Easy Seafood Boil Recipe

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This Easy Seafood Boil Recipe comes complete with lobster tails, jumbo shrimp, andouille sausage, corn on the cob, and is flavor-packed with a cajun seasoning.

easy seafood boil on a plate with rice and beans and biscuits

Fancy (but easy!) Dinner Alert

This easy seafood boil really is a showstopper! Not to mention, it’s fun to eat. And don’t you worry one little bit — it’s 100% easy to make.

In this post we’ll walk you through the elements of a delicious seafood boil, how to make it step-by-step as well as what to serve it with. Let’s do this, seafood lovers!

Elements of a Seafood Boil

The elements of this seafood boil can be broken down into a few delicious categories. Seafood and meat (obviously!), veggies, seasoning and broth, as well as a delicious butter sauce that should NOT be skipped ?

Seafood & Meat

Jumbo shrimp, deveined, tail-on, shell-on
Fresh lobster tails
Andouille sausage

Veggies

Yukon gold potatoes (red potatoes work, too!)
Ears of corn
Yellow onion
Canned diced tomatoes
Garlic cloves

Seasoning & Broth

Homemade Cajun seasoning
Butter
Dry white wine
Beef broth (or seafood broth!)
Ground coriander
Garlic powder
Sliced fresh lemon
Salt

Butter Sauce

Fresh parsley
Unsalted butter
Juiced fresh lemon

The Perfect Cajun Seasoning

Ditch the store-bought cajun spice blend for our homemade cajun seasoning that is perfectly savory and spicy with a touch of sweetness. And comes together in just 9 ingredients you likely have in your spice cupboard already! You’ll need:

Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Chili powder
Dried oregano
Cayenne pepper
Brown sugar
Salt
Pepper

What does cajun seasoning taste like?

Cajun seasoning has a savory and smokey taste that is commonly found in traditional Louisiana dishes like gumbo or seafood boils like this recipe.

Some cajun spice blends are spicier than others, and while ours contains a very small amount of cayenne (helloooo, “Minnesota spicy” lovers!), you can feel free to amp up the spiciness by increasing the cayenne.

opting for store-bought cajun seasoning?

We used our homemade cajun seasoning for this seafood boil, which is much milder than many other store-bought Cajun seasoning blends. So, just be aware if you’re using a store-bought version, that it might pack a spicier kick plus a lot more salt.

How Big of A Stockpot Do I Need?

We recommend a large stockpot for this recipe! Ours is 12 qt. and provided plenty of room for the broth and as well as all the rest of the seafood boil ingredients.

potatoes being added to a seafood boil broth

How to Make a Seafood Boil

No need to be intimidated by this seafood boil! We’ll walk you through exactly how to make it. Exact ingredient amounts are found below in the recipe card!

Season Shrimp

First, remove shrimp from packaging and rinse it under cold water. Then, pat it dry. Place shrimp into a large bowl and then sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of homemade Cajun seasoning. Let rest in the seasoning while preparing the rest of the dish.

Sauté Onion, Garlic & Sausage

Next, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in your large stockpot over medium/high heat. Once melted, add onion, garlic, salt, and 1 sliced andouille sausage (you’ll use the rest later) and saute for 3-4 minutes until it creates a fond (crust) on the bottom of the pot. These flavors are going to help create the base of your broth ?

Deglaze & Make Broth

Deglaze the pot with white wine and then add beef broth, diced tomatoes, the rest of the cajun seasoning, ground coriander, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil over medium/high heat. Once boiling, turn the burner to low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

After 15-20 minutes of simmering, turn the burner up to medium/high and add in 1/2 the sliced lemon.

Seafood Time

Once boiling, it’s time to start cooking your seafood!

Add in potatoes and boil for 7 minutes.
Then, add the lobster tail and boil for another 4 minutes.
Add in corn and boil for another 5 minutes.
Finally, add in seasoned shrimp and the rest of the sliced andouille sausage and boil for another 3 minutes.

Prepare Butter Sauce

While the seafood boil is cooking, prepare butter sauce. Chop fresh parsley and melt butter. Then, mix them together and add fresh lemon juice. DO NOT SKIP THIS!

Toss w/ Butter Sauce & Serve

Use a slotted spoon to remove everything from the broth and place it into a large serving dish. Then, pour the butter sauce on top and toss.

Serve with your favorite southern rice, cornbread, and more melted butter.

raw lobster tails being added to the seafood boil broth

How Long to Boil Seafood

One of the best parts about this seafood boil is that you don’t have to worry about over or undercooking any seafood ingredients as we’ll walk you through exactly when to add the shrimp and the lobster to the pot. Once boiling, shrimp and lobster will cook as follows:

Jumbo shrimp: 3 minutes

Lobster tails: 10-12 minutes

What to Serve with a Seafood Boil

This seafood boil can absolutely be served as-is, or is delicious served alongside red beans and rice, a classic cornbread, creamy coleslaw or any of our healthy salads. Some of our fave pairings are:

easy seafood boil cooked to perfection in a stock pot

How to Store A Seafood Boil

This seafood boil is best enjoyed fresh! But if you do have leftovers, they will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How long does a seafood boil last?

This seafood boil will keep for up to 3 days when stored in an air-tight container in the fridge.

How to reheat a seafood boil

To reheat the seafood boil, spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and spread the leftover seafood boil out evenly on the baking sheet, and splash with water or broth if the leftovers are dry. Cover in tin foil, and reheat in the oven at 200°F for 10-15 minutes, or until warm.