Recipe

Classic Cajun Crab Boil

A big-pot, bright-and-spicy crab boil with potatoes, corn, sausage, and a buttery Cajun dunking sauce. Weekend party energy, weeknight-level steps.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.9

A steaming pot of Cajun crab boil with red potatoes, corn, sausage, and crab legs on a kitchen counter

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If your idea of a good time includes crab legs, lemons, and a pot the size of a toddler, welcome. A classic Cajun crab boil is the kind of meal that feels like an event, even if it is just you and one very determined appetite. You boil flavorful water, you stagger in the ingredients so everything finishes together, and then you dump it out like the glorious seafood confetti it is.

This version keeps things accessible: grocery-store crab legs, and a seasoning blend that tastes like you drove through Louisiana with the windows down. It is spicy, citrusy, garlicky, and salty in the best way. Make it for a crowd, or make it for two and accept that leftovers will mysteriously disappear at midnight.

Why It Works

Layered timing, zero mush: Potatoes go first (briefly), then sausage, then corn, then crab at the end so everything lands perfectly cooked.
Real Cajun flavor without specialty shopping: Old Bay plus Cajun seasoning, garlic, lemon, and bay leaves build that classic boil vibe fast.
Adjustable heat: You control the spice with cayenne and hot sauce so nobody has to pretend they are fine while sweating politely.
The butter sauce is non-negotiable: A quick melted butter, garlic, lemon, and seasoning situation turns good seafood into “why did we ever eat this without dipping” seafood.

Storage Tips

Best rule: store the components, not the pile. Pull the crab, corn, potatoes, and sausage into separate containers if you can. Things reheat at different speeds.

Refrigerate: Cool leftovers within 2 hours. Store in airtight containers for up to 3 days for crab (best quality), and 3 to 4 days for sausage and vegetables.
Reheat crab gently: Steam over simmering water for 3 to 5 minutes, or wrap in foil with a splash of water and warm at 300°F until hot. Microwaving makes crab tough fast.
Reheat potatoes and corn: Toss in a skillet with a little butter, or warm in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel.
Leftover butter sauce: Refrigerate up to 5 days. Rewarm slowly on low so it does not separate.

Midnight leftover move: chop sausage and potatoes, crisp them in a pan, then fold in corn and a spoon of the butter sauce. Put an egg on top and call it brunch.

Common Questions

What kind of crab should I use?

Snow crab legs are the easiest to find and easiest to crack. King crab is richer and meaty but pricier. Store-bought legs are usually pre-cooked, so you are really heating them through.

Do I need a seafood boil seasoning bag?

Nope. They are convenient, but you can get very close with a combo of Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, lemon, garlic, bay leaves, and optional cayenne. Taste the broth. Adjust it. This is not a silent-movie situation.

How spicy is this?

As written, it is medium. For mild, skip the cayenne and use a mild Cajun blend. For spicy, add more cayenne and a few tablespoons of hot sauce to the pot, plus extra in the butter sauce.

Can I add shrimp or crawfish?

Yes.

Shrimp: Add in the last 2 to 3 minutes until pink and just firm.

Crawfish, live: Boil for about 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and let them soak 10 to 15 minutes (same idea as this recipe's soak). Timing depends on size.

Crawfish, pre-cooked tails: Add at the very end just to warm through, usually 1 to 2 minutes. Overcooked tails get rubbery fast.

Why do you turn off the heat and let it sit?

A short soak lets the seasoning cling to everything and finishes cooking gently. It is the difference between tasty and “whoa, that tastes like a real boil.”

Do I have to thaw frozen crab legs?

For the easiest, most even heating: yes. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or seal in a bag and submerge in cold water for 30 to 45 minutes, changing the water once. If they are still a little icy, add 1 to 2 minutes to the covered heat-through step and rotate the legs halfway.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Large stockpot (at least 12 quarts) with lid
Spider strainer or tongs for fishing things out
Cutting board and knife
Small saucepan for the butter sauce
Sheet pan or newspaper-lined table for serving, plus lots of napkins
Crab cracker and seafood picks (helpful, not required)

Pot note: Do not fill your pot more than about two-thirds full. Boilovers are rude. If you are close to the top, reduce the water slightly and work in batches.

The first time I made a crab boil at home, I treated it like a high-stakes science experiment. I had timers. I had notes. I had the kind of intensity usually reserved for launching rockets. Then I dumped the whole thing onto the table, everyone started cracking shells like happy little raccoons, and I realized the secret: a boil is supposed to be slightly chaotic. The pot does the heavy lifting. Your job is to keep the timing reasonable and the butter warm. Everything else is vibes.

Classic Cajun Crab Boil

(4.9 Reviews)

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients

For the boil

5 to 6 quarts water (use enough to fully submerge the potatoes)
1 (12 oz) lager beer (optional, replace with more water)
2 lemons, halved
1 large yellow onion, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
3 bay leaves
1/4 to 1/3 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see note)
3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (use mild or hot)
1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
12 to 14 oz andouille sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces
4 ears corn, shucked and cut in half
3 to 4 pounds snow crab legs, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons hot sauce (optional)

Cajun garlic butter sauce (highly recommended)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (add more to taste)
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (add more to taste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (plus more to taste)
1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce (optional)
Chopped parsley (optional)

Salt note: Cajun blends vary wildly in saltiness, and so does kosher salt. If you use Diamond Crystal, start with 1/4 cup and go up to 1/3 cup after tasting. If you use Morton kosher, start with about 3 tablespoons and adjust. The broth should taste boldly seasoned, like it means it, but not like the ocean filed a complaint.

Instructions

Build the boil broth. In a large stockpot, combine water (start with 5 quarts), beer (if using), lemon halves, onion, garlic, bay leaves, kosher salt, Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne (if using). Add hot sauce if you like. Bring to a rolling boil. Taste the broth and adjust salt or seasoning if needed.
Cook the potatoes first. Add the potatoes, return to a boil, then reduce to a gentle, medium boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the outside is starting to soften but the centers are still quite firm. (They will keep cooking with everything else.) If your potatoes are larger, halve them.
Add sausage. Stir in the andouille and boil for 5 minutes.
Add corn. Add the corn and boil for 5 minutes.
Add crab to heat through. Add the crab legs, pressing them down into the liquid as best you can. Cover and cook for 4 to 6 minutes until steam-hot and fragrant all the way through. If your pot is smaller or the legs are bulky, work in batches or rotate the legs halfway so everything warms evenly.
Soak for flavor. Turn off the heat, keep covered, and let everything sit for 10 minutes. Taste the broth if you want to be extra about it. Adjust with a pinch more Cajun seasoning or a squeeze of lemon if needed.
Make the Cajun garlic butter sauce. While the boil soaks, melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant. Stir in Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Taste and adjust. Keep warm on very low.
Serve like you mean it. Use tongs or a spider strainer to transfer potatoes, corn, sausage, and crab to a large sheet pan or a newspaper-lined table. Squeeze a little of the boiled lemons over the top if you want extra tang. Serve with the warm butter sauce for dipping.

A Cajun crab boil spread across a table with crab legs, corn, potatoes, and sausage

Optional finishing move: Sprinkle a touch more Cajun seasoning over everything right before serving. Not a lot. Just enough to make people ask what you did differently.

Nutrition information is estimated.

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Classic Cajun Crab Boil

Why It Works

Storage Tips

Common Questions

What kind of crab should I use?

Do I need a seafood boil seasoning bag?

How spicy is this?

Can I add shrimp or crawfish?

Why do you turn off the heat and let it sit?

Do I have to thaw frozen crab legs?

Recommended

Homemade Cajun Seasoning Blend

Broiled Lobster Tail with Garlic Butter

Simple Steamed Clams with Garlic

Classic Cajun Crab Boil

Ingredients

For the boil

Cajun garlic butter sauce (highly recommended)

Instructions

Recommended

Homemade Cajun Seasoning Blend

Broiled Lobster Tail with Garlic Butter

Simple Steamed Clams with Garlic

Fresh Seafood Salad with Lemon Herb Dressing

Quick Air Fryer Shrimp (Garlic Lime, 10 Minutes)

Light & Healthy Shrimp Scampi