Crafting the Perfect Louisiana Crawfish Boil

‘Rip off the tails and slurp the shells’…as they say in the great state of Louisiana and with this easy to follow recipe you’ll be well on you way to ripping and slurping too!

Here we’ll map out all of the ingredients, cooking tools and tips you’ll need to craft your own Louisiana Crawfish Boil! Let’s get cooking!

Must have tools…

There is one really important piece of equipment you’ll need to accomplish your boil, and that is a very large pot. Depending on the number of hungry attendees to your boil feast, you may need somewhere in the ballpark of a 40-60 quart boiling pot (with basket).

Here is a quick link to boiler pots https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Crawfish+Boiling+Pots

But how large should my pot be?

The general rule of thumb is this…2 quarts for every 1 pound of crawfish. And to determine how much crawfish to serve, we recommend 2.5 pounds per guest. If you have a famished and experienced Louisiana Boil group of folks, bump that number up to 5 pounds of crawfish per guest.

Lastly, you may want to consider how and where you’ll be cooking your boil. Outside is the best and most recommended. You can boil using a propane burner, your grill or over a grated campfire or bonfire.

Must have ingredients…

Crawfish are probably the most important part of a traditional Louisiana Cajun crawfish boil recipe. Check out our Crawfish options here.

Second, is the seasoning. We adapted the recipe, you’ll se below, from the Zatarain’s Crawfish Boil. They are the leaders in Louisiana seasoning. If you can not easily acquire their boil bag, here is a handy link to purchase it online.

Lastly, the add-ins. Yes, there is much much more to this boil than just the crawfish! The seasoning is just one layer of flavor. You’ll also need; hot sauce, lemons, garlic, onion and celery (quantities are listed below). You can also customize your boil with side options. Traditional sides include; smoked sausages, red potatoes, corn, mushrooms, artichokes and bell peppers. What you choose it up to you!

Putting it all together…

Our final piece of boiling advice is the tableware. You’ll need tons of old newspaper (to line your table) and some paper towels for hand wiping. We also strongly recommend telling your guests to not wear their finest, this will get messy.

On to the recipe…

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Louisiana Crawfish Boil

serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 10 gallons of water
• 2 cups kosher salt
• 2 each 3oz bags of Zatarain’s Boil Bag
• 3 tablespoons cayenne
• 5 each lemons cut in half
• 5 heads of garlic with their tops cut off
• 3 yellow onions peeled and cut in half
• 3 celery stalks
• 20-25 lbs. Cameron’s Seafood Crawfish
• Optional:
• 3 lbs. smoked sausage cut into chunks
• 3-4 lbs. small red bliss potatoes
• 8-10 ears of corn
• 1 lb. button mushrooms
• 4-6 fresh artichokes
• 4-6 green bell peppers

Instructions

1. Fill your boil pot (with the basket inserted) with water, salt, boil seasoning (kept in the bag), cayenne, lemons, garlic, onion and celery. Bring to a boil over high heat and let cook for 15 minutes.
2. Add your crawfish and any of your optional ingredients. Reduce heat to medium low (a low simmer) and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are just about just about fork tender (just a little crunchy). If you are not using potatoes, stick to just 15 minutes of cooking time. Turn the heat down to low (not simmering or boiling) and let the boil sit for an additional 15 minutes (this is to absorb the all the flavor).
3. Remove the basket from the pot and spread it’s contents on a paper-lined table. Enjoy!!

Get Boiling!

Have you made this recipe or one like it? We’d love to see how you make Cajun crawfish!!! Feel free to share it with us! We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to cook our seafood. Post your images or recipes on any of our social pages. We can be found @cameronsseafoodonline on Instagram or @CameronsSeafood on Facebook.

Looking for those crawfish? We have you covered! We have the best Crawfish. Pre-portioned into 5lb. packs, makes it very easy to calculate cooking for a crowd (5lbs = 2 hungry guests). Shipped flash frozen to lock in all that freshness~these are a must have for anyone learning how to make Cajun crawfish!!

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