Description
Crawfish Boil is a classic Louisiana tradition featuring tender, spicy crawfish cooked with potatoes, corn, sausage, and bold Cajun seasonings. This authentic recipe for one 35-pound sack serves 8-10 people and delivers restaurant-quality results perfect for spring outdoor gatherings.
Ingredients
Crawfish and Seasonings (for 35 lbs):
1 sack (35 lbs) live crawfish, cleaned very well
1 bag (4.5 lbs) Louisiana Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil (dry seasoning)
1 cup Zatarain’s Concentrated Liquid Crab Boil
4 tablespoons cayenne pepper (adjust for heat preference)
Aromatics:
5 large yellow onions, halved (no need to peel)
10 heads garlic, halved horizontally
5 lemons, halved
3 oranges, halved
Vegetables and Add-Ins:
2 lbs small new potatoes (red or gold)
3 lbs white button mushrooms, whole
2 lbs frozen corn on the cob
1 lb smoked sausage (andouille or kielbasa), cut into 3-inch pieces
Instructions
1. Place entire sack of crawfish in large ice chest. Fill with cool water and soak 5 minutes. Drain and refill with fresh water. Repeat rinsing 3-4 times until water runs clear with no mud or debris.
2. Place crawfish pot on outdoor propane burner away from buildings. Fill pot halfway with water. Light burner carefully, cover pot, and heat water to a boil (20-30 minutes).
3. When water simmers, add entire bag of dry crab boil, liquid concentrate, cayenne pepper, halved onions, halved garlic heads, lemons, and oranges. Stir well with long paddle. Cover and boil 5 minutes to infuse flavors.
4. Add new potatoes and whole mushrooms to boiling seasoned water. Cover and cook 8 minutes until potatoes are tender but firm.
5. Carefully pour in all cleaned crawfish. Immediately cover pot and start timer for exactly 10 minutes. Do not lift lid during cooking.
6. After 10 minutes, turn off propane burner. Add frozen corn and sliced sausage directly to pot. Stir well, pushing crawfish down into liquid. Cover and soak 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
7. After 30 minutes soaking, pull out one crawfish to taste. Tail meat should be juicy and well-seasoned. If needs more flavor, soak 5-10 minutes more. When ready, drain pot and dump entire boil onto newspaper-covered table. Serve immediately.
Notes
Rinse crawfish thoroughly until water runs completely clear – dirty crawfish taste muddy and gritty.
Don’t exceed 35-40 pounds per batch or crawfish won’t cook evenly.
Stick to exactly 10 minutes boiling time – overcooking creates mushy, rubbery crawfish.
The 30-minute soak allows seasoning to penetrate shells and meat. Don’t skip or rush this step.
Stir regularly during soaking for even seasoning throughout the pot.
You need serious BTUs to boil this much water – home stovetops don’t work. Use outdoor propane burner only.
Plan on 3-5 pounds crawfish per person. A 35-pound sack serves 8-10 people comfortably.
Store leftover peeled tails in airtight container in fridge up to 2 days. Use in étouffée, pasta, or dips.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Boiled
- Cuisine: Cajun/Louisiana
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3-4 lbs crawfish with vegetables
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 1850mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 285mg