Cajun Crawfish Boil
If you know anything about Louisiana cooking, you already know a crawfish boil isn’t just food, it’s a whole event. I grew up around these flavors, where big pots, bold seasoning, and getting your hands messy was just part of the deal. My Cajun crawfish boil keeps it classic, loaded with spice, juicy crawfish, tender potatoes, corn, and sausage that soaks up every bit of that seasoned broth. If you’ve ever had a bland boil, yeah… we’re not doing that here.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-5 pounds crawfish (clean) See notes for larger gatherings.
- 1 pound red potatoes Sliced in half.
- 6 oz smoked sausage Sliced into 1 inch rounds. I use andouille sausage.
- 6 ears mini corn on the cob
- 1 lemon Sliced in half
Cajun Seafood Spices (You can also use a store-bought Cajun seasoning if you wish).
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Adjust to suit your taste and how spicy you want the boil.
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot to boil with water. Add enough water to cover the crawfish and vegetables.
- Add the spices, halved lemons, and bay leaves, to the pot. Stir well to combine.
- Add the halved corn on the cob, halved red potatoes, and andouille sausage to the pot. Stir well to ensure that everything is submerged in the water. Taste the water repeatedly and add additional spices to suit your taste.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add the crawfish to the pot and stir well to ensure that they are evenly distributed.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the crawfish are bright red and cooked through.
- Turn off the heat and let the crawfish sit in the pot for 10 minutes to absorb the flavors.
- Use a strainer to remove the crawfish, corn, potatoes, and sausage from the pot and drain the excess water.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
You can use a store-bought crawfish seasoning or boil sauce to season the crawfish if you like. Store-bought brands often include preservatives and GMOs so I don't use them.
Estimate 2 1/2 - 3 pounds of crawfish per person. You can easily triple or quadruple this recipe and all of the ingredients used.
You can use live/fresh crawfish or frozen. If using frozen, thaw them first.
Omit the cayenne pepper if you don't want spicy flavor.
Tasting the water is important. This is what will season the vegetables and crawfish. Ensure it meets your liking.
Nutrition
Serving: 1poundCalories: 633kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 81gFat: 12g
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