This Lobster Seafood Boil is quite the luxurious, most indulgent seafood boil you’ll ever have, y’all! It starts with a deeply flavorful and well-seasoned boil that’s full of Cajun-inspired flair, whew. Lobster, crab, shrimp, andouille sausage, potatoes, and corn are smothered in a rich Garlic Butter Sauce that is incredibly swoon-worthy. Make this homemade boil recipe for any occasion, it’s certainly a crowd-pleaser!

lobster seafood boil on large baking sheet

I love this time of year, when we’re in the spring season, but summer is right around the corner. Indulging in all of the seasonal flair that comes with spring (lemon! asparagus! strawberries! 🌷), and also dusting off our patio furniture and grill, ha. Listen, the months of May, June, and July are some of my favorite months for both food and non-food related reasons.

Communal foods like seafood boils are clutch whenever I’m entertaining or having a chill day at the crib. My classic seafood boil recipe is the top recipe on BBR with hundreds of bomb reader reviews. This new seafood boil recipe is a bit more bougie with lobster and other fancy elements. Let’s get into it!

lobster seafood boil on white plates

Cajun Lobster Seafood Boil 💛

When it comes to feeding a crowd with minimal prep work and fuss involved, a good old-fashioned seafood boil is it, peeps. For seafood lovers, this style of meal is heaven on a plate. I’m talking lobster, shrimp, and crab meat all nestled up with hearty andouille, potatoes, corn on the cob, and much more.

It is the ultimate no-fuss meal that comes together so easily, and is such a crowd pleaser for parties, game day, and all other entertaining events alike. The vibe of a seafood boil is quintessentially chaotic and messy and downright scrumptious. There is nothing quite like it.

lobster seafood boil ingredients laid out on surface

Ingredients You’ll Need Here:

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

  • Seafood: For this seafood boil recipe, I use lobster tails, jumbo shrimp, and king crab legs (or snow crab clusters as sub).
  • Must-have boil accompaniments: Andouille sausage, corn on the cob, and baby potatoes.
  • Flavor agents: Beer, onion, and lemon.
  • Spices & more: Cajun seasoning (<< my homemade version or store-bought), Old Bay seasoning, hot sauce, and apple cider vinegar.
  • & for the garlic butter sauce: Butter, garlic, lemon juice, Cajun + Old Bay seasoning, chopped parsley, smoked paprika, and hot sauce.
bottle of beer being poured into pot of water
add beer to water
seafood boil pot full of broth and spices
…then add boil spices
pot of water with slices lemons and onion
add flavor agents
sausage and potatoes being added into boil
…boil sausage & potatoes

How To Make This Lobster Seafood Boil Recipe:

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

  • Prep the boil. Fill an extra-large stockpot with water and place over medium-high heat, and then add the beer. Bring the liquid to a boil. Next, season the boil with the spices and a few dashes of hot sauce. Add the vinegar, sliced onion and lemon wedges into the pot. Stir all the ingredients well to thoroughly combine. Let the mixture boil for 15 minutes.
  • Add the andouille & potatoes into the pot and stir well to combine. Let the andouille and potatoes cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just about fork-tender.
seafood being added into boil
add seafood to the boil
cajun garlic butter sauce in saucepan
…prep garlic butter sauce

Cook Up The Seafood & Sauce Prep:

  • Add the seafood & corn. Nestle the crab legs into the pot along with the shrimp and lobster tails, and corn on the cob. Be sure that everything is fully submerged under the boil and stir to combine. Continue boiling for another 5-7 minutes; cook until the shrimp is pink, the crab legs are heated through, and the lobster tails are bright red with opaque flesh.
  • Make the garlic butter sauce. On a separate burner, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine all of the seafood boil garlic butter sauce ingredients. Stir well and simmer the sauce until the butter melts and the sauce is well combined, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes. Then remove from heat.
cajun lobster seafood boil with garlic butter sauce

Lobster Seafood Boil Assembly

Now, this is the fun part, y’all! 🙌🏾…Line an extra-large baking sheet with foil/parchment paper. Use a spider strainer to remove the seafood boil contents from the pot and place them onto the prepared baking sheet- remove and discard the onion/lemon bits. Pour the garlic butter sauce over the lobster seafood boil ingredients. Then use your hands to toss the sauce with everything, making sure everything is nice and sopped up in the sauce.

→ If you love seafood boil recipes, don’t miss this Crawfish Boil or these Seafood Boil Foil Packs, too 🫶🏾!

cajun lobster seafood boil on white plate

Tips + Tricks & More Recipe Notes

Here’s some extra information about this lobster seafood boil recipe:

  • Use an extra-large pot: Seafood boils require cooking in a very large pot because once the liquid and food are added, the pot will be very full. Any super big stock pot or dutch oven (about 10+ quarts) is recommended for all the ingredients to fit nicely.
  • Beer notes: I recommend using lagers, IPAs, or pilsners for choices of beer! Great alternatives to using beer include chicken broth/stock or any nonalcoholic beer as an easy substitute.
  • Andouille: This is pre-cooked sausage and comes packed with a touch of heat (it’s smoked, nicely seasoned, and a staple among Cajun cuisine), but you can also use any other smoked sausage that you favor. Kielbasa or beef sausage make great substitutes for andouille.
  • Potatoes: Use any small/baby potato variety. Red potatoes are common for seafood boils, but I love baby Yukon gold potatoes for their buttery flesh- either one or a combination of both!
  • Shrimp: I recommend using colossal shrimp or jumbo shrimp for this Cajun seafood boil. Make sure it’s deveined with the peel still on. Peel-and-eat, big shrimp works beautifully here as it delivers meaty, plump bites of shrimp that are more flavorful.
  • Crusty bread: For extra deliciousness…have some crusty bread on the side to sop up any runaway garlic butter sauce, yuh!
lobster being dipped into garlic butter sauce

This Lobster Seafood Boil is standing on big, delicious business! Succulent seafood and more lathered up in buttery spiced goodness, sheesh. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

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lobster seafood boil on large baking sheet

Cajun Lobster Seafood Boil with Garlic Butter Sauce

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  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: Main Dishes
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Southern
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Description

This Lobster Seafood Boil is quite the luxurious, most indulgent seafood boil you’ll ever have, y’all! It starts with a deeply flavorful and well-seasoned boil that’s full of Cajun-inspired flair, whew. Lobster, crab, shrimp, andouille sausage, potatoes, and corn are smothered in a rich Garlic Butter Sauce that is incredibly swoon-worthy. Make this homemade boil recipe for any occasion, it’s certainly a crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients

  • 3 quarts water, plus more as needed
  • 1 (12-ounce) can of beer- (or 1 ½ cups chicken broth as sub)
  • 3 tablespoons Creole Cajun Seasoning– homemade or store-bought
  • 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • Hot sauce, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 medium yellow onion, roughly sliced into half-moons
  • 2 large lemons, cut into wedges- divided, plus more for serving
  • 1 lb andouille sausage, sliced into 4-inch batons
  • 1 ½ lbs baby potatoes, red or gold (or a mix of both)
  • 1 ½ – 2 lbs pre-cooked king crab legs, about 6 legs (or snow crab clusters as sub)
  • 2 lbs jumbo shrimp, deveined, shell-on or peeled
  • 4–6 lobster tails, about 4–6 ounces
  • 6 ears sweet corn on the cob, I use the mini nibblers

For the garlic butter sauce:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 10 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, plus more for garnishing
  • 1 teaspoon Creole Cajun Seasoning– homemade or store-bought
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Hot sauce, to taste

Instructions

  1. Prepare the boil. In an extra-large stockpot or dutch oven (about 10 quarts or larger) over medium-high heat, combine the water and beer (or broth). Bring the liquid to a boil. Then season the boil with the Creole Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, and a few dashes of hot sauce- to taste. Add the vinegar, sliced onion and lemon wedges into the pot. Stir all the ingredients well to thoroughly combine. Let the mixture boil for 15 minutes.
  2. Add the andouille & potatoes. Carefully add the andouille sausage and baby potatoes into the pot, stirring well to fully combine with the boil. Let the andouille and potatoes cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just about fork-tender.
  3. Add the seafood & corn. Gently nestle the crab legs into the pot along with the shrimp and lobster tails, and corn on the cob. Be sure that everything is fully submerged under the boil (if not, simply add more water) and carefully stir to ensure all ingredients are well combined. Continue boiling for another 5-7 minutes; cook until the shrimp is pink, the crab legs are heated through, and the lobster tails are bright red with opaque flesh. Meanwhile, prepare the garlic butter sauce.
  4. Make the garlic butter sauce. On a separate burner, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, garlic, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, parsley, Creole Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and hot sauce- to taste. Stir all ingredients and simmer the sauce until the butter melts and the sauce is well combined, stirring often, about 5-7 minutes. Then remove from heat.
  5. Assemble the seafood boil with sauce. Line an extra-large baking sheet with foil/parchment paper (or newspaper if you’d like!). Use a spider strainer to remove the seafood boil contents from the pot and place onto the prepared baking sheet- remove and discard the onion/lemon bits. Note: If you’d like your garlic butter sauce to be thinner, you can add some of the seafood boil broth to adjust to the desired consistency. Now, this is the fun part! Pour the garlic butter sauce over the seafood boil ingredients. Then use your hands (fitted with disposable gloves if desired) to toss the sauce with everything, smothering every nook and cranny in sauce. Garnish the boil with fresh chopped parsley.
  6. Serve seafood boil. Feel free to serve this seafood boil as-is with everyone just grabbing what they’d like from the baking sheet directly (it’s the chaos and messiness of seafood boils that are so fun!) or divide the boil onto individual plates to serve if you prefer. Serve immediately with lemon wedges, if desired. For extra deliciousness…have some crusty bread on the side to sop up any runaway garlic butter sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.

Recipe by: Quin Liburd- Butter Be Ready

Photography by: Camera Eats First

cajun lobster seafood boil on white plate