Spicy Seafood Boil in a Bag

Getting everyone together for a special dinner can feel impossible these days, between soccer practice, work meetings, and all the usual daily chaos. And when you finally do manage it, the last thing you want is to spend hours in the kitchen preparing different dishes that’ll leave you with a mountain of pots and pans to clean up afterwards.

That’s where this seafood boil in a bag comes to the rescue – it’s a complete meal that cooks in one bag, creates minimal mess, and brings that fun, casual vibe that gets everyone reaching across the table and sharing stories while they dig in. Plus, you can easily adjust the seafood mix and seasonings based on what your family enjoys most.

What Kind of Seafood Should I Use?

For a seafood boil, snow crab legs and large shrimp are the stars of the show, but you can definitely mix things up based on what’s available or your preferences. If snow crab legs are out of your budget or not in season, you could swap them for king crab legs, blue crab, or even clusters of Dungeness crab. When it comes to shrimp, look for large or jumbo-sized ones (16-20 count per pound) since they’ll hold up better during cooking and won’t get lost among the other ingredients. Just make sure your shrimp are deveined, and you can leave the shells on – they’ll help keep the meat tender and add more flavor to the boil. If you’re feeling fancy, you could even throw in some mussels or crawfish to the mix.

Options for Substitutions

This seafood boil recipe can be adjusted based on what you have available:

• Snow crab legs: You can swap these with king crab legs, dungeness crab, or even lobster tails. If using lobster, reduce the cooking time by 2-3 minutes to prevent overcooking.
• Andouille sausage: No andouille? Try kielbasa, chorizo, or any smoked sausage. Each will bring its own flavor profile to the dish.
• Old Bay seasoning: If you’re out of Old Bay, mix together celery salt, paprika, black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper as a quick substitute.
• Red potatoes: Any waxy potato works here – try fingerlings or Yukon golds. Just keep the pieces similar in size for even cooking.
• Creole seasoning: Cajun seasoning works as a direct substitute, or make your own by mixing paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne.
• Chicken broth: Vegetable broth or seafood stock can be used instead. If using seafood stock, you might want to reduce the Old Bay slightly as it’s already salty.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making seafood boil is overcooking your seafood – shrimp only needs 3-4 minutes until pink and opaque, while crab legs are already pre-cooked and just need warming through. A common error is adding all ingredients at once, instead of staging them based on cooking time – start with potatoes and corn (15-20 minutes), followed by sausage (5 minutes), and add seafood last. To avoid bland results, make sure to season your cooking liquid generously and taste it before adding the seafood – the broth should taste slightly saltier than you’d prefer since it will be absorbed by the ingredients. For the best flavor distribution, seal your bags tightly and gently shake them every few minutes during cooking, allowing the seasoned butter sauce to coat everything evenly.

What to Serve With 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 or cornbread is perfect for soaking up all that amazing buttery sauce – trust me, you don’t want to waste a drop. Since the boil itself is pretty rich, I like to balance it out with a crisp coleslaw or a simple green salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette. For drinks, keep it casual with some cold beer or lemonade, which pairs really well with the spicy seafood flavors.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: If you happen to have leftovers from your seafood boil (which doesn’t happen often!), separate the seafood from the vegetables and store them in different airtight containers in the fridge. They’ll stay good for up to 2 days, but seafood is really best enjoyed fresh on the day it’s cooked.

Prep Ahead: Want to get a head start? You can prep all your vegetables and make the seasoned butter mixture up to 24 hours in advance. Store the cut veggies in airtight containers in the fridge, and keep the butter mixture in a separate container. When you’re ready to cook, just bring everything together!

Warm Up: To enjoy any leftovers, gently warm them in a pot with a splash of water or butter over low heat just until heated through – about 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook, as seafood can get tough. The eggs and potatoes can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature if you prefer.

Preparation Time	20-30 minutes
Cooking Time	30-40 minutes
Total Time	50-70 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

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

• Calories: 3000-3500
• Protein: 180-200 g
• Fat: 180-200 g
• Carbohydrates: 150-180 g

Ingredients

For the boil:

• 2 lb snow crab legs
• 6 whole hard-boiled eggs
• 1 lb small red potatoes
• 6 mini corn cobs
• 1 lb large raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 16 oz smoked andouille sausage (sliced into 1-inch pieces)

For the spicy butter sauce:

• 1 cup unsalted butter (I like Kerrygold for richness)
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley (fresh preferred)
• 1 tbsp Creole seasoning blend (I like Slap Ya Mama)
• 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 fl oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp paprika
• 6 garlic cloves (freshly minced for best flavor)
• 1 medium red onion (finely diced)

Seasoning:

• ground black pepper
• salt

Step 1: Boil the Potatoes and Corn

• 1 lb small red potatoes, halved
• 6 mini corn cobs
• salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.

Rinse the red potatoes and add them to the boiling water along with the mini corn cobs.

Season the water generously with salt.

Boil for 12-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender but not falling apart, and the corn has turned a deeper yellow and appears plump.

When cooked, remove both the potatoes and corn from the water and set them aside.

Step 2: Brown the Andouille Sausage

• 16 oz smoked andouille sausage, sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces

While the potatoes and corn are cooking, slice the smoked andouille sausage into 1-inch diagonal pieces.

Heat a skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the sausage slices.

Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is slightly browned.

Transfer the browned sausage to a plate and set it aside.

I find browning the sausage enhances its smoky flavor and brings extra depth to the dish.

Step 3: Prepare the Spicy Butter Sauce

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, 8 oz total)
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 5 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tbsp Creole seasoning blend
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 fl oz; adjust as desired)
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• salt and ground black pepper, to taste

In the same saucepan, add the unsalted butter and let it melt over medium heat.

Stir in the diced red onion and chopped garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.

Add the chicken broth, Old Bay seasoning, Creole seasoning blend, paprika, and cayenne pepper.

Stir well to combine.

Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer gently for 5-7 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, add fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley, and cook for one more minute, then remove from heat.

Step 4: Assemble the Seafood Boil in Oven Bags

• 2 lb snow crab legs, thawed
• 1 lb large raw shrimp, deveined
• 16 oz smoked andouille sausage, sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces (browned from Step 2)
• 6 whole hard-boiled eggs
• 1 lb small red potatoes, halved (boiled from Step 1)
• 6 mini corn cobs (boiled from Step 1)
• spicy butter sauce (from Step 3)

Preheat your oven to 400℉ (205℃).

Place oven bags in a large bowl so they stand open for easy filling.

Add the thawed snow crab legs, raw deveined shrimp, browned sausage from Step 2, hard-boiled eggs, boiled potatoes and corn from Step 1 into the oven bags, distributing the ingredients evenly if using multiple bags.

Drizzle the warm butter sauce from Step 3 evenly over the contents.

Tie the oven bags tightly to seal and, if you like, gently toss or massage the bags to make sure everything is coated with the sauce.

Step 5: Bake and Serve the Seafood Boil

Place the filled oven bags on a sheet pan or in a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping the bags halfway through to ensure even cooking.

Remove the bags from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before carefully opening them; be cautious as hot steam will escape.

Arrange the seafood boil on a large platter, garnish with parsley, and surround with extra lemon wedges if desired.

It’s truly delicious with an extra squeeze of lemon—sometimes I like to serve extra lemon wedges for those who love a citrusy kick.