamari, etc.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 527kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 35g (12%) Protein 54g (108%) Fat 19g (29%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 336mg (112%) Sodium 2042mg (85%) Potassium 1161mg (33%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 558IU (11%) Vitamin C 32mg (36%) Calcium 163mg (16%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6hearty servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 527

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 527kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 35g 12%
Protein 54g 108%
Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 336mg 112%
Sodium 2042mg 85%
Potassium 1161mg 25%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 558IU 11%
Vitamin C 32mg 36%
Calcium 163mg 16%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.