Quick Cajun Seafood Boil Recipe

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If you ask me, a cajun seafood boil is the best way to bring people together.

This Southern-style feast combines fresh seafood, corn on the cob, and potatoes in a perfectly spiced broth that’ll make your mouth water. The seafood soaks up all those classic cajun seasonings while everything cooks together in one big pot.

It’s the kind of meal where you spread newspaper across the table, roll up your sleeves, and dig in with your hands. The smell of garlic, paprika, and bay leaves fills the kitchen as it all comes together.

It’s a fun, laid-back dinner that’s meant for sharing, perfect for weekend gatherings or special occasions with friends and family.

What Kind of Shrimp Should I Use?

For a seafood boil, large or jumbo shrimp (16-20 or 21-25 per pound) are your best bet since they hold up well during cooking and are easy to peel at the table. You can use either fresh or frozen shrimp – just make sure frozen ones are fully thawed before cooking. While both shell-on and peeled shrimp work in this recipe, I recommend keeping the shells on since they add extra flavor to the boil and help protect the shrimp from overcooking. If you’re buying fresh shrimp, look for ones that smell fresh like the ocean (not fishy) and have firm, translucent flesh without any black spots or discoloration.

Options for Substitutions

This seafood boil is pretty flexible and you can make several swaps based on what you have available:

• Beer: Skip the beer if you prefer, or replace it with chicken broth or clam juice for extra flavor. Even white wine works well here!
• Seafood: Snow crab legs can be swapped with king crab, dungeness crab, or even lobster tails. For shrimp, any size works – just adjust the cooking time accordingly. You can also add mussels or clams to the mix.
• Andouille sausage: Can’t find andouille? Use kielbasa, chorizo, or any smoked sausage. Even hot Italian sausage works great here.
• Seasonings: If you don’t have Old Bay, use additional Cajun seasoning plus a pinch each of celery salt and paprika. For Cajun seasoning, Creole seasoning makes a good substitute, or you can make your own spice blend.
• Potatoes: Any small potatoes work here – red, gold, or even fingerlings. Just cut larger ones into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
• Corn: Regular corn on the cob cut into smaller pieces works just as well as mini corn. Frozen corn cobettes are also fine.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making a seafood boil is cooking all ingredients at once, which leads to overcooked, rubbery seafood – instead, add ingredients in stages based on their cooking times (potatoes first, followed by corn and sausage, then crab legs, and finally shrimp). Another common error is overcrowding the pot, which prevents even cooking and proper seasoning distribution – make sure to use a pot large enough to hold all ingredients with room for water circulation. To avoid bland results, don’t skip the step of making a flavorful broth first with the seasonings, beer, onions, and lemon – let these ingredients simmer for at least 15 minutes before adding any other components. For perfectly cooked shrimp, remove them from the pot as soon as they turn pink and opaque (usually 2-3 minutes), as they’ll continue cooking slightly from residual heat.

What to Serve With Cajun Seafood Boil?

A seafood boil is pretty much a complete meal on its own, but there are some simple sides that can make it even better! Fresh, crusty French bread is perfect for soaking up all that amazing seasoned butter sauce – I always grab an extra loaf because it disappears fast. A cool, crisp coleslaw makes a nice contrast to the spicy seafood, and it helps clean your palate between bites. If you want to keep things super casual (which is what a seafood boil is all about), just put out some cold beers, extra lemon wedges, and plenty of paper towels – trust me, you’ll need them!

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: If you happen to have leftovers from your seafood boil (which doesn’t happen often at my house!), separate the seafood and vegetables into airtight containers. They’ll stay good in the fridge for up to 2 days. The garlic butter sauce can be stored separately in its own container.

Prepare Ahead: You can prep components ahead of time to make cooking day easier. Slice the sausage, cut the potatoes, and mix your seasoning blend the day before. Store everything separately in the fridge. The garlic butter sauce can also be made a day ahead – just warm it up when you’re ready to serve.

Warm Up: To enjoy your leftovers, gently warm them in a pan with a splash of water or beer over medium-low heat until heated through. You can also make a foil packet and heat it in the oven at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes. Just be careful not to overcook the seafood, as it can get tough.

Preparation Time	20-30 minutes
Cooking Time	40-50 minutes
Total Time	60-80 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

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

• Calories: 3500-4000
• Protein: 200-220 g
• Fat: 250-280 g
• Carbohydrates: 200-220 g

Ingredients

• 3 quarts water
• 1 (12-ounce) can of beer – optional, but suggested
• 3 tablespoons creole cajun seasoning, either homemade or store-bought
• 1 tablespoon old bay seasoning
• Hot sauce, according to preference
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half-moons
• 1 large lemon, cut into wedges, with extra for serving
• 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
• 1 lb small red or gold potatoes, or a mix
• 1 lb prepared snow crab leg clusters, fresh or frozen
• 1 – 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, deveined, with shell or peeled
• 4-6 mini sweet corn cobs
• 4-6 hard-boiled eggs – optional
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 10 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon old bay seasoning
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon creole cajun seasoning, either homemade or store-bought
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Hot sauce, to taste

Step 1: Prepare and Season the Boil

In an extra large stockpot or Dutch oven (about 10 quarts or larger), combine water and beer (if using) over medium-high heat.

Bring the liquid to a boil.

Season the boiling liquid with Creole Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, and a few dashes of hot sauce to taste.

Add sliced onion and lemon wedges into the pot.

Stir all the ingredients well to combine thoroughly and let the mixture boil for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Add Sausage and Potatoes

Carefully add the andouille sausage rounds and baby potatoes into the pot, stirring well to ensure they are fully combined with the boil.

Let the andouille and potatoes cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just about fork-tender.

Step 3: Add Seafood and Corn

Gently nestle the snow crab clusters into the pot along with shrimp and corn on the cob.

Ensure everything is fully submerged under the boil and carefully stir to ensure all ingredients are well combined.

Continue boiling for another 5-7 minutes, cooking until the shrimp turns pink.

Step 4: Prepare Garlic Butter Sauce

Meanwhile, on a separate burner, prepare the garlic butter sauce.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, garlic, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, parsley, Creole Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and hot sauce to taste.

Stir all ingredients and simmer the sauce until the butter melts and the sauce is well combined, stirring often, for about 5-7 minutes.

Then remove from heat.

Step 5: Serve the Seafood Boil

Line an extra large baking sheet with foil, parchment paper, or newspaper.

Use a spider strainer to carefully remove the seafood boil contents from the pot and place them onto the prepared baking sheet along with hard-boiled eggs (if using).

Discard the onion and lemon bits.

If you’d like your garlic butter sauce thinner, you can add some seafood boil broth to adjust to the desired consistency.

Pour the garlic butter sauce over the seafood boil ingredients, and using your hands (with disposable gloves if desired), toss everything to coat well.

Step 6: Enjoy!

Serve the Cajun seafood boil as-is for a communal dining experience where everyone can grab what they’d like directly from the baking sheet, or you can divide the boil onto individual plates to serve.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if desired.

Enjoy the delicious flavors and remember to sop up any runaway garlic butter sauce.

Bon appétit!