Cajun Seafood Boil Recipe
An easy cajun seafood boil recipe featuring shrimp, crab, smoked sausage, corn, and potatoes, all tossed in a rich, buttery Cajun sauce for a fun, communal meal.
Equipment
- Large stockpot
- Colander
- Small saucepan
- whisk
Ingredients
Boil
- 1 lb baby potatoes
- 4 ears corn cut into thirds
- 1 lb beef or chicken smoked sausage cut into chunks
- 2 lbs snow crab legs
- 1½ lbs large shrimp shell-on
- 3 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 2 lemons halved
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 2 bay leaves
Cajun Butter Sauce
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Boil the Potatoes, Corn, and Sausage
- Fill a large stockpot with water, add the Old Bay seasoning, halved lemons, smashed garlic, and bay leaves, then bring to a boil. Add the baby potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, since these take the longest to cook through.
- Add the corn and sausage to the pot, continuing to boil for another 8-10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the corn is bright and tender.
Add the Seafood
- Add the crab legs to the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes, then add the shrimp and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, just until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, being careful not to overcook them at this final stage.
- Drain everything thoroughly in a colander, discarding the lemons, garlic, and bay leaves from the boiling liquid.
Make the Sauce and Toss Everything Together
- While the seafood boils, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then add the minced garlic, cooking for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Whisk in the Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper if using, followed by the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, letting the sauce simmer gently for 2 minutes.
- Pour the warm Cajun butter sauce over the drained seafood, sausage, corn, and potatoes, tossing everything together until evenly coated. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately, either poured onto a large table lined with newspaper or in large serving bowls.
Notes
- Boiling the potatoes, corn, and sausage before the seafood is essential, since these ingredients need much longer to cook through than shrimp and crab, which turn rubbery and tough if left in boiling water too long.
- Building the Cajun butter sauce separately, rather than boiling the seasoning directly in the pot water, gives you a much more concentrated, flavorful coating for the seafood boil ingredients.
- Watching the shrimp closely during the final few minutes is important, since they cook very quickly and can go from perfectly done to overcooked in a short amount of time.
- This recipe is traditionally served family-style, either poured directly onto a table lined with newspaper or butcher paper, or in large communal serving bowls for everyone to share.
- Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, though the texture of the seafood is best enjoyed fresh the day it's made