Seafood Boil With Garlic Butter Sauce
This garlic butter seafood boil is loaded with juicy shrimp, crab legs, sausage, corn, and potatoes, all coated in a rich, flavorful garlic butter sauce that takes it over the top. Every bite is seasoned perfectly and packed with that bold, buttery, slightly spicy flavor you expect from a good seafood boil.
It’s messy, it’s fun, and it’s the kind of meal that brings everybody to the table!
While you’re here, be sure to checkout this amazing Garlic Butter Shrimp and Grits recipe and this Shrimp Brochette!
We love a great seafood boil down here in the south! Add your favorite seafood to this recipe to make it your own. You should definitely add these Lobster Tails too!
Things to Love About this Seafood Boil
- Big, bold flavor in every bite
- Perfectly cooked seafood (no overcooking)
- Rich garlic butter sauce that actually coats everything
- Easy to make at home, no outdoor burner needed
Ingredients for the cajun boil with Garlic Butter Sauce:
Collect all of the items you need before you get started. It makes cooking so much easier! Here is what you will need for this seafood Cajun boil recipe:
- Seafood: crab legs, shrimp, and any other seafood you like including lobster, clams, or crawfish.
- Sausage: feel free to omit this ingredient if you are not a fan. Beef sausage was used for this recipe. Some of my audience have used chicken sausage, andouille sausage, and even meatless sausage as a substitute.
- Potatoes: red potatoes are best because they hold-up and do not get so mushy. Regular (russet) potatoes can be used if that’s what you have. Just cut the boil/cooking time a bit because they will get mushy.
- Corn on the cob: frozen works just fine. Fresh sweet corn on the cob can be used as well. Although you do not have to, you can cut it in half for more servings. Try this Cajun Fried Corn on the Cob for a super flavor side.
- Optional additions: boiled eggs- don’t knock-it until you try it! Some people have sent me pictures of broccoli, and other veggies that they have added. I love it, get creative and make what you like!
How To Make a Seafood Boil
Make your broth
To make a seafood boil you want to add cold water to a large stockpot over medium high heat. You can also add about 1 cup of a flavorful broth to the pot for .
Season the water with crab boil seasoning, old bay seasoning, or your favorite cajun seasoning.
Add your ingredients
Once you get boiling water, add your baby red potatoes and sweet corn first.
Then you let them cook for about 20 minutes and add in your smoked sausage. After about 15 minutes the sausage should be tender.
Now you can add in your favorite seafood. Place your snow crab legs and shrimp directly into the large stockpot and boil for about 10 minutes.
Seafood to add to your Cajun Seafood Boil recipe
Some of the most popular seafood used in a Louisiana garlic butter seafood boil recipe are crab legs, crawfish (or crawdads). Almost any kind of shellfish will work though. You can even add some lobster tails to make it super fancy!
Crab legs are just as amazing as crawfish, (and in my opinion, better)! You can definitely add some dungeness crab legs, some king crab legs, or some jumbo shrimp too!
Ingredients for Garlic Butter Sauce:
This garlic butter sauce is the star of this entire recipe! You will fall in love the second you taste it.
Here are the main ingredients you will need:
- Garlic powder: make sure you use the garlic powder and not garlic salt.
- Old bay seasoning: old bay has a distinct flavor that pairs beautifully with a crab boil
- Cajun seasoning: this is the main area that the salt content will come into play. So adjust it to get the best flavor for your taste buds.
- Spices: you should add some red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper to add spice to your butter sauce. Hot sauce adds another great kick to get the best flavors!
- Lemon wedges: adding fresh lemon juice gives it a nice acidity to balance the sauce.
All of these seasonings and spices are blended perfectly into the recipe for cajun crab boil butter sauce. You should also save some seafood boil sauce to dip your seafood into!
Plain melted butter is definitely a classic too. You can simply add some butter to a microwave safe bowl, and serve it with your seafood boil as a dipping sauce.
Pro-tips for the perfect seafood boil:
To achieve the delicious flavor of this boil, here are some great tips for you to follow:
- The potatoes take longer to cook, so start cooking them first. Red potatoes are best because they do not get too mushy.
- Shrimp will cook SUPER fast! Use the biggest shrimp you can find; such as colossal shrimp or jumbo shrimp. You can use shell-on shrimp or you can buy it deshelled and cleaned.
- This seafood boil recipe calls for crab legs and shrimp, but you can add or take away any shellfish you would like.
- Some of the best recipes for a seafood boil include boiled eggs! You should definitely give it a try.
- Adjust your cook time based on the kind of seafood you’re cooking. Snow crab and shrimp cook the fastest!
Video of the Best Seafood Boil Recipe:
FAQ
What is the best seasoning for seafood boil?
Cajun seasoning or Old Bay are the go-to options for bold, classic flavor.
How do I keep seafood from overcooking?
Cook in stages and always add shrimp last, it cooks in just a few minutes.
How do you serve seafood boil?
Pour it in a tray and serve it family style for the ultimate feast!
What to serve with a low country boil:
Although this is a complete meal in and of itself, you can add some side dishes to round out your seafood. Here are a few ideas:
- Garlic bread
- A side salad
- Some roasted vegetables
- Coleslaw
A lot of people like to use their bread to sop up that delicious juicy crab sauce. Adding a side of vegetables will also help balance out the meal!
Now that my mouth is watering…. enjoy this delicious seafood boil recipe!
Garlic Butter Seafood Boil Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 clusters Snow crab legs, washed thoroughly
- 1 pound Shrimp, deveined, tail on
- 1 pound Andouille sausage, cut into thick slices
- 6 Corn on the cob
- 6 Baby red potatoes
- 1 Lemon, cut in half
- 2 tablespoons Old bay Seasoning
- 2 Bay leaves
Seafood Boil Sauce (to pour over and dip)
- 4 sticks Butter, unsalted
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1 whole Onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons Garlic, diced
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 2 cups Chicken broth, optional (see notes below)
- 3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 3 tablespoons Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon Red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon Lemon pepper seasoning, (optional depending on fresh lemon juice)
- 1-2 dashes Tabasco sauce
Instructions
SEAFOOD BOIL
- Fill up a large stock pot with water, leaving enough room at the top to add the seafood. Add old bay seasoning, lemon, and bay leaves. Bring to a light boil.
- Place the corn and red potatoes into the seasoned water. Boil for 10 minutes.
- Add the crab legs and sausage . Cover with a lid and boil for an additional 15 minutes.
- Add the shrimp. Boil for 5 minutes (shrimp will turn pink, do not overcook).
- Drain the water and remove bay leaves. Transfer to serving dish or leave in the stock pot.
- Pour that delicious garlic butter sauce all over, and/or reserve some sauce on the side to dip the seafood in (recipe below).
GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE
- Melt one stick of butter and olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add onions and sauté until they become translucent.
- Add Garlic and saute for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so garlic doesn’t burn. Add juice of the lemon, and all the seasonings. Adjust cayenne and red pepper to your level of spiciness.
- Add remaining 3 sticks of butter. Simmer until butter is melted, stir constantly.
- If using chicken broth, gently stir it into the mixture now. Pour over your favorite seafood and/or reserve some for dipping.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Equipment
After you try this Garlic Butter Seafood Boil recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for more delicious recipes!
Hello. Thank you for this recipe. It tasted delicious, but I ran into a problem and wondering if you know where I screwed up. When I poured it over my food, it separated. All the delicious yumminess fell to the bottom and didn’t stick to the food and just the liquid was on top. We were having to dip towards the bottom to get the flavor.
Don’t get me wrong, it was still amazing and THE best flavor I prefer on my shrimp/crawfish, just don’t know what I did wrong.
Hey there. The garlic, onions, and other solids will naturally seperate and fall to the bottom of the serving dish. It’s pretty much “the law of gravity.” you can make the sauce thicker by letting it cook longer, thus reducing down the liquid.
Hi there, I enjoy reading all of your post.
I wanted to write a little comment to support you.
Me and my kids went to a seafood restaurant for a birthday. They served the seafood in a bag and the sauce was good. We all loved it, we were having a small boil at home and I wanted to find a recipe like the sauce from the restaurant and giiirrrrllll you did that with this recipe. That dipping sauce make you hurt yourself and someone else. I used potatoes, crab legs, lobster tails and shrimp. This recipe is definitely staying with me. Because I love lemon I would add more to the boil and the sauce but that dipping sauce is all that. Thank you for creating and sharing. I’m surprised but we have leftovers minus the lobster tails, I’ll be sure to take a pic of what’s left.
Aww! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Loved love love the recipe, baked it in the oven at 400 for 45 min. Didn’t have oven bag so tightly cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. I did punch wholes in crab legs with squires and injected the seasoned butter in it. It was a hit. Thank you so much for the great recipe.
Omg I’ve never commented on an online recipe in my life, but this was INCREDIBLE! Had a seafood boil tonight for Christmas and it was toooooo good! Thank you!
I’m happy you enjoyed! Thanks for stopping by!
Hi there!
We’re doing a dinner for 4 people. Would you suggest to cut your recipe in half?
Thank you so much! Happy Holidays!
I would keep the same ratios- as it’s THAT GOOD!! Happy Holidays!
Perfect ????????
Hey I love the simplicity of the recipe… but how would I do them in the oven bags.. still boil the potatoes and corn and egg separate and then add the other ingredients? Bake at what temperature?
Yes cook them separately (as mentioned in the post above). Oven temperature should be 375 degrees.
Hi, Could I use actual garlic butter for the sauce and how much would you recommend. The butter came in a tub, so there are no sticks to measure. Thanks
I’ve never tried a pre-made garlic butter, so I’m not sure how to measure.
How do you make the boiled eggs as a part of it????
Hi Nicole. I always boil my eggs in a separate pot. After they’re done, just peel them and add them to your seafood boil when it’s all done.
I guess I need to double this recipe to cook about 20 crab legs, right?
Yes!
Highly recommend…Easy to make and absolutely delicious!!!!
I’ve been looking for a good recipe for the garlic butter seafoil boil for a while! This was and is one of the best, recipes I’ve come across. The bay leaves in crab boil and the lemon pepper seasoning in the butter enhances the flavor. I will definitely use this recipe again.
Have you tried this seafood boil recipe with dipping it in the Bloves Smackalicious sauce or no? I’m wondering if it would ruin it
Well Jean, I created my own version of a garlic butter sauce for this recipe! It is truly delicious, give it a try before you try the other one. https://www.razzledazzlelife.com/seafood-boil-sauce/
I made this tonight and it was perfect! I Do Not write reviews unless I’m really excited, and let me tell you, I’m REALLY excited. I followed the directions exactly and it came out great! Thanks so much. As I was licking the sauce that was running down my hands tonight (I don’t care if you all are judging me right now, it was just that good!) I told my husband that this is my new way of making my seafood boils. Thank you so much for posting such a tasty and easy recipe!
Hi,
Your receipt looks great. I need some clarification on using the oven bag method. When you say cook for 20-30 minutes in the prepared butter mixture you didn’t specify how to cook it. In the oven or in boiling water? If in the oven, at what temperature?
Thank you in advance,
Vickie
For the oven bag, cook at 350 degrees.
Made this 2x and everytime it’s delicious!!!! Thank you
This was soooo good!! Thank you for sharing! My family absolutely loved it!! Delish!
I love to hear it! Thanks for trying it out!!
Loved this recipe
Thank you DeAnna!
Hi! How long does the sauce last in the fridge? Would I be able to make the sauce ahead and reheat it when ready to use?
Hey Kathy! Absolutely! I like my sauce much more a day or two later! Since it has butter, I recommend refrigerating for no more than a week.