This Cajun style seafood boil in a bag is the perfect buttery, garlicky and savory dinner you can put together in just a few simple steps and minimal cleanup afterwards. If you love seafood and are looking for a low-effort dinner using your favorites, this easy recipe is beyond perfect!
Seafood dinners are my go-to when I'm hosting a crowd or looking for something special to put together when I'm entertaining. I almost always end up making my Rasta Pasta, Shrimp Scampi without Wine or Korean Noodle Soup, and they turn out to be huge hits every single time. This recipe crab legs, lobster tails, shrimp, sausages, potatoes and so much more, all in a lip-smacking delicious sauce that is sure to take your taste buds on a ride.
This time, I wanted to go beyond the classic shrimp and try something slightly fancy, but without too much kitchen time involved, and that's when I tried this recipe.
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What I Love About this Recipe
The flavors and aesthetics of this seafood boil are spot on- almost as good as the restaurant one, if not the same. It's a total crowd pleaser.
It's super affordable to make, and is so much easier to make than the stovetop version.
It's easy to cleanup too! Everything goes inside a bag, which means there's few pots and pans to deal with later.
Recipe Ingredients
Seafood: I used crab legs, deveined and peeled shrimp and lobster tails.
Eggs: For an extra bit of protein and deliciousness.
Veggies: I used a mix of corn on the cob, baby potatoes, garlic and onions.
Andouille sausages: This one's a spicy sausage that's a staple in Cajun inspired recipes.
Seasonings: To season, I used a mix of Old Bay seasoning, Cajun seasoning, paprika, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
Hot sauce: For that kick of heat!
Lemon juice: For that burst of citrusy, tangy deliciousness.
Butter: To help all the seasonings and spices coat the seafood and veggies nicely. Butter also acts as the base for the rich, delicious sauce.
Parsley: Finely chopped, for its amazing freshness and flavor.
Check recipe card for quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Bring a different flavor variation to the dish by experimenting with other kinds of seasonings like lemon pepper seasoning, Italian seasoning, Creole seasoning or even some homemade BBQ seasoning or dry rub.
- To make a Thai-inspired seafood boil, swap the Old Bay seasoning and Cajun seasoning with some galangal, lemongrass, Thai chilies, coconut milk and fish sauce.
How to Make Seafood Boil in a Bag
To make the seafood boil in a bag, start by preheating your oven to 350℉.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, salt, corn, baby potatoes, and eggs. Boil for 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Add the lobster tails in the last 5 minutes of the boiling time. Remove, peel the eggs, and set aside.
- While that is boiling, make the sauce. Add a little oil to a pan and brown the sausage for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- There will be little oil left in the pan from the sausage. Sauté the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes. Add the butter and melt. Add the remaining seasonings and stir till combined.
- Adjust the hot sauce and cayenne pepper to your desired level of heat. Add the broth and allow it to simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Combine everything in an oven-safe bag and pour some sauce on it. Tie the bag, place it on a roasting pan or baking sheet, and put it in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove and let it cool enough to untie. Untie and pour into a tray, and serve with the remaining sauce.
How to Store Leftover Seafood Boil
If you have some leftover seafood boil, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. You can then reheat it in a pan over medium heat.
You may be tempted to microwave it, and while that can work well in quickly reheating things, I wouldn't recommend it for this recipe, as microwaving can ruin the texture of the seafood.
When reheating it in the pan, remember to add a tiny bit of butter to keep it moist.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Open the bag or prep the bag according to the instructions. Some bags require rubbing with flour to avoid bursting. Make sure you always read the instructions.
- If you choose to use vegetables, remember that they take slightly longer to cook than most seafood, so you might need to parboil them and then add them to the boil along with the seafood to make sure they're nice and soft.
- To tell if your seafood is done cooking, check its color and shape. Shrimp, for instance, turns opaque and curls up into a C or O shape and becomes firm when it has cooked perfectly, so that should be your cue.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This rich and buttery seafood boil tastes incredible when served with a side of crusty bread on the side, to mop up all that delicious sauce. If you're making this for a crowd, you may also want to pair it with some other sides like Air Fryer potatoes or baked potato wedges.
Follow this up with a simple and light sweet treat like butter cake or carrot cake loaf for dessert! Something chilled to serve? Try this Orange Pomegranate Juice or Jamaican Carrot juice.
Recipe FAQs
In addition to the crab legs, shrimp and lobster tails, you can also add scallops and mussels if you want to.
I used potatoes, onions and corn on the cob, but you can also try adding other veggies like broccoli, green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots and celery into the mix.
More Recipes to Try
If you tried these seafood boil in a bag or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Easy Seafood Boil In A Bag
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.1 lb (500g) Crab legs
- 1 lb Shrimps devained, peeled and washed
- 6 Lobster tails cut half lenghtwise, devain and wash
- 1 lb Baby potatoes
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Andouille sauasages sliced
- 4 Eggs
- 4 whole Corn on the cob cut into halves
- 1 tablespoon Old bay Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
For The Sauce
- 2 sticks Butter unsalted
- 1 medium Onion finely chopped
- 6-7 Garlic cloves minced or finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Old bay seasoning
- 1 tbsb Paprika
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice or juice half lemon
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- ¼ cup Chopped parsley save some to sprinkle at the end
- ½ tablespoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon Hot sauce or more
- 2 cups Broth water, or water from the boiled ingredients above.
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add cajun, old bay seasoning, salt, corn, baby potatoes, and eggs. Boil for 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Remove, peel the eggs, and set aside.
- Add the lobster tails in the last 5 minutes of the boiling time.
- While that is boiling, make the sauce. In a pan, add little oil and brown the sausage for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉
- There will be little oil left in the pan from the sausage, saute the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes. Add the butter and melt.
- Add the remaining seasonings and stir till combined. Adjust the hot sauce and cayenne pepper according to your level of heat.
- Add the broth and allow to simmer for about 2 minutes. You can adjust the consistency with more butter or oil if need be.
Assemble In Oven Bag
- Open the bag or prep the bag according to the instructions. Some bags require rubbing with flour to avoid bursting. Always read the instructions.
- Put all the cooked ingredients, shrimp, lobster in the bag and pour the sauce all over it. Save some sauce as a dip.
- Tie the bag and make a tiny slit on it so it doesn't burst and to let steam out.
- Tie the bag, place it on a roasting pan or baking sheet and put in the oven for 10 minutes
- Remove and let it cool enough to untie. Untie and pour into a tray, sprinkle some parsley on it.
- Serve with the remaining sauce, and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Open the bag or prep the bag according to the instructions. Some bags require rubbing with flour to avoid bursting. Make sure you always read the instructions.
- Remember that veggies take slightly longer to cook than most seafood, so you might need to parboil them and then add them to the boil along with the seafood to make sure they're nice and soft.
- To tell if your seafood is done cooking, check its color and shape. Shrimp, for instance, turns opaque and curls up into a C or O shape, and becomes firm too, when it has cooked perfectly, so that should be your cue.
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Bilikis says
Super delicious
Bilikis says
Thanks for the recipe ma
enozia says
An absolute riot of flavor! Loved it!
Thanks so much