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Here’s my go-to seafood boil recipe that’s perfectly portioned for two people, featuring fresh shrimp, crab, corn on the cob, and potatoes all cooked in a flavorful blend of butter, garlic, and classic seafood seasonings.
It’s become our favorite Friday night dinner at home – much cheaper than going to a restaurant, and you can adjust the spice level exactly how you like it. Plus, there’s something fun about eating with your hands and making a bit of a mess, don’t you think?

Why You’ll Love This Seafood Boil
- Perfect portion size – Specially scaled for two people, this recipe eliminates waste and gives you just the right amount of seafood, potatoes, and corn for an intimate dinner.
- Quick cooking time – Ready in under an hour, this seafood boil brings the restaurant experience home without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Customizable heat level – You can easily adjust the spiciness by tweaking the amount of red pepper flakes and Old Bay seasoning to match your taste preferences.
- Restaurant-quality sauce – The homemade cocktail sauce and garlic butter combination gives you that authentic seafood boil experience right at your dinner table.
- One-pot meal – Everything cooks in a single pot, meaning less cleanup and more time to enjoy your meal together.
What Kind of Seafood Should I Use?
For this seafood boil, you’ve got flexibility with your choices of shellfish. The recipe calls for a combination of shrimp and crab legs, but you can easily adjust based on what’s available or your preference. If you’re using shrimp, look for medium to large sizes (16/20 or 21/25 count per pound) – they’re easier to handle and won’t overcook as quickly as smaller ones. For the crab legs, snow crab or king crab both work great, though snow crab tends to be more budget-friendly and easier to crack open. If you can’t find crab legs or prefer to keep it simple, you can absolutely make this with just shrimp – just double up on the amount to maintain the right portion size.

Options for Substitutions
This seafood boil recipe is pretty flexible and you can make several swaps based on what you have available:
- Old Bay seasoning: If you can’t find Old Bay, you can use Zatarain’s boil seasoning or make your own mix with celery salt, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and a pinch each of ground mustard and ground ginger.
- Seafood: The seafood options are super flexible! You can use all shrimp, all crab legs, or mix in some mussels or clams. Just keep the total amount of seafood around 8 ounces for two people.
- Red potatoes: Any waxy potato works here – try fingerlings or Yukon Golds cut into similar sizes. Just avoid russet potatoes as they tend to fall apart during boiling.
- Corn: Fresh or frozen corn both work great. You can even use canned corn in a pinch – just add it at the very end since it’s already cooked.
- Cocktail sauce ingredients: For the homemade cocktail sauce, you can use prepared cocktail sauce instead of making your own. If you’re missing horseradish, add extra black pepper and a dash of hot sauce to get some kick.
- Butter sauce: For the garlic butter sauce, you can use ghee instead of butter, or olive oil if you need a dairy-free option. Just make sure to keep the garlic and seasonings to maintain that nice flavor.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking
The biggest challenge when making a seafood boil is getting the timing right – adding all ingredients at once will leave you with overcooked seafood or undercooked potatoes. Start with potatoes and onions first, then add corn, and finally add your seafood in the last 3-5 minutes since it cooks quickly. Another common mistake is not having enough water to fully submerge all ingredients – make sure to use a pot large enough to hold everything with about 2 inches of water above the ingredients. To prevent bland seafood, don’t skip the resting time after cooking – letting everything sit in the seasoned water for 5-10 minutes allows the flavors to really soak in. For the best results, keep a close eye on your shrimp – they’re done as soon as they turn pink and curl into a loose ‘C’ shape (if they form a tight ‘O’, they’re overcooked and will be rubbery).

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 is perfect for soaking up all that tasty seasoned butter sauce – I always grab an extra loaf just for this. A light coleslaw made with vinegar-based dressing (instead of mayo) can add a nice crunch and help cut through the richness of the seafood. If you want to keep things super casual, just put out some cold beers and extra lemon wedges, then spread some newspaper on the table and dig in!
Storage Instructions
Keep Fresh: If you happen to have leftovers from your seafood boil (though that’s rare!), 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.
Save the Sauce: The butter sauce can be stored separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you want to use it again, just warm it gently in the microwave or on the stovetop – it’s great for dipping bread or drizzling over other dishes!
Enjoy Again: To enjoy your leftovers, gently warm the vegetables in the microwave or in a steamer basket. For the seafood, warm it briefly in the microwave with a damp paper towel over top to keep it from drying out. Just be careful not to overheat, as seafood can get tough quickly.
Preparation Time | 10-15 minutes |
Cooking Time | 30-40 minutes |
Total Time | 40-55 minutes |
Level of Difficulty | Medium |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 1300-1500
- Protein: 80-90 g
- Fat: 85-95 g
- Carbohydrates: 80-90 g
Ingredients
- 1 lemon, cut into four
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 1/4 cup old bay seasoning (or 1 packet zatarain’s crawfish, shrimp, and crab boil)
- 12 ounces small red new potatoes (about 6, 1 to 1½ inch size)
- 1/2 sweet or yellow onion, into wedges
- 2 ears corn, husked and cut in half (or 4 halves of frozen corn)
- 4 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails optional
- 4 ounces crab legs (in shell) (or use 8 ounces of shrimp)
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 lemon, squeezed
- 1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup butter (4 tablespoons)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, if you like it hot)
- 1/2 lemon, squeezed
Step 1: Prepare the Boiling Broth
In a large pot filled with water, add lemon, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns, and Old Bay seasoning or a seasoning packet.
Bring this mixture to a rolling boil over high heat.
Step 2: Cook the Vegetables
Add the potatoes to the boiling water and continue boiling for 5 minutes.
Next, add the onions and keep boiling for about 10 more minutes.
Then, add the corn and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork.
Step 3: Cook the Seafood
Introduce the shrimp and crab legs into the pot and continue cooking for about 3 minutes, or until the shrimp turns pink and the seafood is cooked through.
Step 4: Drain and Serve
Drain the contents of the pot through a colander, discarding the liquid, spice packet (if used), quartered lemon, and bay leaves.
Serve the cooked seafood, potatoes, corn, and onion on a platter or spread over newspaper.
Pair the dish with cocktail sauce and melted butter, alongside crab crackers if desired.
Have plenty of napkins on hand for a fun, messy meal.
Step 5: Make the Cocktail Sauce
Combine all cocktail sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Stir well and taste, adjusting the seasoning to preference—add more ketchup for a sweeter sauce or more horseradish for extra heat.
Step 6: Prepare the Garlic Butter
Melt butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan.
Add garlic and chili flakes (if using), heating until the garlic begins to sizzle, approximately 1-2 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Cover and keep warm until ready to serve alongside the seafood feast.