A Louisiana seafood boil recipe with Cajun butter sauce, crab, shrimp, andouille sausage, red potatoes, sweet corn, and boiled eggs, made two ways: traditional and “boil in a bag” style.
Follow our easy, step-by-step recipe instructions updated with pictures!
This Cajun seafood boil recipe is a taste of home for me! It brings back memories of living in Las Vegas and eating at my favorite restaurant, The Boiling Crab (the original Louisiana-inspired Cajun seafood restaurant). I love how the seafood is tossed in the rich Cajun butter sauce and served in a plastic seafood boil bag—it’s just like dining at a restaurant. Let me tell you, the entire family couldn’t get enough of it!
This Louisiana seafood boil recipe is made with boiled eggs, crab, shrimp, andouille sausage, red potatoes, and corn. It’s one of those meals that brings the family together around the table. Did you know, adding boiled eggs to seafood boils is a popular practice in some Southern and Cajun traditions? The eggs absorb the flavorful broth, making them a tasty addition.
The best part about this easy seafood boil recipe is that it can be made two ways: a traditional seafood boil in a pot and a seafood boil in a bag where it’s cooked in the oven. This seafood boil is also perfect any time of year. If it’s crawfish season, make a crawfish boil! Blue crab season? No problem!
Marrekus is also a huge fan of Louisiana-style boils. He did a turkey neck boil that was so delicious. I love the flavorful broth and all the Cajun seasoning—it’s truly the ultimate New Orleans-inspired feast and one of my favorite seafood recipes.
So, give our Louisiana seafood boil recipes a try. It’s a winner in our household, and I know it will be in yours too! Happy cooking! Let us know how it turns out for you.
What we love about this recipe
- It’s fresh – The variety of seafood in this recipe includes fresh, high-quality snow crab legs, Dungeness crab legs, and shrimp.
- It’s full of flavor: The crab boil seasoning, along with the lemons, oranges, onions, and hot banana peppers, creates delicious, bold flavors.
It’s perfect for get togethers: You and your friends or family will love hanging out around the table for this classic Cajun seafood boil. Such a fun and engaging dining experience!
Ingredients
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Snow crab legs or king crab legs
- Dungeness crab legs
- Jumbo shrimp
- Andouille sausage or smoked sausage
- Red potatoes
- Corn
- Zatarain’s Crab Boil Seasoning packets
- Zatarain’s Liquid Crab Boil (optional)
- Lemons
- Oranges
- Yellow onions
- Hot banana peppers
- Boiled eggs
Cajun Butter Sauce
- Butter
- Garlic (not pictured)
- Cajun or Creole seasoning
- Chicken stock (not pictured)
- Hot sauce
- Lemon juice
- Old Bay seasoning
- Lemon zest
- Granulated onion
- Granulated garlic
- Coarse black pepper
How to make a Louisiana seafood boil
Detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1. Fill a large pot up with water. Add crab boil seasoning packets and liquid crab boil (if using); bring water to a boil.
Step 2. Add lemons, oranges, and onions. Squeeze juices from fruit, if desired.
Step 3. Add red potatoes, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are just parboiled (fork tender but not falling apart).
Step 4. Next, add crab legs and andouille sausage. Cook for about 10 minutes.
Step 5. Halfway through (at the 5-minute mark), add the shrimp and hot banana peppers.
Step 6. Once shrimp are pink and opaque, turn off heat and add corn niblets to the pot.
Step 7. Then, add boiled eggs and let everything soak for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, make Cajun butter sauce (see below).
Step 8. Finally, use a slotted spoon or a strainer to remove ingredients from pot and transfer to individual seafood boil bags or a large serving platter or bowl. Toss everything with Cajun butter sauce right before serving.
Cajun seafood boil sauce recipe
This Cajun butter sauce is the perfect finishing touch for your Louisiana seafood boil recipe, combining rich butter with a blend of spices, zesty lemon, and a hint of heat. Just toss your seafood boil ingredients in this flavorful sauce!
Step 1. Melt the unsalted butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 3-4 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant.
Step 2. Stir in the Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, granulated onion, granulated garlic, and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Step 3. Pour in the lemon juice and add lemon zest to the sauce.
Step 4. Pour in the chicken stock and stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes.
Step 5. Put in a dash of hot sauce and stir. Let the Cajun butter sauce simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Louisiana seafood “boil in a bag” directions
Our seafood “boil in a bag” recipe features the same delicious ingredients we use to make a traditional boil. However, instead of boiling in water, everything is tossed in a bag with Cajun butter sauce before cooking in the oven.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Meanwhile, make the Cajun seafood boil sauce recipe.
- Place crab legs, shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes, and lemon slices in an oven-safe boil bag. Pour the sauce over everything, tie the bag in a knot, and carefully shake to coat.
- Place the bag in an aluminum pan and bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
How to serve a seafood boil
Whether you opt for a traditional seafood boil or our boil in a bag version, using a bag, a large platter, or butcher paper makes for easy and convenient serving and cleanup.
Plastic seafood boil bags or even a crockpot liner bag work great. Portion the seafood, vegetables, and sausage into individual bags. Then, add the Cajun butter sauce and toss the ingredients around in the bag.
Using boil bags makes clean-up quick and easy. Dispose of the bags and any shells or scraps in one go.
Alternatively, arrange the cooked ingredients on a large serving platter or butcher paper-lined table (newspaper works great too).
Seafood boil tips and tricks
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh seafood, vegetables, and herbs make a big difference in the taste of your boil. Shop at reputable local grocery stores or fish markets for the freshest catch.
- Cook Potatoes Just Right: For the perfect tender potatoes, cook them until they still hold their shape and have some bite to them—about 10 minutes depending on size. Overcooked potatoes can become mushy and fall apart.
- Layer Your Cooking: Add the ingredients in stages based on cooking time. Start with the longer-cooking items like potatoes and onions, followed by crab and sausage, and finish with quick-cooking shrimp.
- Customize Spice Levels: Adjust the amount of crab boil seasoning and other spices according to your preference for heat and flavor intensity.
- Rest and Soak: After cooking, let the seafood boil soak in the seasoned water for 15-20 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and penetrate the ingredients.
How to reheat seafood boil
Reheating seafood boil while keeping everything full of flavor can be a bit tricky, but it’s totally doable with the right approach. Here’s how to do it:
- Place your seafood boil ingredients in a large pot and add a small amount of water, broth, or stock to help create steam and keep the seafood moist.
- Cover the pot and heat it over medium heat. The steam will help warm the seafood without drying it out.
- Stir gently as it heats to ensure even heating throughout.
- Heat until the ingredients are just warmed through.
Frequently asked questions
Summary
Perfect for gatherings, this boil is served with Cajun butter sauce and boiled eggs for a delicious feast! This Cajun seafood boil recipe is incredibly versatile and can be used as a foundation for other classic low country boil recipes like a crawfish boil or a shrimp boil.
Louisiana Seafood Boil Recipe with Cajun Butter Sauce
Equipment
- 20 quart stainless steel stock pot with lid
Ingredients
- 4 (4-ounce) Zatarain's crab boil seasoning bags
- 1 capful liquid crab boil optional
- 1 pound red potatoes washed and halved
- 2 lemons halved, plus more for serving wedges
- 2 oranges halved
- 2 medium yellow onions halved
- 4 pounds snow crab legs or king crab legs
- 2 pounds Dungeness crab legs
- 2 (13.5-ounce) smoked sausage andouille ropes cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined, frozen or unthawed
- 12 corn niblets frozen or fresh
- 1 (16-ounce) jar of hot banana peppers drained
- 12 boiled eggs for serving (optional)
Creole Butter Sauce
- 2 cups unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup Cajun or Creole seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon coarse black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
Instructions
- Fill a large pot up with water about 3/4 of the way. Add crab boil seasoning packets and liquid crab boil (if using); bring water to a boil.
- Add red potatoes, onions, lemons, and oranges to pot of boiling water. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are just parboiled (fork tender but not falling apart).
- Next, add crab legs and andouille sausage. Cook for about 10 minutes.
- Halfway through (at the 5-minute mark), add the shrimp and hot banana peppers.
- Once shrimp is pink and opaque, turn off heat and add corn niblets to the pot.
- Let everything soak in the pot for 15-20 minutes, to allow the flavors to meld together. While everything is soaking, make the Cajun butter sauce (below).
- Add boiled eggs, if using. Note: Boil eggs separately until they are hard-boiled. You can add them to seafood boil in the last few minutes of cooking to infuse flavor.
- Finally, use a slotted spoon or a strainer to remove ingredients from pot and transfer to individual seafood boil bags or a large serving platter or bowl.
- Toss everything with Cajun butter sauce right before serving.
Cajun Butter Sauce
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt unsalted butter.
- Add minced garlic to melted butter. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, granulated onion, granulated garlic, and coarse black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add lemon juice and lemon zest to sauce, stirring to combine.
- Pour in chicken stock and stir well to combine. Allow mixture to simmer for a few minutes.
- Add hot sauce and stir well.
- Let Cajun butter sauce simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Taste sauce and adjust seasoning as desired, adding more Cajun seasoning or hot sauce for heat, or more lemon juice for acidity. Feel free to add fresh herbs like bay leaves, parsley, chives, or scallions, if desired.
Used recipe for seafood boil everyone love it Thank You
This sounds nice
Thank you gonna try the seafood boil Creole butter and Cajun butter sauce sounds delicious