Restaurant Style Seafood Boil Bag

This Seafood Boil Bag recipe is packed with crab, shrimp, crawfish, corn, and andouille sausage, all smothered in a rich Cajun sauce. Perfect for parties, this easy seafood dish brings big flavor without the fuss.

If you love this recipe, be sure to check out the best Seafood Boil recipe, my Baked Crab Legs, and the super popular Garlic Butter Cajun Seafood Boil Sauce.

The Best Seafood Boil in a Bag

This one’s buttery, juicy, savory, and coated in my Cajun butter seafood boil sauce. The flavor hits every time, and it’s way easier than a traditional seafood boil.

Once you boil the basics and pour on the sauce, all that’s left to do is bake! It’s the kind of recipe I pull out when I want something low-effort but guaranteed to impress.

Why You’ll Love This Seafood Boil

• Less Mess: Since everything cooks in the bag, cleanup is fast and stress-free.
• Easy: Boil the basics, season it up, and bake—no complicated steps or special tools needed.
• Amazing Flavor: Every bite is smothered in buttery Cajun sauce that tastes just like your favorite seafood spot. It’s finger-lickin’ good!
• Versatile: Mix and match your seafood, adjust the spice, or add extras like sausage and boiled eggs to make it your own.
• Perfect for Parties: Whether you are hosting a summer seafood boil in your backyard or just want to treat loved ones to a fun family dinner, this seafood potluck is perfect for any gathering.

Ingredients you need:

• Snow crab: As sweet as it is savory, snow crabs taste similar to lobster, although they are cheaper and more flaky. They are also more affordable than king crabs.
• Large Shrimp: Clean, peel, and devein jumbo shrimp before cooking.
• Crawfish: A delicious cross between lobster and shrimp.
• Andouille sausage: Smoked sausage is a key ingredient. Use beef sausage if you do not eat pork.
• Baby Red potatoes: These cook faster than most potatoes so they are perfect for a meal made in just 30 minutes.
• Corn on the cob: This adds sweetness and a bit of texture from the crunch. Shuck the corn ahead of time. You can use fresh or frozen corn, cooking instructions are the same.
• Large Eggs: Boiled (optional but recommended).
• Seasoning: I use Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, and cajun seasoning.

Seafood Boil Sauce

• Butter: Use unsalted butter to control the sodium. Melted butter is the base for the crab boil sauce.
• Olive oil: For a velvety smooth texture.
• Onion: Thinly sliced.
• Garlic: Fesh garlic cloves make such a difference. Add them diced.
• Lemon: Citrus works well with seafood. Lemon juice adds the perfect balance to this seafood boil bag recipe too.
• Chicken broth or Vegetable broth: You can use water instead but a broth adds so much flavor.
• Seasoning: For a savory flavor with a hint of sweetness and a kick of spice, I season the sauce with Old Bay seasoning, paprika, chili powder, cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper (more or less for spice), red pepper flakes (more or less for spice), and lemon pepper seasoning.
• Sweet Chili sauce: This adds a depth of flavor that is unexpected but so welcome!

Where to Buy Seafood Boil Bags

You can find seafood boil bags online at places like Amazon or Walmart, and sometimes in the cookware aisle at your local grocery store. I usually grab the large, oven-safe ones so there’s plenty of room for the crab, shrimp, and all that saucy goodness.

It might not be labeled as a seafood boil bag—look for heat-resistant nylon oven bags, like the kind used for roasting a turkey. Just make sure they’re safe for high heat and come with ties to seal them up tight.

How to Defrost Seafood

See recipe card for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

You can use frozen seafood for this recipe. Defrost the crab legs, shrimp, and crawfish prior to cooking. 

Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, quickly defrost by placing the snow crab legs, shrimp, and crawfish in a large bowl (or separate bowls if desired), and run room temperature water over them. Allow them to sit for 10-15 minutes.

How to Make Seafood Boil in a Bag

Cook Potatoes and Corn

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the old bay seasoning, Cajun seasoning, and garlic powder into the water.

Once the water is boiling, add in the potatoes and corn. Cook them for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. 

Boil Eggs

If you are adding boiled eggs, add them to the boiling water for the last 7 minutes. Remove everything from the water and set aside.

Make Seafood Boil Sauce

While the potatoes and corn are cooking, make the seafood boil sauce. Melt one stick of butter and olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the sliced or chopped onions and sauté them until they become translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds to one minute, be sure to stir constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn. Add juice of the lemon, and all of the seasonings. Adjust cayenne and red pepper to your level of desired spiciness.

If using additional butter, add the additional sticks now (see notes above about healthier options).

Pour in the chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water now (choose either-or, not all three). Simmer the sauce until the butter is melted and the sauce reduces a bit, about 10 minutes.

Prepare Seafood Boil Bags

Assemble the seafood bags on a baking sheet that is large enough to hold all 6 bags.

Cut the sausage up into thin slices. Add some of the sausage, one cluster of crab, a handful of shrimp, and some of the crawfish into each bag. 

Next, add two potatoes, and a corn on the cob to each seafood boil bag. 

Pour about ¼ cup of sauce into each bag, and close tightly with the ties that come with the oven bags. There should be some sauce left over for serving. 

Place the baking sheet in the oven, and bake the seafood for 15 minutes.  

Peel the boiled eggs and set them aside. Remove the seafood bags from the oven. Once they are cool enough to handle, remove the zip tie. 

Add a boiled egg to each seafood boil bag. Sprinkle some Cajun seasoning and garlic powder over the seafood (if desired). 

Serve the remaining cajun seafood boil sauce in small bowls to dip the seafood in. And finally, enjoy!

How Long to Boil Seafood

For this recipe, you only need to boil the potatoes, corn, and optional eggs—seafood like crab, shrimp, and crawfish go into the oven bags and bake instead. Boil the potatoes and corn for about 15 minutes, adding the eggs during the last 7 minutes. The seafood cooks in the oven for 15 minutes at 350°F, drenched in sauce for maximum flavor.

Storage

Store leftover seafood boil bags in the fridge for up to 2 days. These do not freeze well.

How to Reheat Seafood Boil Bag

To reheat your seafood boil bag, place the sealed bag on a baking sheet and warm it in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also remove the contents and reheat everything in a large skillet over medium heat, adding a splash of broth or leftover sauce to keep it from drying out.

Avoid microwaving in the plastic bag. If using the microwave, transfer to a microwave-safe dish and cover loosely before heating.

FAQ

More Seafood Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

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