Louisiana Style Crawfish Boil (Printable Version)
Spicy crawfish, potatoes, corn, and smoked sausage boiled in a flavorful Southern broth for a lively shared meal.
# 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)
# How-To Steps:
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 lemon juice into the water before adding the lemon halves. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
02 - Add potatoes to the boiling broth. Cook for 10 minutes until partially tender.
03 - Add smoked sausage and corn to the pot. Boil for 10 minutes more to continue cooking vegetables and heat through sausage.
04 - Add live crawfish to the pot. Stir well to distribute evenly, cover, and boil for 5–7 minutes until crawfish turn bright red and are cooked through.
05 - Turn off heat and allow the crawfish and vegetables to soak in the seasoned broth for an additional 15–20 minutes to absorb maximum flavor.
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.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The communal experience turns dinner into a celebration that brings people together like nothing else
- That spicy, aromatic broth infuses every single ingredient with layers of flavor
- The hands-on, messy style of eating somehow makes everything taste ten times better
02 -
- Live crawfish must be purged in salted water for at least ten minutes, then rinsed thoroughly, or your boil will have a muddy taste that no amount of seasoning can fix
- That soaking time after turning off the heat is absolutely critical because rushing this step is the difference between good and mind-blowing
- Never cover your crawfish boil after cooking or they will steam themselves into rubbery disappointment
03 -
- Buy your crawfish the day you plan to cook them because they do not keep well and freshness is everything
- If you cannot find crawfish, shrimp work as a substitute but reduce the cooking time to three minutes