If you’re craving a show-stopping, flavor-packed meal, this Cajun Seafood Boil is it! Loaded with jumbo shrimp, snow crab, andouille sausage, baby potatoes, corn on the cob, and optional hard-boiled eggs, it’s simmered in a fragrant, spice-filled broth and finished with a decadent garlic butter sauce. Perfect for summer gatherings or anytime you want a fun, communal feast, this seafood boil is easy to make at home and guaranteed to impress.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy & Hands-Off: Minimal prep with maximum flavor. This boil is perfect for weeknights, family dinners, or entertaining friends.
- Bold Flavor: A blend of Cajun and Old Bay spices infuses the seafood, vegetables, and sausage, then it’s smothered in rich garlic butter for that irresistible finish.
- Perfect for Gatherings: Serve it family-style on a large tray or newspaper for the ultimate seafood boil experience.
Ingredients
For the Seafood Boil:
- 3 quarts water
- 1 (12-ounce) can beer (optional but recommended)
- 3 tbsp Creole Cajun seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- Hot sauce, to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half-moons
- 1 large lemon, cut into wedges (+ extra for serving)
- 12 oz andouille sausage, sliced
- 1 lb baby potatoes, red or gold
- 1 lb pre-cooked snow crab clusters (fresh or frozen)
- 1–1½ lbs jumbo shrimp, deveined (shell-on or peeled)
- 4–6 ears corn on the cob, cut into pieces
- 4–6 hard-boiled eggs (optional)
For the Garlic Butter Sauce:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 10 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp Creole Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Hot sauce, to taste
Instructions
1. Prepare the Boil:
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven (10 quarts or larger), combine water and beer over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then add Creole Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, and hot sauce to taste. Stir in onions and lemon wedges. Simmer for 15 minutes to develop flavor.
2. Cook the Sausage & Potatoes:
Add the andouille sausage and baby potatoes to the pot. Cook 15–20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
3. Add Seafood & Corn:
Nestle the snow crab clusters, shrimp, and corn into the pot. Make sure everything is submerged. Cook 5–7 minutes, until shrimp turns pink and crab is heated through.
4. Make the Garlic Butter Sauce:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in garlic, lemon juice, Old Bay, parsley, Creole Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and hot sauce. Simmer 5–7 minutes, stirring often, until combined. Remove from heat.
5. Assemble the Seafood Boil:
Line a large baking sheet with foil, parchment paper, or newspaper. Using a spider strainer, transfer the seafood, sausage, potatoes, corn, and optional eggs to the tray. Discard onions and lemon wedges. Pour the garlic butter sauce over the ingredients, tossing to coat everything evenly.
6. Serve & Enjoy:
Serve family-style right from the tray or divide onto individual plates. Pair with extra lemon wedges for squeezing and enjoy this messy, flavorful feast!
Tips for the Perfect Boil
- Use a large pot: Make sure your pot is big enough to accommodate all the ingredients.
- Seafood variety: Swap or add mussels, clams, crawfish, lobster, or other crab varieties to customize your boil.
- Beer alternatives: Use chicken broth or non-alcoholic beer if preferred.
- Timing: Pre-cooked crab and shrimp cook quickly; avoid overcooking.
This Cajun Seafood Boil with Garlic Butter Sauce is a flavorful, fun, and easy meal that’s perfect for gatherings, summer nights, or any time you’re craving a seafood feast.
The Ultimate Cajun Seafood Boil with Garlic Butter Sauce
6
servings15
minutes40
minutes
This is the BEST Seafood Boil recipe you can whip up right at home, y’all. It’s loaded with jumbo shrimp, crab, andouille sausage, potatoes, eggs, and corn on the cob that’s simmered in a flavor-filled broth of Cajun spices and aromatics. All that hearty goodness gets drowned and smothered in an epic garlic butter sauce. This finger-licking-good seafood boil recipe is an easy meal that serves a crowd!
Ingredients
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 of both)
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, I use the mini ones
4–6 hard boiled eggs- optional
For the garlic butter sauce:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
10 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
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
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Directions
- Prepare the boil. In an extra large stockpot or dutch oven (about 10 quarts or larger) over medium-high heat, combine the water and beer (if using). Bring the liquid to a boil. Then season the boil with the Creole Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, and a few dashes of hot sauce- to taste. Add the sliced onion and lemon wedges into the pot. Stir all the ingredients well to thoroughly combine. Let the mixture boil for 15 minutes.
- Add the andouille & potatoes. Carefully add the andouille sausage rounds and baby potatoes into the pot, stirring well to fully combine with the boil. Let the andouille and potatoes cook for 15-20 minutes- or until the potatoes are just about fork-tender.
- Add the seafood & corn. Gently nestle the snow crab clusters into the pot along with the shrimp and corn on the cob. Be sure that everything is fully submerged under the boil and carefully stir to ensure all ingredients are well combined. Continue boiling for another 5-7 minutes, cooking until the shrimp is pink. Meanwhile, prepare the garlic butter sauce.
- Make the garlic butter sauce. On a separate burner, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, garlic, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, parsley, Creole Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and hot sauce- to taste. Stir all ingredients and simmer the sauce until the butter melts and the sauce is well combined, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes. Then remove from heat.
- Assemble cajun seafood boil with sauce. Line an extra large baking sheet with foil/parchment paper (or newspaper if you’d like!). Use a spider strainer to remove the seafood boil contents from the pot and place onto the prepared baking sheet along with the hard boiled eggs (if using)- remove and discard the onion/lemon bits. Note: If you’d like your garlic butter sauce to be thinner, you can add some of the seafood boil broth to adjust to desired consistency. Now, this is the fun part! Pour the garlic butter sauce over the seafood boil ingredients. Then use your hands (fitted with disposable gloves if desired) to toss the sauce with everything, smothering every nook and cranny in sauce.
- Serve seafood boil. Feel free to serve this Cajun seafood boil as-is with everyone just grabbing what they’d like from the baking sheet directly (it’s the chaos and messiness of seafood boils that are so fun!) or divide the boil onto individual plates to serve if you prefer. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if desired. Be sure to sop up any runaway garlic butter sauce. Enjoy!
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