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+ servings
Bowl of seafood boil with shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes seasoned with herbs and spices, ready to serve.

Seafood Boil

An unforgettable one-pot Seafood Boil feast packed with shrimp, crab, sausage, corn, and potatoes, finished with a rich, spiced butter sauce. Perfect for parties, cookouts, and casual gatherings.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Party Food
Cuisine: American, Cajun, southern
Calories: 550

Ingredients
  

🔹 Seafood
  • 2 lbs Large shrimp - Shell-on preferred
  • 2 lbs Snow crab legs - Or king crab
  • 1 lb Crawfish - Optional or sub with more shrimp
  • 1 lb Mussels or clams - Rinse and scrub well
  • 2 Lobster tails - Optional
🔹 Vegetables and Aromatics
  • 2 lbs Small red potatoes - Cut larger ones in half
  • 6 ears Corn on the cob - Cut into halves or thirds
  • 1 head Garlic - Cut in half no need to peel
  • 2 Lemons - Halved
  • 2 Yellow onions - Quartered
🔹 Sausage and Seasoning
  • 1 lb Andouille sausage - Sliced into 2" chunks
  • ½ cup Old Bay seasoning - Or Zatarain’s
  • 3 tablespoon Cajun seasoning - Store-bought or homemade
  • 4 Bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoon Black peppercorns - Whole
  • 1–2 tablespoon Red pepper flakes - Adjust for spice preference
🔹 Butter Sauce
  • 1 cup Butter - Salted or unsalted
  • 1 Lemon - Juiced into butter sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning - To flavor butter
  • 1 tablespoon Red pepper flakes - Optional
  • ¼ cup Boil water reduction - Secret tip from Marcus
  • Fresh parsley - For garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Large stockpot (20 qt) (Needed to boil all ingredients)
  • 1 Slotted spoon (For removing ingredients in stages)
  • 1 Large colander (For draining everything at once)
  • 1 Butter melting pot (Small saucepan for making the butter sauce)
  • 1 Tongs (Helpful for handling crab legs and lobster)
  • 1 Newspaper/butcher paper (To cover table for serving family-style)

Method
 

  1. Fill a large stockpot with water and spices to create the boil base.
    Dutch oven containing a seafood boil broth made with lemons, onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and black peppercorns.
  2. Boil red potatoes first to give them a head start on cooking.
    Pot filled with sausage slices, potatoes, and corn in a seasoned broth with herbs, being stirred with a wooden spoon.
  3. Add andouille sausage to infuse the broth with smoky flavor.
    Skillet of seasoned shrimp sautéed in garlic butter and herbs, stirred with a wooden spoon.
  4. Gently add shrimp and crab, cooking just until perfectly done.
    Pan of seafood stew featuring mussels, shrimp, clams, and prawns simmering in a rich tomato broth.
  5. Melt butter with Cajun spices and lemon juice for rich flavor.
    Large serving bowl of seafood boil with crawfish, shrimp, clams, and corn on the cob, garnished with parsley and lemon wedges.

Nutrition

Serving: 450gCalories: 550kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 42gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 1100mgPotassium: 700mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 900IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 140mgIron: 4.8mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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