Seafood Boil

Maria Do
Maria Do
Maria is a recipe developer and food photographer from New Orleans. Her Southern food blog, Murmurs of Ricotta, houses some of Google’s top-ranking recipes for Mardi Gras King Cake and Gouda Mac. She currently lives in Orange County, CA, where she can be found enjoying Vietnamese foods from her childhood and watching way too much Netflix.
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updated Sep 1, 2023
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A platter of boiled seafood (crab legs, shrimp, sausage, and corn on the cob)
Credit: Maria Do

This flavorful mix of seafood, sausage, and vegetables is guaranteed to make your next party a crowd-pleaser.

Serves6

Prep20 minutes

Cook40 minutes

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A platter of boiled seafood (crab legs, shrimp, sausage and corn on the cob)
Credit: Maria Do

A seafood boil never fails to please. With ingredients like shrimp, crab legs, and lobster, seafood-lovers will be RSVPing real fast to your boil. For a perfectly cooked seafood boil, the order of when to add ingredients is everything. As a Louisiana girl, I’ve got this pacing down to a science after many Easters and 4th of Julys as sous chef for my favorite boil masters (what I call the cool people who host boils year after year). While boils in Louisiana are mostly crawfish boils, the same boil method applies here too. 

From when to add the veggies or when to drain, this recipe will help you nail the perfect cook times. The result is a succulent spread of tender seafood, corn, mushrooms, and potatoes that will make you want to crack open a beer and dig in!

What Is Seafood Boil Made Of?

A variety of seafood such as shrimp, crab (king crab or snow crab are often used), lobster, clams, mussels, and crawfish — along with vegetables including corn, potatoes, garlic, and mushrooms — are in a seafood boil. All ingredients are boiled in a seasoned broth and often served with lemon and parsley.

Credit: Maria Do

How to Make a Seafood Boil

Although the recipe uses many types of ingredients, a seafood boil actually comes together pretty easily:

  • Sauté aromatics such as garlic and onion and andouille sausage in a large pot (7 quarts or larger is recommended).
  • Then, pour in water and add boil seasoning.
  • Boil potatoes, corn, and mushrooms until tender.
  • Turn off the heat.
  • Add seafood to cook in the latent heat.
  • Finally, drain and serve. 

How to Serve Seafood Boil

For groups of people, seafood boils are served directly on a newspaper-lined tabletop. They can also be served on large trays for individual servings. 

Comments

Seafood Boil Recipe

This flavorful mix of seafood, sausage, and vegetables is guaranteed to make your next party a crowd-pleaser.

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 40 minutes

Serves 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 6

    king crab legs (about 2 pounds), thawed if frozen

  • 2 pounds

    unpeeled raw jumbo shrimp (unpeeled), thawed if frozen

  • 3

    (8-ounce) lobster tails, thawed if frozen

  • 2

    medium lemons

  • 8 to 10 sprigs

    fresh parsley

  • 1

    medium yellow onion

  • 2 heads

    garlic

  • 14 ounces

    andouille sausage

  • 1 pound

    baby red potatoes (6 to 8)

  • 3 ears

    corn

  • 3 tablespoons

    olive oil or neutral cooking oil

  • 4 quarts

    water

  • 1/2 cup

    plus 1 tablespoon Cajun or Old Bay seasoning, divided

  • 8 ounces

    mushrooms (optional)

  • 4 tablespoons

    (1/2 stick) salted butter

  • Tabasco sauce, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Thaw 6 king crab legs, 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, and 3 lobster tails in the refrigerator if frozen, about 36 hours.

  2. Halve 2 medium lemons crosswise. Pick the leaves from 8 to 10 fresh parsley sprigs and finely chop until you have about 1/4 cup. Reserve for the sauce and serving.

  3. Prepare the following, adding each to the same medium bowl as you complete it: Peel and quarter 1 medium yellow onion. Cut 2 garlic heads in half across the equator to expose the cloves. Cut 14 ounces andouille sausage crosswise into 2-inch pieces.

  4. Halve 1 pound baby red potatoes. Shuck 3 ears corn and cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces.

  5. Rinse the king crab, shrimp, and lobster tails in cold water, then drain. Cut the lobster tails in half lengthwise, cutting through the shell.

  6. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 7-quart or larger pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, onion, and sausage, and sauté, keeping the garlic cut-side-down, until the onions are softened and the garlic is golden-brown, about 3 minutes. Add 4 quarts water, increase the heat to high, and cover. Bring to a boil, 10 to 15 minutes.

  7. Add the potatoes, corn, and 1/2 cup of the Cajun or Old Bay seasoning, and stir to combine. Cover and cook until the water returns to a boil. Uncover, add 8 ounces mushrooms if desired, and simmer, adjusting the heat as needed, until the potatoes are fork tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

  8. Add the crab legs, lobster, and shrimp, and stir to combine. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 3 minutes. (The seafood will gently cook in the residual heat.) Uncover and reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Drain the seafood and vegetables, then transfer onto baking sheets or directly onto the center of newspaper-lined table.

  9. Add 4 tablespoons salted butter and and the parsley to the reserved cooking liquid. When the butter is melted, stir to combine to make the sauce. Pour half of the sauce over the seafood and vegetables. Squeeze the lemon halves over everything and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun or Old Bay seasoning. Serve with the remaining sauce for dipping and Tabasco if desired.

Recipe Notes

Salted butter substitution: You can replace the salted butter with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Seafood alternatives: Feel free to switch up the seafood or add in others like mussels, clams or crab! Those options are less tender than king crab, lobster or shrimp, so they require more boiling time – add shellfish in at the same time as the mushrooms.

Make ahead: The seafood and vegetables can be rinsed and chopped the day before and refrigerated until ready to boil.

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Ingredient
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easter
Main Dish
stovetop