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Let's learn How to Boil Crawfish at home, including making the very best Cajun Butter Sauce for Seafood!
When I moved from Tennessee to Portugal in 2021, I didn't think crawfish would be a regular part of my life, except on visits back to the states. Turns out Portugal has its own native species of crawfish. And then, Louisiana crawfish were introduced into Spanish waters in 1973. Six years later, they showed up in Portuguese rivers.
All of the crawfish in fish markets around our village are whole, in the shell, and already blanched to a bright red. But since live crawfish have such a short cook-time (just 3-5 minutes), reheating cooked crawfish require the same process.
The pictures below show bright red crawfish at the beginning of the process, and if you're in the US and using live or raw crawfish, your starting product will be a darker brown color when you start your boil. Once they are cooked, they will float to the top of the pot a bright red color, and that's how you know they're cooked.
Let's get this crawfish party started!
Ingredients for Crawfish Boil and Cajun Butter Sauce:
Before we get to the step by step directions, a few notes about the ingredients:
Seafood: there recipe calls for crawfish only, but you can add shrimp (shell-on or off), crab legs, clams or mussels to your seafood boil. For non-pescatarians, sausage is another great option.
Veggies: onions, garlic, corn on the cob and red potatoes are the classic veggies for a seafood boil. Other popular add-ins include mushrooms, artichokes, celery and fresh green beans.
(ingredient photo shows both the crawfish boil ingredients, as well as ingredients for the Cajun Butter Sauce for Seafood, including onions, garlic, orange, cayenne, butter and lemon pepper)
Step by step instructions:
1. Clean crawfish
To begin, if using fresh crawfish, wash crawfish very well under running cool water. (Anything called a "mud bug" will require a good cleaning.)
2. Boil and season water
This recipe feeds 2-3 people. Begin by filling a stock pot about ¾ 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, 2 bay leaves and a head of garlic cut in half to your pot of water.
3. Cook corn and potatoes
Bring the mixture back to a boil over high heat.Once boiling, add tiny 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).I usually remove the corn and potatoes at this stage to make room for the crawfish.
4. Cook crawfish
If your pot is big enough to hold both, go ahead and add crawfish.
Bring the mixture back up to a boil. Once boiling, cover and cook 3-4 minutes, until the crawfish float to the surface and turn deep red.
5. Add butter sauce
Transfer cooked crawfish, new potatoes, corn, onions and garlic to a second stock pot or roaster pan. Once it's all nestled in, toss your seafood and veggies in Cajun Butter Sauce or Blove's Seafood Boil Sauce.
6. Serve and enjoy
Cover and let the crawfish soak in the butter sauce for 5-10 minutes. After soaking, garnish with chives and lemon or orange wedges. Serve with extra sides of Cajun Butter Sauce and Spicy Aioli.
Hungry for more crawfish recipes?
- Vietnamese Cajun Crawfish Boil
- Crawfish Hand Pie
- Crawfish Bisque
- Blove's Seafood Boil Sauce
FAQ's and Serving Suggestions:
When does crawfish season run in the US?
In the US, Louisiana crawfish season begins as early as December and ends around July, although you can find quality frozen crawfish year-round.
What can I do with leftover crawfish boil?
My favorite day-after meal is to dice up the potatoes and onions and garlic, cut the corn off the cob, and add it all to Crawfish Hand Pies. If I have enough seafood left, a good pot of Crawfish Bisque is the perfect solution for leftovers!
Can I add other seafood to the boil?
My favorite addition is large, shell-on shrimp to make a crawfish and shrimp boil with all the sides. There's just a lot more meat in a shrimp than a crawfish so including shrimp fills out your party. If you're cooking for non-pescatarians, andouille sausage is another fun and flavorful way to add volume to your seafood boil.
What other vegetables can I add to the boil?
While making your crawfish, popular veggie add-ins include mushrooms, artichokes, celery and fresh green beans.
How many pounds of crawfish should I buy per person?
If you're serving the crawfish as an appetizer or with other hearty meats, 2 pounds per person will suffice. If crawfish is the main course and star of the event, 3-5 pounds per person is your best bet.
What should I serve with boiled crawfish?
Cajun Butter Sauce for Seafood is my favorite all purpose butter sauce. Vietnamese Crawfish Sauce is a remarkable mash-up of Cajun and Vietnamese flavors popular in Houston. And I love serving a Spicy Aioli Sauce for dipping crawfish and potatoes. For a side dish, Napa Cabbage Slaw adds freshness and crunch to the party.
Can I make a spicy crawfish boil?
The spice mix and cajun butter sauce you use will have a mild to medium level of heat. To dial it up, add an extra half teaspoon of cayenne pepper to your butter sauce. Adding additional cajun seasoning to the boil water will dilute the spice, but adding it to the butter sauce will keep it spicy. Serving Spicy Aioli with an extra shot or two of hot sauce would also give you the spicy experience you're looking for at your crawfish boil.
What is the best seasoning for a crawfish boil?
Old Bay Seasoning, liquid crab boil, ground crawfish boil spices and even your own spice mix are all delicious in a crawfish boil.
But a few years ago, I heard a Louisiana chef say that seasoning the crawfish boil water didn't do very much to season the crawfish - that was the job of the cajun butter sauce. Seasoning the water just makes it smell delicious as your guests arrive.
Ever since, I've focused much more on adding flavor and spice to the cajun butter sauce. It's been a winning philosophy for me!
What kind of equipment do I need to boil crawfish?
This recipe feeds 2-3, and the equipment needed includes a large Dutch oven (or stock pot) for boiling the crawfish, corn and potatoes, a spider or strainer, and a second large pot or container with lid for steaming the hot crawfish in cajun butter sauce, when finished.
For a 30-35 pound sack of crawfish, you need an entirely different set of equipment - an outdoor propane burner, a very large size pot that holds 15-18 gallons of water, a giant strainer basket (or wire basket insert), and a large ice chest or large tub to steam the just-boiled crawfish in a cajun butter sauce.
How to store leftover crawfish boil?
To store, keep your Cajun Butter Sauce separate from your crawfish boil ingredients and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to Boil Crawfish
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- Author: Christina Jolam
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 1x
Ingredients
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
Cajun butter sauce (for serving)
Instructions
- To begin, if using fresh crawfish, wash crawfish very well under running cool water.
- Fill a stock pot about ¾ 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- Toss in Cajun Butter Sauce. Cover and let stand 5-10 minutes.
- Garnish with chives or parsley. Serve with extra dishes of cajun butter sauce for seafood and spicy aioli sauce.
Notes
Use crawfish alone, or add a combination of your favorite seafood, including shrimp, crab legs, mussels and clams.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American, Cajun
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About Christina Jolam
Christina Jolam is a fish-forward recipe developer, photographer, and food writer. She creates easy and impressive seafood-focused recipes that home chefs of all levels can make and share. Her recipes and seafood expertise have been featured on CNNHealth, MSN, Pip and Ebby, Savoring the Good, Eat Blog Talk and more. She spends most of her time in a seaside village in Portugal with her adventure-loving husband, Ramesh.
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