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Cajun Seafood Boil with Garlic Butter Sauce Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 128 reviews

Dive into a flavorful Cajun Seafood Boil bursting with zesty spices, tender seafood, and a rich garlic butter sauce. This classic Southern dish combines succulent shrimp, snow crab clusters, smoky andouille sausage, sweet corn, and baby potatoes all simmered in a seasoned broth, then tossed in a luscious homemade garlic butter sauce. Perfect for casual gatherings and seafood lovers looking for a celebratory, hands-on meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Boil Ingredients

  • 3 quarts water
  • 1 (12-ounce) can of beer (optional but highly recommended)
  • 3 tablespoons Creole Cajun Seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • Hot sauce, to taste
  • 1 medium yellow onion, roughly sliced into half-moons
  • 1 large lemon, cut into wedges plus more for serving

Seafood and Add-ins

  • 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into rounds
  • 1 lb baby potatoes, red or gold (or a mix of both)
  • 1 lb pre-cooked snow crab leg clusters, fresh or frozen
  • 1 to 1 ½ lbs jumbo shrimp, deveined, shell-on or peeled
  • 4 to 6 ears sweet corn on the cob (mini ears preferred)
  • 4 to 6 hard boiled eggs (optional)

Garlic Butter Sauce

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 10 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon Creole Cajun Seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Old Bay seasoning, to taste
  • Hot sauce, to taste

Instructions

  1. Prepare the boil: In a large stockpot or Dutch oven (10 quarts or larger) over medium-high heat, combine water and beer if using. Bring to a rolling boil. Add Creole Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, and hot sauce to taste. Stir in sliced onion and lemon wedges. Let the mixture boil for 15 minutes to infuse the flavors.
  2. Add the andouille & potatoes: Carefully add the sliced andouille sausage and baby potatoes to the boiling water. Stir well to incorporate. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are nearly fork-tender, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.
  3. Add the seafood & corn: Gently add snow crab clusters, shrimp, and ears of corn to the pot. Make sure all are fully submerged. Stir gently to combine. Continue boiling for 5-7 minutes, until shrimp turns pink and is cooked through.
  4. Make the garlic butter sauce: Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, lemon juice, parsley, Old Bay seasoning, Creole Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and hot sauce to taste. Stir to combine and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until butter is melted and the sauce is aromatic.
  5. Assemble cajun seafood boil with sauce: Line a large baking sheet with foil, parchment paper, or newspaper. Using a spider strainer, remove seafood boil ingredients from the pot, discarding onion and lemon bits. Arrange seafood, sausage, potatoes, corn, and eggs (if using) on the sheet. Pour garlic butter sauce evenly over everything and toss carefully to coat all pieces thoroughly.
  6. Serve seafood boil: Serve immediately either family-style on the baking sheet for a communal eating experience or portion onto individual plates. Provide additional lemon wedges for squeezing. Encourage guests to toss and sop up the flavorful garlic butter sauce with each bite.

Notes

  • Read the blog post entirely for additional tips and tricks to perfect your boil.
  • Using beer in the boil adds depth of flavor but can be omitted for non-alcoholic version.
  • Adjust hot sauce level in both boil and butter sauce to your preferred heat tolerance.
  • Pre-cooked crab and peeled shrimp reduce cook time and ease preparation.
  • Using mini corn ears makes eating more manageable and festive.
  • Disposable gloves help with the messy tossing process and keep hands clean.
  • For thinner sauce consistency, add some boil broth to garlic butter sauce before tossing.
  • Hard boiled eggs are optional but add extra protein and texture to the boil.

Keywords: Cajun seafood boil, garlic butter sauce, shrimp boil, andouille sausage, snow crab, Creole seasoning, seafood feast, summer boil, southern seafood

Find it online: https://busyrecipe.com/cajun-seafood-boil-with-garlic-butter-sauce-recipe/