Traditional Seafood Boil with Old Bay Seasoning

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Here is my favorite seafood boil recipe, with Old Bay seasoning, fresh shrimp, crab, corn on the cob, and potatoes all cooked together in one big pot for an easy summer feast.

This seafood boil is what we make whenever we want to feel like we’re having a backyard party. Everyone gathers around the table, rolls up their sleeves, and digs in with their hands. It’s messy, fun, and always brings people together.

What Kind of Seafood Should I Use?

The beauty of a seafood boil is that you can mix and match based on what’s available and what you love most. This recipe calls for littleneck clams, jumbo shrimp, and Alaskan king crab legs, but you can easily swap in other shellfish like mussels, crawfish, or snow crab legs. When buying clams, make sure they’re tightly closed or close when tapped – that’s how you know they’re fresh and alive. For shrimp, look for ones that smell like the ocean (not fishy) and have firm, translucent flesh. If you’re using frozen crab legs, just make sure to thaw them completely before adding to the pot, and remember that pre-cooked crab legs only need to be heated through, not fully cooked again.

Options for Substitutions

This seafood boil is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need to make changes:

• Old Bay seasoning: This is really the star of the show, so I’d recommend sticking with Old Bay if possible. But if you can’t find it, you can make your own blend with paprika, celery seed, bay leaves, mustard seed, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne.
• Seafood mix: Feel free to swap out any seafood based on what’s available or your budget. Mussels work great instead of clams, regular crab legs can replace king crab, and crawfish are a classic addition. Just adjust cooking times – mussels cook faster than clams.
• Kielbasa sausage: Andouille sausage is a popular choice that adds more spice, or you can use any smoked sausage you prefer. Even regular bratwurst works in a pinch.
• Serrano chiles: If you want less heat, use jalapeños instead. For more kick, try habaneros but use just 1-2 since they’re much spicier.
• Red potatoes: Yukon gold or baby potatoes work just as well. The key is using waxy potatoes that won’t fall apart during the long cooking process.
• Sweet onions: Regular yellow onions are fine if you can’t find sweet ones – they’ll just have a bit more bite to them.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with seafood boils is adding all the ingredients at once, which leads to overcooked shrimp and undercooked potatoes – start with potatoes first since they take the longest, then add corn and sausage, and save the seafood for last.

Another common error is not seasoning the water enough, so don’t be shy with that Old Bay seasoning and salt – the water should taste like well-seasoned ocean water for the flavors to properly penetrate your ingredients.

Watch your shrimp closely and remove them as soon as they turn pink and curl (about 2-3 minutes), because overcooked shrimp become rubbery and tough.

Make sure to scrub your clams thoroughly and discard any that don’t close when tapped, and always have extra melted butter and lemon wedges ready for serving since that’s half the fun of a good seafood boil.

What to Serve With Seafood Boil?

A seafood boil is pretty much a complete meal on its own, but I love serving it with plenty of crusty French bread or dinner rolls for soaking up all those amazing juices. Melted butter with garlic and a squeeze of lemon is a must-have on the side for dipping the crab and shrimp – trust me, you’ll want extra! A simple coleslaw or green salad helps cut through all the richness and adds a nice fresh crunch to balance out the meal. Don’t forget to put out plenty of napkins and maybe some wet wipes because things are definitely going to get messy in the best possible way.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Your seafood boil is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days in airtight containers. I like to separate the seafood from the vegetables and potatoes since they have different storage needs. The flavors actually get even better overnight as everything soaks up that Old Bay goodness!

Freeze: While seafood boils are meant to be eaten right away, you can freeze the cooked shrimp and crab for up to 2 months if you have a lot left over. Just remove the shells first and store in freezer bags. The potatoes and corn don’t freeze well, so I’d skip those.

Warm Up: To enjoy your leftovers, gently warm everything in a large pot with a splash of water or seafood stock over medium-low heat. Don’t overcook the seafood or it’ll get rubbery. The vegetables and sausage can handle a bit more heat, so add those first and the delicate seafood at the very end.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	50-60 minutes
Total Time	65-80 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 6000-6500
• Protein: 400-450 g
• Fat: 300-350 g
• Carbohydrates: 600-650 g

Ingredients

For the seasoned cooking liquid:

• 4 lemons, cut in half
• 2 medium sweet onions, quartered
• 4 serrano peppers, split lengthwise, seeds and cores removed
• 2 heads garlic, peeled and halved
• 2 bunches fresh thyme, tied with string
• 1 2/3 cups seafood spice mix (like old bay®), more as desired
• 6 tsp kosher salt, adjust to taste
• 6 bay leaves

For the boil:

• 3 lb medium red potatoes, halved
• 5 packages (13 oz each) smoked kielbasa, sliced into 2-inch pieces
• 6 ears sweet corn, split in half
• 30 littleneck clams, cleaned
• 4 lb jumbo shrimp, deveined, tails on
• 2 1/2 lb alaskan king crab legs

Step 1: Prepare and Simmer the Flavorful Broth

• 4 lemons, cut in half
• 2 medium sweet onions, quartered
• 4 serrano peppers, split lengthwise, seeds and cores removed
• 2 heads garlic, peeled and halved
• 2 bunches fresh thyme, tied with string
• 1 2/3 cups seafood spice mix (like Old Bay®)
• 6 tsp kosher salt
• 6 bay leaves
• about 8 quarts water

Fill a very large stockpot fitted with a basket insert with about 8 quarts of water, or just until halfway full.

Squeeze the juice from the lemons into the water and drop the spent halves in as well.

Add the quartered onions, split serrano peppers (without seeds and cores), halved garlic heads, tied bundles of fresh thyme, seafood spice mix (such as Old Bay), kosher salt, and bay leaves.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes, allowing all the flavors to infuse.

Step 2: Cook the Potatoes

• 3 lb medium red potatoes, halved

Add the halved red potatoes to the simmering broth (from Step 1).

Let them cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are just tender when pierced with a fork.

Make sure the potatoes are immersed in the seasoned liquid so they absorb all the flavors.

Step 3: Add the Sausage and Corn

• 5 packages (13 oz each) smoked kielbasa, sliced into 2-inch pieces
• 6 ears sweet corn, split in half

Stir in the sliced smoked kielbasa and the halved ears of sweet corn.

Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, ensuring everything stays submerged in the broth for even cooking and flavor.

I like to give the pot a gentle stir to make sure the sausage and corn are coated with the spicy, fragrant broth.

Step 4: Steam the Clams and Steep the Seafood

• 30 littleneck clams, cleaned
• 4 lb jumbo shrimp, deveined, tails on
• 2 1/2 lb Alaskan king crab legs

Add the cleaned littleneck clams to the pot and bring back to a boil.

Cook until the clams open up, about 8 minutes.

Then, add the jumbo shrimp and immediately shut off the heat.

Cover the pot and let the shrimp steep in the residual heat for 10 minutes.

In the last 5 minutes of this steeping, add the Alaskan king crab legs, pressing them down gently so they get covered by the broth.

Step 5: Drain and Serve with Extra Seasoning

• seafood spice mix (like Old Bay®), more as desired

Drain the seafood and vegetables and spread the cooked crab, shrimp, sausage, clams, corn, potatoes, and onions out onto a newspaper-covered table or arrange them on three large serving trays for a classic family-style presentation.

Sprinkle the feast with extra seafood spice mix (like Old Bay), or set the seasoning on the side for individual use.

For an extra punch, I sometimes serve lemon wedges and melted butter on the side as well.