Cajun Garlic Butter Crab & Shrimp Boil Foil Packets for Two

Two open foil packets of Cajun garlic butter seafood boil with snow crab legs, jumbo shrimp, sliced sausage, corn, and baby potatoes on a metal sheet pan, garnished with parsley and fresh lemon wedges.

Cajun Garlic Butter Crab & Shrimp Boil Foil Packets for Two

These Cajun seafood boil foil packets are built for two and come together in about an hour. Baby potatoes and corn get par-boiled in heavily seasoned water, then layered into heavy-duty foil with andouille, garlic, and a rich garlic butter sauce. Shrimp get pressed down into the buttery liquid so they cook through, snow crab and hard-boiled eggs go on top, and everything bakes sealed at 400°F for 25 minutes. Open the packet at the table for a steamy, butter-pooled reveal. Served with toasted bread and a cold beer, it is a Louisiana date night at home.

Prep Time35

Cook Time25

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cajun

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings (2 foil packets)

Calories: 1718kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

heavy duty aluminum foil

Ingredients

Garlic Butter Seafood Boil Sauce

1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
14 to 16 cloves garlic minced
4 tablespoons Cajun seafood boil seasoning salt-free preferred, see notes
1 tablespoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal, added gradually, ¼ teaspoon at a time, tasting as you go
1 tablespoon lemon zest zest of 1 lemon
⅔ cup beer amber, pale ale, or lager, can sub stock
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce
3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Par-Boil Water (for the potatoes and corn)

3 quarts water use a 3-quart or larger saucepan
3 tablespoons kosher salt Diamond crystal, see notes
3 tablespoons Cajun seafood boil seasoning salt-free, see notes
4 to 6 cloves garlic smashed
4 to 6 sprigs thyme
1 whole lemon halved
2 whole bay leaves
10 to 12 ounces baby red potatoes whole and similar in size (about 8 regular baby reds or 12 to 16 creamer-size), par-boiled (halve any larger ones so they cook evenly; see instructions)
2 ears sweet corn about 10 to 12 ounces shucked, each cut into about 5 pieces (10 small cobbettes total)

Packets

3 tablespoons Cajun seafood boil seasoning salt-free preferred, the in-packet seasoning sprinkle, divided between layers and packets, see notes)
1 tablespoon kosher salt Diamond crystal, 1½ teaspoons per packet, sthe in-packet seasoning sprinkle, divided between layers and packets (see notes)
4 to 5 cloves garlic smashed
6 ounces andouille sausage sliced ½ inch thick
6-8 ounces large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on (about 4 to 6 jumbo, or 8 to 10 medium; larger shrimp hold up best to the bake time)
½ cup reserved par-boil water ¼ cup per packet, split between bottom and top layers
½ cup beer ¼ cup per packet, split between bottom and top layers
1 cup Cajun garlic butter seafood boil sauce from above, ½ cup per packet, split between bottom and top layers
1½-2 pounds snow crab clusters about 1 to 2 per packet, depending on size
4 whole hard-boiled eggs
4 wedges lemon about ½ lemon
4 wedges orange about ½ navel orange
2 whole bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme

For Serving

2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, optional for serving
Cajun garlic butter seafood boil sauce about half the batch from above, reserved for dipping
lemon wedges
toasted French bread with butter
1 pinch filé powder sprinkled over each open packet just before serving, optional

Instructions

Make the Cajun garlic butter seafood boil sauce

Melt the butter gently in a saucepan over low heat (no browning). Add the minced garlic and cook slowly until soft and fragrant but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the Cajun seasoning and let it bloom for 30 to 60 seconds, then add the salt gradually, tasting as you go. Stir in the lemon zest, then add the beer and simmer 1 to 2 minutes to cook off the raw alcohol edge.
1 cup unsalted butter, 14 to 16 cloves garlic , 4 tablespoons Cajun seafood boil seasoning, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, ⅔ cup beer
Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, hot sauce, and parsley. Keep the garlic pale and give the beer its full simmer; these two steps are what separate a glossy, balanced sauce from a bitter or boozy one. For the full sauce recipe and all the ways to use it, see our Garlic Butter Seafood Boil Sauce.
3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce, 3 tablespoons fresh parsley

Prep

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Tear two sheets of heavy-duty foil, about 18 by 24 inches each. Standard foil tears under the weight of the food and the sharp ends of the crab legs, so use heavy-duty here, and always bake on a sheet pan to catch any leaks.
Hard-boil and peel the eggs. (These can be done up to 5 days in advance and stored peeled in cold water in the fridge.)

Par-boil the potatoes and corn

Bring the water to a boil with the kosher salt, Cajun seafood boil seasoning, halved lemon, smashed garlic, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Season this water aggressively. Under-seasoned water means under-seasoned potatoes, and this is your one shot to get flavor all the way into them.
3 quarts water, 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 3 tablespoons Cajun seafood boil seasoning, 4 to 6 cloves garlic, 4 to 6 sprigs thyme, 1 whole lemon, 2 whole bay leaves
Add the whole baby potatoes to the boiling water. Par-boil creamer-size potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes, or regular baby reds for 10 to 12 minutes, until almost fully cooked: a knife slides through easily but the potato still holds its shape. The packet steam is gentle and finishes the cooking rather than doing it, so take the potatoes further than you think you should.
10 to 12 ounces baby red potatoes
Add the corn cobbettes for the last 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve some of the par-boil water for the packets. Drain the potatoes and corn and set aside to cool slightly.
2 ears sweet corn

Build the packets

Combine the Cajun seafood boil seasoning and kosher salt in a small bowl. Set aside; you will use this sprinkle throughout the build. (If your seasoning blend already contains salt, go light here and taste as you build.)
3 tablespoons Cajun seafood boil seasoning , 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Lay a sheet of foil flat. In the center, layer the par-boiled potatoes, the andouille, corn, and smashed garlic. Sprinkle some of the seasoning-salt mix over the top. Pour over the reserved par-boil water, the beer, and about half of the garlic butter sauce.
4 to 5 cloves garlic, 6 ounces andouille sausage, ½ cup reserved par-boil water, 1 cup Cajun garlic butter seafood boil sauce, ½ cup beer
Press the shrimp down into the buttery liquid pool at the bottom of the packet so they are submerged or nearly so, touching the liquid rather than floating on top of the food. This is the single most important step. Shrimp sitting on top of the food will not cook through even at a full 25 minutes; down in the liquid, they cook perfectly.
6-8 ounces large shrimp
Set your snow crab on top (1 cluster if large, 2 if smaller). Nestle the eggs around it. Tuck in the lemon wedges, orange wedges, a bay leaf, and a few sprigs of thyme. Avoid overstuffing the packet; an overfilled packet is hard to seal and will leak steam, leaving you with dry seafood. Leave enough foil at the edges to crimp a tight seal.
1½-2 pounds snow crab clusters, 4 whole hard-boiled eggs, 4 wedges lemon, 4 wedges orange, 2 whole bay leaves, 2 sprigs thyme
Pour over the remaining garlic butter sauce, and sprinkle the remaining seasoning-salt mix on top. Tuck the sharp ends of the crab legs inward so they do not pierce the foil. If a packet tears, patch the hole with a small piece of foil, or set it tear-side up on the sheet pan. You can wrap a second layer of heavy-duty foil around the packet for insurance, but it slows the cooking, so add 5 to 10 minutes and check that the shrimp are cooked through.

Seal and bake

Bring the long sides of the foil up and crimp tightly in the center, then crimp each short end. The seal is what traps the steam, and the steam is what cooks the food. A leaky packet means dry seafood.
Bake on a sheet pan for 25 minutes.
Rest 2 minutes, then open carefully (watch for steam) by slicing across the top with kitchen shears. Garnish with fresh parsley and extra lemon, and serve with the reserved garlic butter sauce, toasted French bread, and a cold beer.
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, Cajun garlic butter seafood boil sauce, lemon wedges, toasted French bread with butter, 1 pinch filé powder

Notes

Make ahead: Hard-boil and peel the eggs up to 5 days in advance, stored in cold water in the fridge. Par-boil the potatoes and corn the day of, up to a few hours before assembly.
Storage: Foil packets are best fresh, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet with a splash of water or stock so the seafood does not overcook.
A note on salt: This recipe is built around a salt-free Cajun seasoning and Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is less salty by volume than other brands. If your blend contains salt, cut back the added salt and taste as you go. If you use Morton's kosher salt or table salt, use about half the amount, since they are nearly twice as salty by volume.
The beer: We use Abita Amber, a Louisiana beer that adds malty depth behind the butter and spice. Any amber or pale ale works. For a non-alcoholic version, use seafood stock or water in the same amount.
The hot sauce: Crystal is our Louisiana go-to. Any Louisiana-style hot sauce works here.
Pork-free: Any smoked sausage works in place of the pork sausage.
Heat level: For milder packets, drop the cayenne in your seasoning blend to 1 tablespoon. For spicier, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon extra cayenne to the garlic butter sauce.
Filé finish: A pinch of filé powder over each open packet just before serving is the authentic Louisiana signature. Never add filé to anything still simmering or it turns stringy.
Serve with: Cajun seafood boil seasoning and garlic butter seafood boil sauce (make these first or use what you have), toasted French bread, or dirty rice. Feeding a crowd instead? Scale up with our Cajun seafood boil.

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