Crawfish Recipe (Louisiana-Style Backyard Boil You’ll Make Every Spring)
A classic Louisiana-style backyard crawfish boil loaded with spicy, garlicky crawfish, corn, potatoes, sausage, and veggies, finished with optional garlic butter. Perfect for feeding a crowd in the spring crawfish season.
Ingredients
- 30-35 lbs live crawfish rinsed, purged, discard any dead or damaged
- 10 gallons water plus more as needed
- 2-2 1/2 cups Cajun or Creole seasoning such as Zatarain’s, Slap Ya Mama, or Tony Chachere’s; start with 2 cups for moderate heat
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup black peppercorns
- 8-10 whole garlic heads halved crosswise
- 6 large yellow onions peeled and quartered
- 8-10 whole lemons halved, plus extra for serving
- 4-6 bay leaves
- 4 sticks unsalted butter 2 cups total, divided; use about 3 sticks in the boil for a lighter version
- 3-4 lbs small red potatoes scrubbed
- 16-20 ears corn halved; frozen is fine if fresh isn’t in season
- 3-4 lbs smoked sausage or andouille cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2-3 lbs small button mushrooms optional, whole; they soak up the spices
- 4-5 heads celery cut into 2–3 inch chunks
- 3-4 whole artichokes optional
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter for garlic butter finish
- 8-10 cloves garlic minced, for garlic butter finish
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning for garlic butter finish
- 1 lemon juiced, for garlic butter finish
- small handful fresh parsley chopped, for garlic butter finish
- extra Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper optional, for making the boil extra spicy
- hot sauce optional, to taste for serving or extra-spicy boil
Instructions
- Place the live crawfish in a large, clean cooler or tub. Rinse with cool water, gently stirring with a long-handled spoon or your hand. Drain and repeat until the water runs mostly clear. Remove and discard any dead crawfish. Do not soak in salted water for long periods, as it can kill them and affect texture.30-35 lbs live crawfish
- Place a large stockpot (at least 60–80 quarts) with a basket insert on a strong outdoor propane burner. Add about 10 gallons of water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, 20–30 minutes depending on your burner.10 gallons water
- Once the water boils, add the Cajun or Creole seasoning, kosher salt, black peppercorns, halved garlic heads, onions, bay leaves, and halved lemons (squeezing slightly as you drop them in). Stir well. Add about 3 sticks of the butter and let it melt into the broth. Boil for 10–15 minutes to let the flavors bloom. Taste the liquid; it should be saltier and spicier than you want the finished crawfish, since they will absorb the seasoning.2-2 1/2 cups Cajun or Creole seasoning, 1 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup black peppercorns, 8-10 whole garlic heads, 6 large yellow onions, 8-10 whole lemons, 4-6 bay leaves, 4 sticks unsalted butter
- Carefully lower the red potatoes and artichokes (if using) into the seasoned boiling water. Boil for 10–12 minutes, until the potatoes are just turning tender when pierced with a knife. They should not be fully soft yet, as they will continue cooking later.3-4 lbs small red potatoes, 3-4 whole artichokes
- Add the corn, sausage, mushrooms, and celery chunks to the pot. Boil another 5–7 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to soften and everything is fragrant and spicy.16-20 ears corn, 3-4 lbs smoked sausage or andouille, 2-3 lbs small button mushrooms, 4-5 heads celery
- With the water still at a strong boil, quickly and carefully add the live crawfish to the pot. Stir gently to submerge them evenly. Cover and cook for 3–5 minutes, just until the crawfish turn bright red and begin to float to the top.30-35 lbs live crawfish
- Turn off the burner. Stir the pot gently, cover, and let the crawfish soak in the hot seasoned water for 20–30 minutes. Taste a crawfish every 5–10 minutes; when the tails are well-seasoned but not overly salty, they are ready. For a spicier boil, soak closer to 30 minutes.
- While the crawfish soak, melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook gently for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the Cajun seasoning, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Keep warm on the lowest heat.1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, 8-10 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, 1 lemon, small handful fresh parsley
- Lift the basket insert from the pot and let the boil drain for a minute over the pot. Optionally reserve some seasoned liquid for soups or gumbo. Cover a large table with newspaper or butcher paper and carefully pour the crawfish, sausage, corn, and vegetables down the center. Drizzle some of the warm garlic butter over the top and serve the rest in bowls for dipping, with extra lemon wedges and Cajun seasoning on the table.30-35 lbs live crawfish, 3-4 lbs small red potatoes, 16-20 ears corn, 3-4 lbs smoked sausage or andouille, 2-3 lbs small button mushrooms, 4-5 heads celery, 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, 8-10 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, 1 lemon, small handful fresh parsley
- To eat, pinch the tail and twist it off from the body. Peel a bit of shell from the top of the tail, then gently squeeze and pull the meat out. If desired, suck the head to enjoy the rich, spicy crawfish juices, as is traditional in Southern crawfish boils.
Notes
Serves 10–12 as a main dish. Plan on about 3–4 lbs of crawfish per adult if this is the primary protein. Adjust the Cajun seasoning for a milder or hotter boil. Don’t skip the 20–30 minute soak off the heat—this is when the crawfish and vegetables absorb most of the flavor. Leftover potatoes, sausage, and corn are great in breakfast hash, gumbo, or jambalaya. Peeled crawfish tails can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 2–3 months in a bit of reserved boil liquid or broth.
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