A Cajun Seafood Boil Is the Ultimate Feed-a-Crowd Dinner

Loaded with shrimp, crab, sausage, corn, and potatoes, this Cajun seafood boil is packed with bold Southern flavor. It's a hearty, crowd-friendly meal that's perfect for casual gatherings and weekend dinners.

Select Your Seafood

Ingredients of Cajun Seafood Boil are being displayed on the table. — Image Credit: Peel with Zeal

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

I'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!

You can use any seafood you like. Shrimp and crab are staples but you can try mussels, lobster or Crawfish. Get the Ingredient List: Cajun Seafood Boil

Make or Boy Your Cajun Seasoning

A metal spoon rests in a white bowl filled with a reddish-brown spice blend on a light surface.

I suggestion my homemade seasoning (and a lot of it). Not too spicy and full of flavor. Also just the right amount of salt. Get the Recipe: Homemade Cajun Seasoning

Set Up the Equipment

Cooking Cajun Seafood Boil in a medium fire slow cook in a stock pot. — Image Credit: Peel with Zeal

You need a propane burner (aka a turkey fryer) and a VERY large stock pot with a strainer.

Start the Boiling Broth

Cajun Seafood Boil mixture. — Image Credit: Peel with Zeal

Add garlic, onion, lemon and bay leaf along with your spice mix. Adding beer is optional. Get the Printable Recipe: Seafood Boil

Start Cooking

Cajun Seafood Boil in a large stockpot. — Image Credit: Peel with Zeal

First, you add the potatoes and sausage. Then the crab and corn. Get the Printable Recipe: Seafood Boil

Add Shrimp and Turn Off

Cajun Seafood Boil in a bucket strainer inside the stock pot. — Image Credit: Peel with Zeal

Turn off the heat. Add the shrimp and cover. Let the residual heat cook the shrimp. Get the FREE Printable Recipe: Seafood Boil

Make the Cajun Garlic Butter

Cajun Seafood sauce being prepared in a sauce pan. — Image Credit: Peel with Zeal

Carmelized garlic, lemon and parsley come together with more seasoning and loads of rich butter. Get the Printable Recipe: Cajun Galic Butter

Strain the Boil

Cajun Seafood Boil in a bucket strainer. — Image Credit: Peel with Zeal

Pull out the strainer. Grab a cup of the boiling liquid and mix with a little of the butter sauce. When you serve the seafood (over newspaper or butcher paper of course) drizzle this liquid over for more flavor! Get the FREE Printable Recipe: Seafood Boil

Serve with Butter Sauce

Cajun Seafood Boil on a large sheet pan. — Image Credit: Peel with Zeal

Its a messy task but enjoy cracking open the crab and slathering it in butter sauce! I like to serve coleslaw and crusty bread. Get the Printable Recipe: Seafood Boil

Serve with Potato Salad

A bowl of potato salad with chopped chives and red onions, with hard-boiled eggs and a small dish of sauce in the background—perfect for serving as one of your favorite Southern summer side dishes. — Southern Potato Salad. Image Credit: Peel with Zeal

Glassic Southern potato salad is made with russet potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, sweet gherkins, and a tangy mustard-mayo dressing. No added sugar! Just balanced flavor and a creamy texture that gets better as it chills. Get the Southern Potato Salad Recipe.

And Don't Forget the Cornbread

A cast iron skillet with round cornbread, mostly sliced into wedges—one piece is served on a plate nearby. Green onions are in a small bowl in the corner. This classic presentation brings to mind autumn dishes and Grandma-approved recipes perfect for cozy fall evenings. — Cornbread Image Credit: Peel with Zeal

This cornbread is made with 100% cornmeal. It's the perfect balance of savory and sweet, tender and moist in the middle, and has deliciously crispy edges. Get the Recipe: Flourless Cornbread