Seafood Boil in a Bag
Seafood boil in a bag combines the bold flavors of juicy shrimp, crab legs, lobster tails, smoky sausage, sweet corn, and tender potatoes drenched in a rich garlicky seafood boil sauce. It's an explosion of flavor and so much fun to eat! Make this easy recipe for ultimate seafood feast right in your own home!
Equipment
- Seafood Boil Bag (I used Reynold's Turkey Oven Bag)
- Aluminum Pan or Large Baking Dish
- Skillet
- Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tsp chicken bouillon paste
- 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
- 1 tbsp old bay
- 2 lbs Red Potatoes, (cut in half)
- 1 lb Smoked Andouille Sausage, (cut into large chunks)
- 3 Ears of Corn, (cut into thirds)
- 2 lbs Jumbo Shrimp
- 3 lbs Snow Crab Legs
- 1 lb lobster, (optional)
- 1/2 cup Beer
Seafood Boil Sauce
- 2 cups salted butter
- 1 onion, (chopped)
- 8 cloves garlic, (minced)
- 1/4 cup cajun seasoning
- 2 tbsp old bay seasoning
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, (chopped)
- 1 tbsp Fresh Chives, (chopped), optional
Instructions
- Place the seafood boil bag into an aluminum pan and place a second bag inside. (double the bag) Open the bag up so that it's nice and wide to prep the bags for adding in the seafood and sauces.
- Inspect and wash your crab legs. Run the crab legs under warm water. If you see any black spots, trim the legs or use a lemon to scrub it off.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat and add chicken bouillon paste, Cajun seasoning, and Old Bay. Stir together carefully and add red potatoes and corn. Cook until potatoes are just fork-tender (should be soft but not falling apart) and corn is vibrant yellow, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add a skillet to the stove over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil into the skillet and add sausages. Cook until just browned, about 5 minutes, and remove from the pan.
- Add butter to the same pan and add diced onion. Cook until fragrant and slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes. Then add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Add Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, onion powder, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Stir together and cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock. Stir and allow the sauce to come to a boil, then simmer for 6-8 minutes to thicken. Remove from the heat and squeeze in lemon juice and parsley.
- Assemble the seafood bag - Add the beer into the bottom of the seafood boil bag. Pour about 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the bag. Add potatoes and corn first, then place sausages, lemons, and crab legs on top. Pour 2 cups of the seafood boil sauce on top.
- Loosely tie the bag so that the steam can escape but it's isn't so tight you can't reopen it. (you can also use butcher's twine for this) Gently move the bag left and right, ensuring all of the seafood is covered in the sauce.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then add the lobster and shrimp into the bag. Tie the bag again and continue to bake for an additional 8-12 minutes, until the shrimp and lobster are pink and slightly curled and the lobster is bright red.
- Allow the seafood to rest in the bag for 10 minutes before opening. Garnish with lemon wedges, parsley, and the remaining seafood boil sauce to serve.
Notes
- Double bag the oven bags! The seafood, especially the crab legs, can poke through the bag and the juices can leak out. To prevent this from happening and preserving all of that flavor, double bag before adding the seafood boil bag ingredients.
- Don't forget to pre-boil potatoes and corn. Boiling these items separately until tender before adding them to the boil bag ensures they are cooked just right.
- Seal the boil bag. Make sure the bag is properly sealed to keep all the steam and flavors inside. It's the difference between a proper seafood boil and a seafood bake.
- Allow the seafood boil to rest. Opening the bag as soon as it comes out of the oven could burn you and it will be too hot to enjoy. Letting the bag rest for 10 minutes after baking allows the flavors to meld and the contents to cool slightly before serving.
- If you don't have a large oven bag (or the turkey size oven bags), you can individually portion out the seafood into smaller oven-safe bag and pour the boil sauce on top. Don't forget to add the corn, sausages, and potatoes!
Substitutions & Variations
- Seafood: Try mussels, crawfish, clams, and blue crab as tasty alternatives or additions to the boil. Each brings its own unique texture and flavor to the dish.
- Hard-boiled Eggs: For another layer of richness and protein, add peeled hard-boiled eggs to the bags.
- Seasoning: Swap the cajun seasoning for lemon pepper if you prefer a salty, citrusy, tangy flavor profile over spicy and savory.
Equipment
Just in case you were wondering, we're not using regular Ziploc bags for this recipe. We use heat-resistant oven-safe bags made of nylon. These bags are designed to withstand oven temperatures up to 400 degrees F. I used Reynold's Turkey Oven Bags. You can find them in your local grocery store or Target or Walmart, especially during the holiday season. You'll also need an oven safe baking dish - I prefer to use an aluminum pan, but you can also use a baking sheet.Nutrition
Calories: 861kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 64g, Saturated Fat: 35g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 20g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 344mg, Sodium: 2112mg, Potassium: 1174mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 4045IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 166mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @BritneyBreaksBread or tag #BritneyBreaksBread!