Crab Boil

I recently went to the Oregon Coast with some friends of ours and of course, while we were there, we did a big ol’ crab boil. I mean, what’s a trip to the coast without some kind of seafood boil? We played around with the idea of eating out but after pricing things out, we realized we could make this boil for our entire group for the same price as just one crab boil entree at the restaurant. Plus, the boil we made was without a doubt better than anything we could have gotten at the restaurant. It was absolute, buttery heaven!

This recipe makes a lot. It is easily enough for 4-6 people. If you don’t have the equipment for a large boil or you simply want to make less, you can always try our Cajun Shrimp Foil Packets instead. They have just as much flavor, just on a smaller scale. I still recommend using the seasoned butter in this recipe for the foil packets if you want to take them to the next level.

What You’ll Need

A large stock pot with an inner basket is ideal when making any kind of seafood boil. The inner basket is super helpful for removing everything from the pot and draining off the excess liquid with ease. I used this 32QT Aluminum Cooker Pot from Camp Chef and it was the perfect size since this recipe makes such a large amount. You can also use a regular stock pot and a colander for draining after the boil is done.

Crab Boil Ingredients

• Boil liquid – this includes water, broth, onion, lemons, sugar, garlic, and seasonings. Some people also like adding a can of beer to the boiling liquid.
• Crab – I used Dungeness crab, precooked (most crab is precooked when you buy it)
• Shrimp – This is totally optional but I love the addition of shrimp
• Smoked sausage – You can also use andouille sausage or kielbasa
• Potatoes – For sake of ease and also taste, I like to use small, gem potatoes or baby red potatoes
• Corn on the Cob – Break corn cobs into halves or thirds
• Butter sauce – This is a MUST for a good crab boil. I like brushing the garlic butter sauce over the cooked ingredients and also serving the excess on the side for dipping.

How to Make a Crab Boil

Prepare the boil liquid (first boil)– add the boil liquid ingredients to the pot and bring to a simmer to combine all the flavors.

Add potatoes, corn, and sausage (second boil) – boil for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes aren’t quite fork tender. It’s ok if they are still firm in the middle.

Prepare seasoned butter – I like to prepare the seasoned butter while the potatoes are cooking so it is ready to go when the boil is done.

Add the crab and shrimp (third boil) – adding these too soon will make the shellfish too tough. You only want to boil these for 7 minutes or until heated through.

Drain and Serve – Drain off all excess liquid and discard onion, lemon, and garlic cloves. Arrange the remaining ingredients on a large platter or baking sheet. Brush with seasoned butter and serve remaining butter on the side for dipping.

What Type of Crab is Best

I used Dungeness crab for this but any kind of crab will work. I like using Dungeness crab legs because they aren’t as hard and spiky as king crab legs and you can just crack them with your hands. They also have a good amount of tender meat. Snow crab is also a good choice but typically has less meat than Dungeness. It is best sourced locally and eaten the same day it is caught but if you don’t have that luxury, the crab from Costco is a great second choice. If you are using larger crab legs like king crab or using fresh crab that hasn’t been precooked it may need to cook a little longer.

Crab Boil Butter Sauce

The seasoned crab boil butter sauce is what brings everything together. You can pour it all over all the ingredients and toss it to coat everything, or brush it on and serve the remaining butter on the side (this is what I like to do). I like having the butter on the side so I can really douse the crab in butter before eating it. I love it dripping in butter for each bite.

What to Serve with a Seafood Boil

The beautiful thing about seafood boils is that the entire dinner is all cooked up in one pot. There is no need for extra side dishes because it’s all right there. However, if you are serving a large group or just want to make the boil go further, you can always add some side dishes like potato salad, macaroni salad, or even just a green chef salad. Or you can keep with the seafood theme by serving with our favorite clam chowder and our famous dinner rolls. You can’t go wrong with any of these options!

Tips, Additions, and Substitutions

Add hot sauce – Add a few dashes of hot sauce such as Tabasco or Crystal to the boil or in with the melted butter for more of a kick.

Switch up the seasonings – Replace the Old Bay seasoning with Zatarains Crab Boil Seasoning, Spike seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or any kind of seafood seasoning. If you can handle a kick, you can use a spicy Cajun seasoning like Tony Chacheres. You can also just add a teaspoon or two in addition to any of these seasonings.

Additions – try adding lobster tails, clams, mussels, jumbo shrimp, andouille sausage, kielbasa, or even hard boiled eggs (not my favorite but some people like it) to the boil.

Serving ideas/garnishes – The sky’s the limit when it comes to serving a crab boil. You can serve it over a bunch of newspapers, on a table top, on baking sheets, or a very large serving platter. I am too OCD to just pour it out over a table so I usually opt for serving it over a baking sheet with sides of the buttery sauce, lemon wedges, and fresh parsley for garnish.

More Crab Recipes

Looking for more delicious crab recipes? Try some of these:

• Crab Legs with Garlic Butter Sauce
• Easy Crab Salad
• Cold Crab Dip
• Crab Pasta Salad
• Crab Salad Sandwich
• Crab Cakes with Homemade Tartar Sauce
• California Rolls