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.

Nutriscore Rating: 60/100

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:40 mins

Total Time:60 mins

Servings: 6

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)

Directions

Step 1

In a very large stock pot (at least 20-quart capacity), bring 2 gallons of water to a boil over high heat.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

Add the red potatoes to the pot and boil for 12-15 minutes, or until they start to soften but are not fully cooked.

Step 4

Add the corn and smoked sausage to the pot. Cook for an additional 8 minutes.

Step 5

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.

Step 6

Add the shrimp last, cooking for 3-4 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through.

Step 7

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.

Step 8

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.

Step 9

Drizzle some of the melted butter mixture over the seafood and vegetables, leaving the rest on the side for dipping.

Step 10

Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges, napkins, and seafood crackers. Dig in and enjoy this delicious and festive meal!

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	11636 grams (11636.0g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	4970

Total Fat 247.60g	317%
Saturated Fat 103.90g	520%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.00g
Cholesterol 1475mg	492%
Sodium 80367mg	3494%
Total Carbohydrate 256.40g	93%
Dietary Fiber 28.50g	102%
Total Sugars 50.60g
Protein 446.30g	893%

Vitamin D 0IU	0%
Calcium 2859mg	220%
Iron 36mg	201%
Potassium 12600mg	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.

Source of Calories

Fat: 44.2%

Protein: 35.4%

Carbs: 20.4%