Homemade Cajun Seafood Boil Recipe with Spicy Garlic Butter
Bring the bold flavors of Louisiana home with this showstopping Cajun Seafood Boil! After enjoying seafood boils in Louisiana with my dad, we had to make a version to enjoy at home! This recipe is loaded with shrimp, crab, mussels, andouille sausage, corn, and potatoes, all boiled in a spicy broth before being drizzled with an irresistible spicy Cajun garlic butter sauce. It's messy, it's fun, and absolutely delicious - perfect for feeding a crowd at backyard parties, holidays, or any special celebration. The hardest part of the whole thing is waiting for the water to boil!
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 1142kcal
Equipment
- 40-quart stock pot (or two smaller stockpots to divide everything)
- large skimmer (if you don't have a stockpot with a built in strainer)
Ingredients
Seasoning blend
- 1 cup Old Bay seasoning
- ½ cup smoked paprika
- 6 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (opt for a salt free version if possible, if using a blend with salt, you may not need to add as much salt later on)
- 4 tablespoons onion powder
- 4 tablespoons garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons cayenne
- 3 tablespoons red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons celery seed
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
Seafood boil
- 20 quarts water (or enough water to fill up your pot a little over halfway. Leave enough room for the seafood, corn, and potatoes)
- 6.5 tablespoons kosher salt (to taste; you may not need to add as much depending on the amount of salt in your seasoning mixture)
- 12 cloves garlic smashed
- 3 medium onions quartered
- 3 whole lemons cut into rounds
- ¼ cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
- 6 whole bay leaves
- 3 pounds red potatoes
- 3 pounds whole shrimp
- 3 pounds mussels
- 2 pounds snow crab clusters
- 2 pounds andouille sausage cut into 3-inch pieces
- 6 ears sweet corn halved or cut into thirds
Cajun spicy garlic butter sauce
- 2 cups unsalted butter 4 sticks, or 1 pound
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium lemon juice and zest
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste, you may not need to add any salt depending on the amount of salt in your seasoning mixture)
- 2-3 cups liquid from the boil to thin the sauce
- remaining spice blend from above (To taste! There should be about 11 tablespoons of seasonings leftover)
- lemons & parsley for serving
Instructions
- Make the seasoning blend. In a bowl, combine Old Bay, smoked paprika, Cajun seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, thyme, black pepper, ground mustard, celery seed, and coriander. Mix well and set aside. Most will be used in the boil liquid, but some will be added to the butter sauce.1 cup Old Bay seasoning, ½ cup smoked paprika, 6 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, 4 tablespoons onion powder, 4 tablespoons garlic powder, 3 tablespoons cayenne, 3 tablespoons red pepper flakes, 3 tablespoons dried thyme, 3 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons ground mustard, 2 tablespoons celery seed, 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- Start boiling the water. Fill your largest stockpot about halfway to two-thirds full with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. This can take 60-90 minutes, so start early! If your stock pot isn't big enough, separate it between two smaller ones.20 quarts water
- Once boiling, add salt, bay leaves, onions, hot sauce, smashed garlic, lemon slices, and 2 and ¾ cups of the seasoning mix (most of it, reserve the rest for the garlic butter sauce).6.5 tablespoons kosher salt, 12 cloves garlic, 3 medium onions, 3 whole lemons, ¼ cup Louisiana-style hot sauce, 6 whole bay leaves
- Cook the ingredients. Add potatoes to the pot and boil for about 12 minutes. The potatoes should be mostly tender, but not entirely cooked through as they will finish cooking as other ingredients are added.3 pounds red potatoes
- Add the seafood and sausage to the pot, cover, and gently boil for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add in the corn, and gently boil it for 5 minutes.3 pounds whole shrimp, 3 pounds mussels, 2 pounds snow crab clusters, 2 pounds andouille sausage, 6 ears sweet corn
- Make the Cajun garlic butter sauce. Meanwhile, add the butter to a large saucepan to melt. Once melted, add in the garlic and cook over low heat to infuse the flavor, stirring often. Add the remaining blend slowly and to taste. Stir to combine, then add lemon zest and lemon juice. Add liquid from the seafood boil to thin. Adjust seasonings to taste.2 cups unsalted butter, 10 cloves garlic, 1 medium lemon, 2-3 cups liquid from the boil to thin the sauce, remaining spice blend from above, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Serve. Remove ingredients from the pot and put on a newspaper-lined large baking sheet. Drizzle with some of the Cajun garlic butter sauce, garnish with parsley, and lemon wedges, and enjoy! Make sure to serve it with the remaining sauce on the side. This also tastes great with a cold beer and hot sauce too!lemons & parsley for serving
- Store any leftovers on a baking sheet tightly wrapped with foil or plastic wrap, or an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. To reheat, add to a 350°F oven, and cook for 15-20 minutes. You can also reheat the leftovers by steaming them on the stovetop in a large stockpot with a lid, or in a cast iron skillet with a little water. Do not freeze leftovers.
Notes
Tips & Tricks:
- Plan ahead! Boiling 20 quarts of water can take 60-90 minutes on a stovetop. Start heating your water well before you want to eat.
- Use an outdoor propane burner if you have one - the water will boil much faster than on your kitchen stovetop.
- Shrimp size matters! Use the biggest shrimp you can find (13/15 count or larger). Keep the shells on for maximum flavor.
- Customize your seafood! Use crawfish (in season March-May), clams, king crab, or lobster tails based on what's available and what you love.
- Seafood amounts per person. This recipe uses about 8 pounds of seafood total for 8-10 people (roughly ¾ - 1 pound per person). For bigger eaters or serious seafood lovers, plan for 1.5-2 pounds of seafood per person. Children only need about ½ a pound of seafood.
- Different seafood cook at different rates. Pre-cooked crab: 5-7 minutes. Crawfish: 4-5 minutes for small ones. Mussels and clams: about 5 minutes or until shells open (discard any that don't open). Shrimp: 3-5 minutes depending on size - they're done
- Salt note: This recipe is developed with salt-free Cajun seasoning + Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using a salted Cajun blend and/or Morton's or table salt, reduce added salt significantly and always taste as you go.
- Add beer! For extra depth of flavor, you can add beer to both the boiling liquid, and the seafood boil sauce like we did with our shrimp boil on a sheet pan.
- Make the sauce ahead. You can make the butter sauce 1-2 hours ahead and let the flavors meld. Reheat gently before serving. You can even freeze it for up to 3 months!
- Andouille substitute. Can't find andouille? Use smoked kielbasa or any spicy smoked sausage.
- If your pot isn't big enough, split everything between two smaller pots and divide the seasonings proportionally.
Storage:
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers on a baking sheet tightly wrapped with foil or in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Reheating: Spread everything on a baking sheet and warm in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes. You can also reheat in a large stockpot on the stovetop with a lid and a splash of water, or in a cast iron skillet with a little water added.
- Freezing: We don't recommend freezing seafood boil as the texture suffers when thawed. The butter can be frozen for up to 3 months, however!
Nutrition
Calories: 1142kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 79g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 452mg | Sodium: 6879mg | Potassium: 2432mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 7765IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 386mg | Iron: 15mg