Cajun Seafood Boil Recipe with Garlic Butter Sauce

• Beer: This may come as a surprise but beer actually enhances the flavor of the broth. Use your favorite kind.
• Water: To mix with the other liquids.
• Bay leaves: they add subtle herby and peppery flavors.
• Seafood boil seasoning: I used a combination of Old Bay, smoked paprika, Cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and dried thyme.
• Lemons
• Garlic and Onions: This recipe calls for lots of fresh garlic so make sure you have plenty! I like using a lot because the garlic and onion make such a flavorful broth. If you don't feel like chopping up a bunch of garlic, use garlic powder instead.

Seafood Boil Ingredients

• Red potatoes: If you don't have access to red potatoes, Yukon potatoes, baby potatoes, or small new potatoes work too.
• Andouille sausage: Andouille is a slightly spicy sausage. In my opinion, it's the best sausage for a seafood boil but if you prefer something milder, use kielbasa.
• Sweet Corn: Use whatever variety of corn you'd like as long as it's fresh. Cutting the corn into thirds for roughly 2-inch pieces will ensure they cook faster.
• Jumbo shrimp: Use the biggest shrimp you can find. Now is not the time to skimp! Colossal shrimp or jumbo shrimp are the best. Also, you can use peeled or shell-on shrimp, depending on your preference. (the bigger the shrimp the better for this seafood boil recipe) Get them deveined to cut down on prep time.
• Snow Crab clusters: these are the bodies broken into pieces with legs attached, but you can just find the snow crab legs on their own at your local fish monger! If you can't find snow crab, try king crab legs or even dungeness crab legs! Make sure that they're pre-cooked!
• Lobster tails: you'll want to Maine Lobsters or North Atlantic Lobsters, also known as cold water lobsters. They have the best flavor and don't taste fishy like other breeds.
• Mussels: this is optional. I like using pre-cooked mussels, they don't need to boil as long as raw mussels.
• Clams: Before serving, discard any clams that didn't open up.

Garlic Butter Sauce

As the seafood cooks, make this rich and buttery sauce that perfectly complements the fresh seafood. It's so delicious when poured on top of this seafood boil.

• Butter: The base of this sauce. You can use salted or unsalted.
• Garlic cloves: I told you we'd be using a lot!
• Cajun seasoning: Be generous with this essential seasoning!
• Old bay seasoning: This is added for flavor and color.
• Sugar: The hint of sweetness will balance out the other flavors.
• Salt: Just enough to taste.
• Reserved broth: If you want a thicker sauce, use less of this. If you want a thinner sauce, use a bit more.
• Fresh parsley
• Red pepper flakes - this is optional. Use if want an extra kick of spice!

How do you cook a Seafood Boil?

After reading the list of ingredients, you'd think the cooking process would take forever. However, you really just throw everything into a pot, little by little.

An hour later, the seafood boil will be finished and you'll have a heap of all types of seafood sprawled on a table in front of you. (If you're a visual person, check out the video below!)

Make the Broth

• Firstly, add beer, and water to a large stockpot. Over high heat, bring everything to a rolling boil and then add bay leaves, Old Bay seasoning, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, thyme, salt, lemons, garlic, and onions.

• Stir together and boil for 5 minutes in order to allow flavors to come together.

Add Potatoes, Sausage, and Seafood

• Add halved red potatoes and corn to the pot and allow them to cook until the potatoes are tender but not mushy (about 15 minutes). Then add sausages and allow them to cook for another 5 minutes. (Image 1)
• Add crab legs, lobster tails, mussels, clams, and shrimp. Cover the pot with a lid and allow everything to boil together for 5-7 minutes. (The mussels and clams will pop open once they are finished and the shrimp will be pink) Stir together, save 2 cups of the broth, then drain. (Image 2)

Roll out newspaper or a large serving tray and finally, place the seafood on top. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

Prepare the Garlic Butter Sauce

• Melt butter over medium-low heat, then add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Then add cajun seasoning, old bay seasoning, onion powder, sugar, and salt to the melted butter. (Image 3)

• Add 1 cup of the reserved broth and simmer on low for 3-5 minutes, until sauce thickens. If using, stir in red pepper flakes and remove from the heat. (If you want a thinner sauce, then add 2 cups instead.) Add a little bit of lemon juice and hot sauce if you like a little heat! Pour over the seafood and reserve the rest for dipping. (It's SO good)

What goes with Cajun Seafood Boil?

You can definitely enjoy this seafood dish without any additions but it's also a great dish with these sides:

• A crusty bread like this Homemade Cheesy Garlic Bread
• House Salad
• This sweet cornbread recipe
• Fresh vegetables like asparagus or broccoli are a great addition, especially with the juicy corn
• Mashed potatoes or smashed potatoes
• Potato Salad or Deviled Eggs

For drinks, I love a nice crisp cold glass of white wine or making a large batch of my white wine sangria. You can also make it a party and try these:

• Green Tea Shots
• AMF Drink
• White Gummy Bear Shots
• Pink Starburst Shots
• Bahama Mama