Seafood Boil Recipe

Last Updated on June 28, 2021 by Toya

You absolutely must try this delicious seafood boil recipe! Made with lobster tails, shrimp, mussels, crab legs, eggs, cucumbers and tossed in a super tasty buttery sauce, this easy seafood recipe is perfect for wowing a crowd.
 

Seafood boil

When it comes to meals that are perfect for summer, seafood boil is one of your best bets. It is the easiest way to make your expensive seafood stretch in a way that everyone can truly enjoy.

This easy recipe is definitely a favorite seafood dinner in my home, especially when served with this amazing seafood boil sauce. 

Now normally, seafood boil recipes include corn on the cob and potatoes, however, to make this seafood boil keto approved these were left out and replaced with fresh cucumber slices and boiled eggs. The recipe still tastes great and you should definitely give it a try. 

The best part is that this easy seafood recipe is made in one pot and can be on the table in under 35 minutes! 

What is a seafood boil?

A seafood boil is a Louisiana and New Orleans inspired recipe that includes a variety of seafood such as shrimp, lobster, crawfish, clams, fish, mussels, scallops and other seafoods, served either with a sauce or tossed with melted butter.

Tips for making seafood boil

• Use the biggest shrimp you can find to make this recipe. 
• Use old bay leaves to add a nice aroma to the water used to cooked the seafood.
• A deep pot is ideal for making this recipe if you want to dump everything in at once. Otherwise, you can cook each component of the recipe in batches.
• While shrimp, lobster, mussels and crab legs were used in my recipe, you can use any other seafood to make a seafood boil. 
• There are many ways to serve this recipe including in a plastic bag, on a large platter, in a baking dish, or on individual plates.
• If you don’t your food to have a bitter taste, use lime juice to season the boil water rather than lemon slices.

Seafood boil recipe FAQs

Can you cook seafood boil in an oven?

Yes! You can cook seafood boil in an oven. To do so, season the ingredients, then place on a baking tray. Next, pour some melted butter over the food, cover with aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven at 350F for 30 minutes. 

How do you wash crab legs?

To wash, place the crab legs in the sink under running water and scrub with a stiff brush. Any gunk will come right off quite easily. 

How do you clean mussels?

To clean mussels, simply use a knife to remove any barnacles and cut off any beard. Also use a stiff brush to scrub off any gunk under running water. 

How do you devein shrimp?

To devein shrimp, simply cut the back and use a toothpick to pry it out. 

Another way to devein headless shrimp, is to use your hand to pull the vein cleanly through the shrimp, while tugging gently, but steadily to prevent the vein from breaking while still inside the shrimp.

Ingredients to make seafood boil

• 4 crab legs
• 1 lb jumbo shrimp 
• 4 large eggs
• 1 medium cucumber sliced
• 2 – 4 small lobster tails
• 1 lb mussels
• 2 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
• 6 old bay leaves
• 3 tbsp of lemon juice 
• 16 cups of water
• 1 tbsp of salt

I skipped potatoes and corn in this seafood boil recipe and replaced these with cucumbers and boiled eggs as I follow keto, but you can add them to the recipe if you’re not keto and would prefer these ingredients instead.

How to make seafood boil

To start, measure out and gather all of your ingredients in one place.

Note, if you’re serving this dish with a sauce, rather than melted butter, now is the time to make it. You can find a simple recipe for a seafood boil sauce linked above. I make my own seafood boil sauce with a mix of butter, garlic cloves, onion, complete seasoning, paprika, ginger, thyme, lemon pepper, cayenne and lemon juice.

Next, prepare your ingredients. This includes washing the crab legs, deveining the shrimp if they’re not yet de-veined. Chopping off the heads of the lobster if they’re not yet chopped off, cleaning the mussels and chopping up the sausages. (Tips for these above)

Then add 16 cups of water, old bay leaves, lemon juice and lemon pepper seasoning to the pot of water and bring to a boil.

When everything has been prepared and the water has began to boil, start cooking the seafood as follows:

• Cook the shrimp for 3 minutes
• Cook the lobster tails for 12 minutes
• Cook the mussels for 5 minutes
• Cook the crab legs for 10 minutes

Also cook the eggs for 7 minutes and sausages for 8-10 minutes. 

Then place every thing including the sliced cucumbers and lemon slices on a serving dish, then pour some melted butter or some of my delicious seafood boil sauce over the boil and enjoy! 

What do you serve with seafood boil?

You can enjoy this recipe as is, or you can serve with a side of sourdough bread, coleslaw, green salad, cauliflower mash or even green beans!

Storing seafood boil

Other seafood recipes

• Cajun shrimp
• Shrimp Alfredo
• Gumbo recipe
• Crawfish boil
• Seafood casserole