Description
This Cajun Seafood Boil with Garlic Butter Sauce is a flavorful and festive dish featuring succulent jumbo shrimp, tender snow crab clusters, andouille sausage, baby potatoes, and sweet corn. Infused with a blend of Creole Cajun and Old Bay seasonings, the seafood boil is cooked and served with a rich, garlicky butter sauce that perfectly complements the spices. Ideal for gatherings, this recipe brings out the best of Southern coastal flavors in an easy-to-follow stovetop boil.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cajun Seafood Boil:
- 3 quarts water
- 1 (12-ounce) can of beer (optional but highly recommended)
- 3 tablespoons Creole Cajun Seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- Hot sauce, to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly sliced into half-moons
- 1 large lemon, cut into wedges (plus more for serving)
- 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
- 1 lb baby potatoes (red or gold, or a mix)
- 1 lb pre-cooked snow crab leg clusters (fresh or frozen)
- 1 – 1 ½ lbs jumbo shrimp, deveined, shell-on or peeled
- 4–6 ears sweet corn on the cob (mini ears preferred)
- 4–6 hard boiled eggs (optional)
For the Garlic Butter Sauce:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 10 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon Creole Cajun Seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Hot sauce, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the boil. In an extra large stockpot or Dutch oven (approximately 10 quarts or larger), combine water and beer over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add Creole Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, and hot sauce to taste, followed by sliced onion and lemon wedges. Stir well to combine and let the mixture boil for 15 minutes to develop flavor.
- Add the andouille & potatoes. Carefully add the sliced andouille sausage and baby potatoes to the boiling pot. Stir well to combine and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are nearly fork-tender.
- Add the seafood & corn. Gently add the snow crab clusters, jumbo shrimp, and sweet corn on the cob to the pot, ensuring everything is submerged. Stir gently to mix. Continue boiling for an additional 5-7 minutes, until shrimp turn pink and fully cooked. While the seafood boils, prepare the garlic butter sauce.
- Make the garlic butter sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, minced garlic, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, fresh parsley, Creole Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and hot sauce to taste. Stir frequently and simmer for 5-7 minutes until butter is melted and sauce is well blended. Remove from heat.
- Assemble Cajun seafood boil with sauce. Line a large baking sheet with foil, parchment paper, or newspaper. Using a spider strainer, remove boil ingredients from the pot and place them onto the prepared sheet, adding the hard boiled eggs if used. Discard onion and lemon pieces from the pot. Adjust garlic butter sauce consistency by adding some boil broth if desired, then pour it over the seafood and sausage mixture. Toss thoroughly by hand (use disposable gloves if preferred) to coat everything evenly in sauce.
- Serve seafood boil. Serve the Cajun seafood boil directly from the baking sheet for an authentic, communal experience or plate individually. Offer extra lemon wedges on the side to finish. Enjoy immediately, making sure to soak up the flavorful garlic butter sauce!
Notes
- Optional beer addition in the boil enhances flavor but can be omitted if preferred.
- Hard boiled eggs are optional but add traditional touch and texture.
- Adjust hot sauce amounts to match your preferred spice level.
- Using mini ears of corn makes eating more manageable, but regular ears can be used.
- You can peel shrimp before cooking or leave shells on for extra flavor and easier boiling.
- Additions like crab boil seasoning can personalize the flavor further if desired.
- If you want a thinner garlic butter sauce, stir in some of the seafood boil cooking liquid until preferred consistency is reached.
- Use disposable gloves when tossing the boil with butter sauce for a mess-free experience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 1100mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 22g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 220mg
