Cajun Seafood Boil Recipe

Sharing is caring!

Last Updated on June 1, 2023 by Toya

You absolutely must try this easy cajun seafood boil recipe! The recipe is made with juicy shellfish, sausages, fresh corn and potatoes, and a homemade cajun seasoning served in a yummy butter sauce. 

 

It is exactly what you’ll want to make for a fun family dinner that satisfies you. Plus, you can make this whole dish in under 1 hour!

Cajun seafood boil recipe information

This seafood boil with cajun seasoning is super easy to make and is made in an oven bag to avoid making a mess in your kitchen. Because of how easy it is to clean afterward, and how tender and juicy the seafood boil is when cooked this way, it has become one of my favorite ways to make my cajun seafood boils. 

But, even though you may not have any oven bags available, I’ll explain another way to make this cajun seafood feast with just a large pot and 16 cups of water! So keep reading for those awesome tips and tricks.

Cajun seasoning recipe

Most cajun boil recipes are made using cajun seasoning. It’s quite easy to grab some cajun seasoning at your local grocery store. However, I prefer to make my own.

Therefore, if you’re like me, I will give you a quick homemade cajun seasoning recipe that you can use for not just a Louisiana cajun seafood boil recipe, but also for other dishes like my cajun shrimp, cajun wings, air fryer cajun shrimp, etc.

Cajun seasoning, which is native to Louisiana, is a mix of about 10 spices and herbs that you are likely to have in your kitchen. To make a simple DIY cajun seasoning, you can check out this cajun seasoning mix here, or just mix together:

• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp ground white pepper or a white pepper substitute
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp cayenne
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp salt

Set this aside until you’re ready to use it in the boil recipe.

Tips & tricks

Cut the potatoes in half especially if they’re large. Potatoes take the longest to cook in this dish, everything else needs just a few minutes until they’re ready.

Therefore, if using an oven bag to cook this meal as I have done, cutting large potatoes in half, or even quarters helps to speed up their cooking time.

Another trick is to precook your potatoes before they’re placed in the oven bag, then placed in the oven. Boil them for 10 – 12 minutes prior to placing them in the sealed oven bag.

Cajun seafood boil ingredients

• 1 pound crab legs
• 1 pound large shrimp
• 1 pound mussels 
• 1 pound sausage
• 3-4 ears of corn
• 1 pound red potatoes
• 1/4 cup cajun seasoning
• 3/4 cup butter
• Juice of 1 lime /lemon
• 4 finely chopped garlic cloves

Making cajun seafood boil

Start by cleaning all the seafood properly. This will include cleaning all the shrimp if they’re not deveined, and scrubbing off any gunk from the crab legs and mussels. 

 

Also, husk the corn, then cut the corn into thirds. Then wash the potatoes until the water runs clean. Then precook the potatoes for 10-12 minutes and the corn for 10 minutes. 

Then chop the sausages into thirds or halves.

Also preheat the oven to 350 degrees and gather all the ingredients needed in one place.

Next, grab the oven bag and a large deep pot or bowl and place the bag into the pot to help make placing the seafood and vegetables into the bag a bit easier.

 

Next, add the crab legs to the bottom of the oven bag.

 

Then add the precooked corn and potatoes. Also add the mussels, sausages and shrimp.

 

Lastly add the cajun seasoning, chopped garlic, lime juice, and melted butter to the bag.

 

Mix well until all the seafood and vegetables inside of the oven bag are fully coated with the butter and cajun seasoning mixture, then tie the bag closed and place it on a baking sheet lined with foil.

 

Place in the oven for 35 minutes.

Once cooked, remove from the oven, then pour out the cooked seafood onto a baking sheet. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with your favorite seafood sauce.

 

For this recipe, I quite enjoy using either my homemade garlic butter sauce or this homemade cajun butter sauce for even more yummy cajun flavor!

Other cooking methods

Cook everything inside a large pot

Not everyone may have oven bags at short notice. If you have no oven bags available at the moment, there is another easy way to cook this Louisiana-style seafood boil recipe. Follow the instructions below

Fill a large pot with 16 cups of water. Also, add some bay leaves, and cajun seasoning, and squeeze the juice of 2 lemons into the water. Bring to a boil then proceed to cook all the food like this:

• Place the chopped potatoes into the pot and cook for 15 minutes.
• Place the corn into the pot and cook for 8 minutes
• Place the crab legs and mussels into the pot and cook for 5 minutes
• Place the shrimp and sausages into the pot and cook for 3 minutes
• Drain out all the liquid from the pot, reserving about 1 cup of broth.
• Then proceed to make a cajun seafood sauce with ¼ cup of cajun seasoning, 1 cup of butter and 3 cloves of freshly chopped garlic, and ½ of chopped onions.
• Melt the butter, then add the onion and garlic and cook till fragrant, about 1 minute. Next, add the cajun mix into the saucepan, stir well, and cook for 2 minutes. Finally, add the ½ cup of broth, whisk well, and let simmer for just 1 more minute.
• Lastly, pour this cajun sauce over the seafood inside the pot. Then toss as best you can, then pour the meal onto a large baking sheet or into a baking dish, garnish with fresh parsley or a fresh parsley substitute, and serve.

Variations

Add some eggs – Ever heard of a cajun seafood boil with eggs? It’s actually a real thing! Boil about 12 eggs, shell them, and served them along with the rest of the boil recipe. Eggs are a great addition to a seafood boil, especially for sopping up the butter sauce.

Use varied sausages – Andouille or chorizo sausages are often used to make seafood boils. However, you can use other types of sausages for this cajun boil too! Ideas like Kielbasa, Italian sausage, etc make a great choice.

Change up the potatoes – You do not have to use red potatoes. Other varieties like Yukon gold potatoes are great here too.

What to serve with cajun boil recipe

This dish is hearty enough to be served on its own. However, you can always enjoy it with things like

• Sourdough bread – Great for sopping up the extra delicious butter sauce
• Green salad – Add some healthy greens alongside this delicious hearty meal

Ready to make this cajun boil recipe? Check out the recipe card below! 

Also, if you’re looking for another yummy cajun-inspired recipe, try out my easy jambalaya recipe without rice here. 

More seafood boil recipes

• Seafood boil with eggs recipe

• Seafood boil recipe in a bag
• Keto seafood boil recipe
• Seafood boil recipe
• Seafood boil with lobster