FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS OVER $125!

0

Your Cart is Empty

The Ultimate Guide to Seafood Boils

Cajun seafood boil with crawfish, potatoes, corn, and sausage

Summer is the perfect season for a seafood boil. The succulent flavors of shrimp, lobster, clams, crabs, potatoes and more come together to create a crave-worthy meal that’s perfect for sharing with family and friends.

If you want to make a cajun seafood boil this summer, we have some tips and tricks that can help.

How to Make a Seafood Boil

A quick online search will show you dozens of seafood boil recipes, all with slight variations. That’s because a seafood boil is completely customizable to your tastes! Many people follow a loose recipe and change up ingredients depending on what’s available or what they’re craving that day.

Seafood Boil Ingredients

While the ingredients of seafood boil are up to you, these are some typical ingredients you will find in this dish:

  • Lobster tails
  • Crab claws
  • Shrimp
  • Clams, mussels, or other shellfish
  • Corn on the cob
  • Potatoes
  • Andouille sausage

You can even use pieces of firm fish in your seafood boil - it’s really up to whatever you’re craving!

Seafood Boil Seasonings

While the seafood is truly the star of a seafood boil, the seasonings are equally important. Many people opt for Old Bay seasonings along with minced garlic and red pepper flakes for some added heat. These cajun flavors really bring the seafood, corn, and potatoes to life.

Then there’s the seafood sauce. This is the good stuff that your seafood will simmer in and you’ll want to sop up like a dipping sauce with a piece of crusty bread once you’re finished devouring your meal. You can find many seafood boil sauce recipes online that use staple ingredients like lemon juice, bay leaves, and garlic butter or you can find a premade seafood sauce in stores.

How to Boil Seafood

When making a seafood boil, it’s important to time things correctly. That’s because different types of seafood all have different cooking times. If you were to put everything into the pot together, you could have a mix of undercooked and overcooked seafood - and no one wants that!

Here is a general rule of thumb when it comes to the order of boiling seafood:

  • First: Lobster, since it takes the longest to cook, 8-12 minutes
  • Next: Clams, Mussels, and any other shellfish since they take upwards of 10 minutes to cook
  • Then: add in Crab next if it’s pre-cooked; if it’s raw add it first because it can take 20 minutes to cook thoroughly
  • Last: Shrimp, which take about 2-3 minutes to cook

Make sure to bring your seafood sauce to a boil before adding in your other ingredients. If you’re using potatoes and corn, you can add the potatoes first to allow them to boil for five minutes before adding the corn, and then add the corn on the cob in after the shellfish.

Of course, cook times can vary depending on if you’re using fresh or frozen seafood and pre-cooked or raw ingredients. When cooking with frozen seafood, it’s best to let it thaw before use to ensure it cooks evenly.

Hungry yet? Get all the seafood you need for a delicious seafood boil delivered directly to your door with North Coast Seafoods. Shop our selection of fresh and frozen seafood online today!


Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in In the Kitchen

Shrimp cocktail arranged in a ring around the edge of a crystal serving platter with cocktail sauce and a lemon wedge.
How to Make the Perfect Shrimp Cocktail

If you're anywhere near my age, you'll remember going to restaurants and supper clubs with your parents, where one of the most elegant appetizers you could order was the shrimp cocktail.
Read More
How To Stop Overcooking Your Fish
How To Stop Overcooking Your Fish

Learn how to never overcook your fish again with these simple, reliable tips and techniques.
Read More
bacon wrapped scallops drizzle with citrus barbeque sauce on a white plate
Bacon Wrapped Scallops

This is a mouthwatering and easy-to-make appetizer that combines tender, juicy scallops with crispy, savory bacon.
Read More