Description

This Seafood Boil is a vibrant, flavorful feast featuring tender shrimp, succulent crab, juicy sausage, sweet corn, and baby potatoes, all seasoned with bold spices and butter. Perfect for gatherings, this dish is easy to make and fun to eat—just spread it out on a table and dig in with your hands for a true seafood boil experience!

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Seafood Boil:

1 lb (450 g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined (leave tails on for extra flavor)
1 lb (450 g) snow crab legs or king crab legs
1 lb (450 g) smoked sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 lb (450 g) baby potatoes (red or Yukon gold)
4 ears of corn, cut into halves or thirds
1 large onion, quartered
1 lemon, halved (plus extra for serving)
4 cloves garlic, smashed
3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning (or your favorite seafood boil seasoning)
1 tablespoon paprika (smoked or sweet)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
2 bay leaves
Salt, to taste
8 cups water

For the Butter Sauce:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

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Instructions

Prepare the boil:
- Fill a large stockpot with 8 cups of water.
- Add the onion, garlic, lemon halves (squeezed into the water), Old Bay seasoning, paprika, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, and a generous pinch of salt.
- Bring to a rolling boil.
Cook the vegetables and sausage:
- Add the baby potatoes to the pot and cook for about 10-12 minutes until slightly tender.
- Add the corn and smoked sausage, cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the seafood:
- Add the crab legs to the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
- Finally, add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they turn pink and opaque.
- Drain the seafood boil and discard the bay leaves and lemon halves.
Prepare the butter sauce:
- While the seafood is boiling, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Stir in Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, and hot sauce if using.
Serve:
- Spread the drained seafood boil onto a large serving tray or a newspaper-covered table for a casual feast.
- Drizzle with the warm butter sauce or serve it on the side for dipping.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and extra lemon wedges.

Notes

Feel free to add mussels, clams, or lobster tails for extra variety.
Adjust the spice level with more or less cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
For an extra kick, toss the seafood in the butter sauce before serving instead of just drizzling.