Ultimate Crab Boil
Dive into coastal flavors with the Ultimate Crab Boil, a crowd-pleasing feast that brings the ocean’s bounty straight to your table. Bursting with seasoned goodness, this one-pot recipe combines succulent crab—whether you opt for blue, Dungeness, or king crab—with tender shrimp, smoky sausage, sweet corn, and buttery red potatoes. The key to its mouthwatering flavor lies in a bold boil infused with Old Bay seasoning, garlic, onions, and fresh lemon juice. Perfect for gatherings, this seafood boil is served family-style, drenched in a parsley-garlic butter sauce with a hint of optional hot sauce for a spicy kick. Ready in just an hour, it’s the ultimate way to impress your guests and enjoy a hands-on dining experience. Keywords: crab boil, seafood boil recipe, Old Bay crab boil, ultimate seafood feast, one-pot crab boil.
Log this recipe in SnapCalorie
Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 4 lbs live or cooked crab (blue crab, Dungeness, or king crab)
- 2 lbs small red potatoes
- 4 pieces ears of corn, halved
- 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1.5 lbs large shrimp (shell-on, deveined)
- 1 piece onion, quartered
- 2 pieces lemons, halved
- 1 cup Old Bay seasoning
- 6 pieces garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 gallons water
- 0.5 cup salt
- 2 tbsp optional hot sauce (like Tabasco)
Instructions
In a very large stock pot (at least 20-quart capacity), bring 2 gallons of water to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, add the salt, Old Bay seasoning, onions, smashed garlic, and lemon halves. Squeeze the lemon juice into the water before adding the lemons. Stir to combine and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes to infuse flavors.
Add the red potatoes to the pot and boil for 12-15 minutes, or until they start to soften but are not fully cooked.
Add the corn and smoked sausage to the pot. Cook for an additional 8 minutes.
Carefully add the crab to the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes (if using live crab, boil until shells turn bright red) or until heated through if previously cooked.
Add the shrimp last, cooking for 3-4 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through.
While the seafood is cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the chopped parsley and optional hot sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.
Drain the crab boil in a large colander or carefully remove the ingredients with a slotted spoon. Arrange the crab, shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes on a large serving platter or over a newspaper-lined table for a family-style presentation.
Drizzle some of the melted butter mixture over the seafood and vegetables, leaving the rest on the side for dipping.
Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges, napkins, and seafood crackers. Dig in and enjoy this delicious and festive meal!
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
4970 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 247.6 g | 317% | |
| Saturated Fat | 103.9 g | 520% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 1475 mg | 492% | |
| Sodium | 80367 mg | 3494% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 256.4 g | 93% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 28.5 g | 102% | |
| Total Sugars | 50.6 g | ||
| Protein | 446.3 g | 893% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 2859 mg | 220% | |
| Iron | 36.2 mg | 201% | |
| Potassium | 12600 mg | 268% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
