Garlic Butter Seafood Boil Sauce made with butter, garlic, onions, and lots of herbs and spices! The perfect sauce to dip or drench all of that delicious seafood in.
Check out this Garlic Butter Seafood Boil recipe, as well as this Shrimp Boil with Garlic Butter Sauce while you're here!
Jump to:
- Why you will love this seafood sauce recipe
- Rave reviews about this Seafood Sauce Recipe
- Ingredients you need for the seafood sauce
- How to prepare the cajun seafood boil sauce:
- How to make seafood boil sauce recipe healthier:
- Is this seafood dipping sauce spicy
- Can I make the sauce ahead of time?
- What to do with leftover Garlic Butter Sauce:
- What to eat with seafood dipping sauce
- 📖 Recipe
Seafood boils are already epic in and of themselves; but this sauce though! This sauce is EVERYTHING! Check out all of the rave reviews for yourself on this post: Garlic Butter Seafood Boil.
Why you will love this seafood sauce recipe
Easy! You will have this sauce ready in a matter of minutes. It calls for simple ingredients that you most likely have in your pantry.
Out of all of the seafood boil recipes you will try, this sauce is definitely the easiest!
Delicious! This will easily become your go-to sauce for all of your cooked seafood and seafood dishes! It is hands down THE BEST seafood sauce.
Simple ingredients! The best part about this seafood boil sauce recipe is that it calls for simple ingredients such as unsalted butter, chicken broth, brown sugar, and other cajun seasonings.
Rave reviews about this Seafood Sauce Recipe
"I’ve had seafood boil before at family’s houses and restaurants but this … oh my goshhh, it was so delicious. His mother had crab legs before but just plain and no sauce and she absolutely loved this recipe, so did my boyfriend !!"
Ingredients you need for the seafood sauce
- Butter: Use unsalted butter so that the dipping sauce is not too salty after adding the other seasonings.
- Garlic: minced garlic is a key ingredient in this crab boil sauce!
- Onion: although it's optional, you will LOVE the addition of sliced or minced onion in your cajun seafood boil sauce! Saute the onion in olive oil and butter to get them nice and tender.
- Chicken Broth: You can definitely use vegetable broth or even water in place if you need to.
- Lemon: fresh lemon juice adds that pop of acidity and freshness to the crab boil sauce that you will love!
- Seasonings: Lemon pepper, garlic powder, paprika, Old Bay seasoning, Cayenne pepper, Red pepper flakes are some of the main ingredients
- Sauces: grab some worcestershire sauce, some hot sauce, and even some sweet chili sauce if you want a little razzle dazzle!
How to prepare the cajun seafood boil sauce:
Gather all of the ingredients you need to help make it easier. Either thinly slice the onion, or chop it. Melt the stick of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the sliced onion to the pan and saute for 5 minutes, or until it is translucent.
After the onion is translucent, add the minced garlic to the pan. Saute the garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring often so that it does not burn.
Now add the fresh lemon juice to the skillet. Use a lemon juicer if you have one available- to avoid getting seeds in the sauce.
Sprinkle in the old bay seasoning, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, cajun seasoning, and the other seasoning in the recipe card.
Add additional butter (if desired, see next section), and chicken broth or water. Using the sweet chili sauce is optional (but recommended). It offers a sort of sweet heat for the sauce.
Add additional melted butter (if desired, see next section), and chicken broth or water, and a dash of hot sauce. Using the sweet chili sauce is optional (but recommended). It offers a sort of sweet heat for the sauce.
Stir the seafood boil sauce well so everything is combined. Then simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes so the sauce can thicken.
How to make seafood boil sauce recipe healthier:
To achieve a somewhat healthier, or less fatty sauce, use less butter! One stick is definitely recommended. Instead of all four sticks of butter though, just use one.
Add chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water in place of the additional butter.
Use two cups of chicken or vegetable broth, and two cups of water. Or all four cups of water, or vegetable or chicken broth.
The flavor of the sauce is still amazing. With all of the seasonings and spices, it's super flavorful. Once you simmer it for at least 10 minutes, it will begin to thicken up as well.
Is this seafood dipping sauce spicy
For spicy sauce, use the full amount of cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes. If no spice or less spice is desired, definitely decrease or omit these seasonings.
You can cut down on the amount of cajun seasoning you use as well. Definitely adjust the seasonings to your satisfaction! If you add the brown sugar or sweet chili sauce, it cuts down on a bit of the spiciness.
Can I make the sauce ahead of time?
Absolutely! Make the sauce a day or two ahead of time if desired. Let the sauce cool down completely, and place it in an airtight container or jar.
Store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to one week. The sauce can also be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat it, just pop-it in the microwave and heat it up until it is warm.
What to do with leftover Garlic Butter Sauce:
As mentioned above, let the sauce cool down completely and place it in an airtight container or jar, and store it in the refrigerator. The sauce an be stored in the fridge for up to one week.
Additionally, sauce can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Leftover sauce always tastes SO much better! Grab it out of the refrigerator or freezer, and heat it up in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat.
What to eat with seafood dipping sauce
Use this cajun seafood sauce recipe to eat with your crawfish boil! Or you can eat the sauce with king crab legs, shrimp, and lobster tails. You should definitely make enough to pour all over a your seafood boil too!
It has the most perfect flavor to dip any of your cooked seafood in, or even vegetables!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 sticks Butter unsalted (3 sticks optional read post and see notes below)
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- 1 whole Onion diced
- 3 tablespoons Garlic diced
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 4 cups Chicken or Vegetable broth or water
- 3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 3 tablespoons Paprika
- 2 tablespoons Chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon Red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon Lemon pepper seasoning (optional depending on fresh lemon juice)
- 1-2 dashes Tobasco sauce
- 2 tablespoons Sweet chili sauce optional
Instructions
- 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 option).
- 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.
- Pour over your favorite seafood and/or reserve some for dipping.
soley says
delicious
Lorraine says
Hello, can I use Creole seasoning instead of the Cajun and can I put hard boiled eggs in this?
Tamara J. says
Yes of course. I’ve used this sauce to make an egg boil before too!
Ebony says
So I made the sauce without the sweet chili and did not like it at all! But babyyy WITH the sweet chili sauce gave it so much more flavor! I also added garlic powder and onion powder. Sooo flavorful! Thank you so much for posting this!!! Never would’ve thought to add sweet chili sauce! It made the difference!
Tamara J. says
Yes! That sweet chili adds a whole different layer of flavor! Glad you liked it 😁
tonya says
delicious
Portia says
This is our go-to recipe anytime we have a boil! It’s so good with crawfish too!
Tamara J. says
Awesome! I'm glad you guys enjoy it 🙂
Henry says
Delicious
Partricia says
I absolutely love this sauce. The onions are my favorite part. We used to eat seafood boils all the time but the price of crab legs is crazy. So I save a lot of money with this recipe!
Tamara J. says
I love it! So glad you enjoy it. I love adding extra onions too!