Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
newspaper covered with crawfish, potatoes, corn and onions and garnished with chives and orange wedges.

Louisiana-Style Crawfish Boil with Cajun Butter Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Description

Whether you're recreating a taste of Louisiana at home or introducing friends to their first crawfish experience, this guide will help you create a memorable feast. The key is keeping the cooking time brief and letting that Cajun butter sauce work its magic.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 6 pounds crawfish
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 1 head fresh garlic
  • 8-10 small red potatoes
  • 2-3 ears of corn on the cob
  • 2 tablespoons sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
  • 2 bay leaves

For Cajun Butter Sauce: 

  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1/2 cup onion, minced
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup stock (seafood, chicken or veggie)
  • 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning or Old Bay
  • 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
  • 1/2 orange, juiced and peel
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. If using fresh crawfish, wash very well under running cool water. 
  2. Make Cajun butter sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced onion and garlic and sauté 5-6 minutes until tender. Add Cajun seasoning or Old Bay, lemon pepper, and cayenne. Cook 1 minute. Add stock, orange juice, and peel. Simmer 4-5 minutes. Remove orange peel and use an immersion blender for 10-15 seconds until sauce is creamy and emulsified. Set aside until serving.
  3. Fill a stock pot about 3/4 full of water (for 6 pounds of crawfish I used a very large Dutch oven.) Add 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt, 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning, 3 quartered onions, two bay leaves and a head of garlic cut in half to your pot of water. Bring the entire mixture to a boil over high heat. 
  4. Add red potatoes and corn. Cook 8 minutes (if your potatoes are larger, cut them in half, or plan to boil at this stage for 10-12 minutes and wait to add the corn until the potatoes have boiled about 5 minutes). 

  5. Add crawfish. Bring the mixture back up to a boil. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes, until the crawfish float to the surface and turn deep red. Transfer cooked crawfish, potatoes, corn, onions and garlic to a second stock pot or roaster pan.
  6. Toss in butter sauce. Cover and let stand 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chives or parsley and serve.

Notes

Cooking time: Live crawfish need just 3-4 minutes! They're done when they float and turn bright red.

Substitutions: Add shell-on shrimp, crab legs, mussels, clams, or andouille sausage.

Crawfish yields: Plan for 3-5 pounds per person as a main dish, 2 pounds as an appetizer.

Cajun butter sauce yield: This recipe makes enough for 8-10 servings. Refrigerate leftovers for up to a week or freeze in ice cube trays to add to seafood pastas or for sautéing fish.

Spice level: For more heat, add extra cayenne to your butter sauce, not the boil water.

Storage: Store Cajun butter sauce separately from seafood and vegetables in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The secret: Don't skip the steaming step after tossing with butter sauce - this is where the magic happens!

  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Category: Easy Recipes
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American, Cajun

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2
  • Calories: 1949
  • Sugar: 32.5 g
  • Sodium: 16041.8 mg
  • Fat: 100.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 190.5 g
  • Protein: 86 g
  • Cholesterol: 414.2 mg

Ready to make this recipe?

Save it to Pinterest and follow me so you don't miss any recipes!

Find it online: https://weekdaypescatarian.com/how-to-boil-crawfish/