Easy Cajun Seafood Boil (30 Minutes!)
on Nov 14, 2023
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No false promises: this is a seriously impressive Seafood Boil that is made entirely in ONE large pot in 30 minutes! This Southern crowd-pleaser includes crabs, clams, shrimp, sausages, potatoes, and sweet corn, all boiled together in a flavorful Cajun broth! Serve it with a popular Seafood Boil Sauce for the most satisfying meal!
Of course, you can use any type of shellfish or seafood: check out my Louisiana Crawfish Boil Recipe or Low Country Boil.
This is one of my go-to meals to make on weekends during the summer. For a true Southern experience, seafood boil is spread out on a table covered with newspapers. You can gather around with family and friends to enjoy the feast together!
Fun and easy seafood boil made in ONE POT! ❤️
- High returns for minimal effort! Ready in 30 minutes.
- A whole meal for a big party made in one pot! There’s something for everyone!
- Incredibly flavorful – everything is boiled in a well-seasoned broth with a nice kick of heat.
- Fun and unforgettable experience with family and friends!
If you have 1 minute, watch the recipe video below to see how easy it is to make it!
Seafood Boil recipe video
Making a great seafood boil simply comes down to ONE trick: knowing WHEN to add each ingredient!
As each ingredient requires different cooking times, you’ll need to add them to the pot at different times to avoid overcooking or undercooking. Let’s first take a look at what we’ll need for this recipe.
Seafood boil ingredients
- For the broth: The most essential ingredient for flavoring the broth is Old Bay Seasoning. Also, add Lemon and garlic for an authentic taste!
- Red baby potatoes: You can also use Yukon gold potatoes. I used baby potatoes and cut them into halves to save time!
- Corn: Fresh corn on the cob is the best. You can also use frozen corn but it takes longer to boil.
- Sausages: Use andouille sausages if you prefer a bit of heat. Kielbasa or other smoked sausages also work fine.
- Onions: You can use yellow onions or red onions.
- Seafood: I used clams, crab claws, and shrimp in this recipe. But you can use any seafood such as crab legs, crawfish, or lobster.
It’s easy to make seafood boil with 3 simple steps!
Season the broth, boil, and serve! That’s it! (The complete recipe with measurements is at the bottom of the post)
1️⃣ First, season the broth. Fill up a large pot with water. Add old bay seasoning, lemon, and garlic. Bring it to a boil.
Tip: Find the LARGEST pot for this recipe. As you add more ingredients, you’ll need some extra space to hold all the bulky ingredients!
2️⃣ Then add ingredients in stages.
- Cook potatoes: Boil them for about 10 minutes (they’re not fully cooked at this point as they will continue to boil).
- Add corn and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add sausage and onions. Boil for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add crab claws and clams. Cover and boil for about 5 minutes.
- Add the shrimp. Boil for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp is no longer pink.
❓ How long to boil frozen corn? Frozen corn will need about 3-5 more minutes to boil than fresh corn pieces.
How long to boil different types of seafood
If you use different types of shellfish or seafood, here are the boiling times for each. That’s why we always add the shrimp last as they require the shortest cooking time. Note that these are total times, so you’ll need to add them in stages.
- Fresh shrimp: About 2 minutes to boil until they’re pink and cooked through. Small shrimp or peeled shrimp will cook slightly faster, while jumbo or unpeeled shrimp will need an extra 1-2 minutes.
- Frozen shrimp: It takes about 3-5 minutes to cook frozen shrimp depending on the size. You can leave the tails on or off for this recipe.
- Crab claws or crab legs: Most crab claws and legs we can find are pre-cooked. It takes about 5-8 minutes in total for them to be heated through.
- Lobster tails: It takes about 7-10 minutes to cook the first pound and 2-3 minutes for each additional pound.
- Mussels/clams/crawfish: Cook for 5 minutes in total.
3️⃣ Here comes the FUN part: Drain the water. Transfer the seafood boil to a serving plate or on the newspaper. Serve it with the seafood boil sauce or B’love Sauce!
How to serve seafood boil
For a true Southern experience, eat at the table outside! You can cover your table with newspapers. Then dump everything directly on it! No plates, no utensils! Simply chow down the food with your hands, and make sure to prepare plenty of napkins!
Seafood boil is a whole meal on its own, but it tastes the best with Seafood Boil Sauce. You can also add salads such as coleslaw, potato salad, or macaroni salad.
More Seafood Favorites to Try
- Louisiana Crawfish Boil
- Low Country Boil
- Seafood Gumbo
- Steamed Razor Clams with Garlic and Vermicelli
Watch how to make seafood boil sauce
If you tried this recipe, let me know how your Seafood Boil turns out in the comments below!
Easy Seafood Boil Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 lemon, cut to wedges
- 1 bulb garlc
- 1 pound red baby potatoes*, halved
- 3 ears corn on the cob, cut into 3-4 inch pieces
- 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 onion, cut into a few pieces
Seafood
- 1 pound crab claws*, you can use other types of seafood
- 1/2 pound clams
- 1 pound shrimp, shell on
For serving
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- homeamde seafood sauce
Instructions
- Fill up a large pot with water over medium-high heat. Add old bay seasoning, lemon, and garlic. Bring water to a boil.
- Add halved baby potatoes to the water. Boil for about 10 minutes or until just barely fork tender (as they’ll continue to cook in the pot with other ingredients).
- Add corn and continue to cook for 3 minutes.
- Add sausage and onions. Boil for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add crab claws and clams and boil for 5 minutes.
- Add shrimp. Boil for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp is no longer pink.
- Drain the water. Transfer the seafood boil to a serving plate or on the newspaper.
- Sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with melted butter. You can also serve it with seafood boil sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- * Red potatoes and Yukon gold are great for boiling. Cut them into smaller chunks so that they cook fast.
- You can also add other flavors to your broth such as beer, thyme, or bay leaves.
- Can I substitute frozen corn? Yes, but you’ll need to boil it for 6-8 minutes before adding the sausages.
- Can I use frozen shrimp? Yes, add 1-2 minutes of boiling time.
- To store leftovers: Separate the seafood from other ingredients, and place them in separate airtight containers. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
