Louisiana Style Crawfish Boil (Printable)
A flavorful Southern boil of spicy crawfish, potatoes, corn, and smoked sausage infused with Cajun seasonings.
# What You Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 4 lb live crawfish, purged and rinsed
→ Vegetables
02 - 1½ lb small red potatoes, halved if large
03 - 4 ears corn, cut into thirds
04 - 1 large yellow onion, quartered
05 - 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
06 - 2 lemons, halved
→ Sausage
07 - 1 lb smoked sausage (Andouille or Kielbasa), sliced into 2-inch pieces
→ Broth & Seasonings
08 - 4 gallons water
09 - ½ cup Cajun or Creole seasoning (plus extra for serving)
10 - 3 bay leaves
11 - 1 tbsp black peppercorns
12 - 1 tbsp paprika
13 - 2 tbsp kosher salt
14 - 1 tbsp hot sauce (optional, to taste)
→ For Serving
15 - Melted butter (optional)
16 - Extra Cajun seasoning
17 - Lemon wedges
18 - Chopped parsley (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Fill a large stockpot with 4 gallons of water. Add Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, black peppercorns, paprika, salt, hot sauce, onions, garlic, and lemons (squeeze juice into the water, then add the halves). Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
02 - Add potatoes to the boiling broth. Cook for 10 minutes until beginning to tenderize.
03 - Add smoked sausage and corn to the pot. Boil for 10 minutes more to heat through sausage and cook corn.
04 - Add live crawfish to the pot. Stir well, cover, and boil for 5–7 minutes, until crawfish are bright red and cooked through.
05 - Turn off heat and allow the crawfish and vegetables to soak in the seasoned broth for an additional 15–20 minutes for maximum flavor absorption.
06 - Using a slotted spoon, transfer crawfish, potatoes, sausage, and corn to a large serving platter or spread over newspaper on a table. Sprinkle with extra Cajun seasoning, chopped parsley, and serve with lemon wedges and melted butter if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It's basically a dinner party that throws itself once the pot is boiling
- The broth infuses everything with layers of spicy, garlicky, citrusy flavor
- Eating with your hands makes everything taste better, that's just science
02 -
- Don't skip the soaking step, it's what transforms good into great
- Newspaper isn't just for tradition, it saves you hours of cleanup
- Have a designated bowl for shells or you'll be finding crawfish parts for days
03 -
- A cold beer isn't optional, it's basically mandatory
- Keep paper towels within reach at all times
- Wear clothes you don't care about because things will get messy