Cajun Seafood Boil

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I’ve been dreaming about this Cajun seafood boil since 2021. Funny enough, it all started on a winter break trip to Florida — where I now live, except this trip was on the Gulf coast. One late Sunday evening when many places were closed, we stumbled across this hidden gem of a restaurant that specialized so much in seafood boils that it was literally all they served. This wasn’t the type of food I expected to be my favorite, but I fell in love with the bold Cajun flavors and how juicy all the components were. And here we are: Of course I had to recreate my own seafood boil recipe at home. It’s easier than you’d think!

Why You’ll Love My Cajun Seafood Boil Recipe

• Bold Cajun flavors – My Cajun seasoning makes this dish! It’s spicy and earthy and smoky, all rolled together in the perfect bold package.
• Tender, juicy textures – The method sets my seafood boil apart from my other Cajun recipes, like Cajun shrimp and Cajun chicken. Simmering fresh seafood and vegetables in seasoned broth — not to mention a cascade of butter infused with that same liquid at the end — leaves them unbelievably juicy and flavorful. It tastes just like the one at that Cajun restaurant.
• No special equipment – All you need is a large pot. I don’t use any fancy bags for this recipe.
• Simple to make – You’ll find all you need at any grocery store, and the entire meal is ready in close to half an hour. Did I mention it’s all in one pot?
• Perfect for gatherings – My easy seafood boil recipe makes a big batch, so it’s perfect for a crowd. Sure, it looks impressive, but I love that I can serve a lot of people without much effort.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best seafood boil ingredients, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Seafood – It wouldn’t be a Cajun seafood boil without the seafood! I used fresh clams, lobster tails, and large shrimp this time, but sometimes swap the lobster with snow crab legs. You can also add scallops, mussels, or crawfish.
• Andouille Sausage – For a smoky, spicy kick. If you prefer a milder option, you can substitute it with smoked sausage or kielbasa.
• Vegetables – To make it similar to the restaurant version, I used mini red potatoes and corn on the cob. Some seafood boil recipes add celery, carrots, cabbage, or bell peppers. Just choose hearty veggies that can withstand boiling.
• Aromatics – For all the flavor! Cut an onion into wedges (any kind of onion works) and smash your garlic cloves.
• Seasonings – I make my homemade Cajun Seasoning with paprika, garlic powder, salt, oregano, thyme, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes. Old Bay seasoning makes a good milder substitute. You’ll need additional salt either way, but with Old Bay I recommend using 1-2 teaspoons less, since it’s saltier to begin with. You can also just add a couple bay leaves if you want to stick with the Cajun seasoning, but I omitted them so that the ingredient list didn’t get too long.
• Lemons – Both the lemon juice and peels help flavor the broth, so grab fresh lemons.
• Water – To fill the pot.
• Salted Butter – We’ll combine it with the broth and pour over the Cajun seafood boil. If you only have unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt to it after melting.

How To Make A Seafood Boil

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Make the seasoned broth. Add the water, onions, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and salt to a large stockpot over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil. Squeeze the lemon halves into the broth, then add in the lemon peels.
2. Cook the sausage and potatoes. After adding them, reduce the heat and simmer. They won’t cook through all the way in this step, but I give them an early start before adding the ingredients that cook faster.

3. Cook the remaining seafood and veggies. Add lobster tails and cook until almost cooked through. Stir in the corn and clams next, simmering until the corn is tender. Finally, add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp, lobster, and potatoes are all cooked through.
4. Serve with garlic butter sauce. Remove everything from the pot and arrange on a large platter. Melt the butter and whisk it with some of the seasoned broth from the pot, then pour over the Cajun seafood boil. Serve with extra lemon wedges. I like a garnish of fresh parsley, too, for a pop of color.

My Recipe Tips

• Keep the heat at a consistent simmer. Cranking it up too high can cause the delicate seafood to overcook or become rubbery, plus it gives time for the flavors to develop.
• Remove fully cooked components from the pot if needed. I timed my seafood boil recipe to try to avoid this by adding the ingredients that take longer to cook first, but times can vary depending on the size of the pieces. If you find that some are done while others need more time, you can remove the cooked parts with a slotted spoon.
• Remove the food from the pot right away. Otherwise, it will continue to cook from the residual heat and can overcook.
• Don’t have a large enough platter? A sheet pan works just as well for serving. You can even line it for easier cleanup.
• Don’t drain the leftover broth — it’s delicious! You can save it for soup recipes. Or mix with more melted butter to make extra seafood boil sauce, and drizzle it over other dishes.

Storage & Meal Prep

• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. But when I know we won’t eat such a large batch, I cut the recipe in half.
• Meal prep: You can prep ahead of time by chopping vegetables, slicing the sausage, peeling the shrimp, and mixing the spices.
• Reheat: The key is to reheat low and slow, to prevent the seafood boil from drying out or overcooking. I like to do it in a covered large pot over low heat, with a little extra water, but you can also pop it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
• Freeze: I don’t love freezing this dish since its components are fairly pricy and it tastes better fresh, but you certainly can, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

What I love most about this Cajun seafood boil recipe is that it makes a complete meal on its own! It’s very rich, though, so I like to balance it with a light arugula salad or some sauteed cabbage on the side. If you like extra heat, a drizzle of hot sauce pairs nicely.

More Seafood Recipes

Ready for more easy seafood that looks impressive? Try some of my other recipes:

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Seared Scallops

Crab Stuffed Salmon

Air Fryer Lobster Tail

Recipe Card

5 from 9 votes

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Cajun Seafood Boil

This easy Cajun seafood boil recipe recipe has a flavorful medley of lobster, clams, shrimp, corn, and more. Perfect for a get-together!

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Total: 35 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from Wholesome Yum

Servings: 8 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 16 cups Water ▢
• 1 large Onion (cut into 6 wedges) ▢
• 6 cloves Garlic (smashed) ▢
• 3 tbsp Cajun seasoning (or Old Bay seasoning) ▢
• 4 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 3 medium Lemons (halved, plus more cut into wedges for serving) ▢
• 1 lb Andouille sausage (sliced into 1-inch rounds) ▢
• 1 lb Mini red potatoes (whole or halved, depending on size) ▢
• 1 lb Lobster tails (or crab legs) ▢
• 24 oz Clams (~18-20 clams; cleaned) ▢
• 4 ears Corn (halved or cut into thirds) ▢
• 2 lb Large shrimp (peeled and deveined, preferably with tails on) ▢
• 1/4 cup Salted butter (melted) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Add the water, onions, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and salt to a large stock pot over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil. Squeeze the lemon halves into the broth, then add in the lemon peels.

2. Add the sausage and potatoes and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 8-10 minutes.

3. Add the lobster tails and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the lobster is almost cooked through.

4. Add the corn and clams, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the corn is tender.

5. Add the shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes, until the shrimp, lobster, and potatoes are all cooked through.

6. Using a slotted spoon, remove ingredients from the pot (don’t dump the water yet) and arrange on a large platter.

7. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and 3/4 cup of water from the pot. Pour the mixture over the seafood boil. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

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Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/8 of the entire recipe

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 436

Fat 23.4g

Protein 39.9g

Total Carbs 17.2g

Net Carbs 14.3g

Fiber 2.9g

Sugar 3g

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.

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Try More Of My Recipes

• 
  Baked Halibut
• 
  Baked Flounder Recipe
• 
  Grilled Cod
• 
  Cajun Seasoning Recipe

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Gratitude Moment

I can’t believe I managed to find this photo, but here are my kids back in 2021, in front of the restaurant that inspired my seafood boil recipe. They’re so little!

I’m so grateful for that trip, not only because it prompted me to make this dish — and made me realize I like Cajun food, ha! — but also because it was one of several trips in the next few years that prompted us to move to Florida. We fell in love with the warm weather and endless activities to do.

What foods did you not know you liked and were pleasantly surprised when you tried them?