This epic Seafood Boil in a Bag recipe is packed with shrimp, crab, sausage, and more. The flavorful feast is coated in a homemade garlic butter sauce and is easy to make and perfect for gatherings. This dish brings all the delicious flavors of a traditional boil with the convenience of a cooking bag.
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Key Ingredients
- Shrimp
- Crab Legs
- Corn on the Cob
- Potatoes
- Spices
- Butter
- Oven Bags (Turkey-Size)
The bag is sealed and cooked in a large pot of boiling water, on a grill, or baked. Once the seafood and vegetables are cooked through, the bag is opened and the contents are dumped out onto a large platter or newspaper-lined table for serving.
The seafood and vegetables are often served with butter or a variety of dipping sauces.
Check out this post on What is a Seafood Boil for additional commentary and tips.
What Type of Bag to Use
Use an oven bag that will hold 4-5 pounds at least. You can find one at your local grocer or here on Amazon. Oven bags are great for cooking juicy, tender meat and vegetables. It’s also great for easy clean up. I grab the turkey size to be sure it can all fit.
What Type of Seafood to Use
You can use whatever you like in this recipe. I use snow crab legs and large shrimp. Here are other options that you can use with very little adjustment to cook time:
- Crawfish
- Lobster
- Scallops
- King Crab Legs
- Dungeness Crab
You will also love my Cajun Crawfish Boil and Cajun Shrimp Boil recipes!
What Type of Vegetables to Use
Common vegetables you will find in a boil are potatoes, corn, and onions. You can add in whatever you like. I recommend steaming or boiling it first in order to ensure the texture is soft:
- Celery
- Carrots
- Sweet Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Green Beans
Boil The Vegetables First
Keep in mind the potaotes and corn have longer cook times than the seafood. You will need to cook those first before adding it to the seafood. Par boil these first will ensure your seafood isn’t overcooked while you wait for the potatoes to soften.
Par boiling is when food is partially cooked in boiling water before it is finished cooking by another method, here it will be finished off in the oven. The food is usually boiled for a shorter period of time than it would be if it were being fully cooked in boiling water. The purpose of par boiling is to partially cook the food so that it can be finished cooking more quickly or evenly using another method.
Seafood cooks extremely fast. It also isn’t cheap! To ensure your money is put to good use, boil your vegetables first.
Garlic Butter
You will need butter, garlic, lemon, white wine (or broth), and Old Bay Seasoning. I also add Cajun seasoning because I prefer a kick in the taste.
The star of a boil is the garlic butter that seasons the entire dish. Butter adds a rich, creamy taste and texture to the seafood.
Lemon is great when cooking seafood because it adds a bright, acidic taste that complements the delicate flavor of seafood. Lemon helps balance out the richness of the seafood and butter used in the dish. It also gives a freshness to the dish.
Garlic works wonderfully here because it adds a strong, pungent taste that complements the delicate flavor. Garlic’s strong flavor can help add a depth of flavor to the dish.
How to Make Seafood Boil in a Bag
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Boil the potatoes and corn.
- Place a skillet or saucepan on medium heat and add the butter.
- When melted, add the remaining ingredients and stir. Stir.
- Add the shrimp, crab legs, sausage, potatoes, and corn an oven bag. Drizzle the butter sauce throughout. Tie the bag to seal it.
- Toss the contents around in the bag to ensure the butter is fully coated.
- Place the bag on a sheet pan or in a baking dish in the oven.
- Bake.
How to Tell When the Seafood is Done/Cooked
Cooked shrimp will turn pink and opaque. The shrimp will also become firm when you touch it. Perfectly cooked shrimp usually has a C-shape, as opposed to a tightly curled O shape.
Check out this guide on How to Tell if Shrimp is Cooked here.
Most crab legs will come precooked and often frozen. Sometimes, if it’s sold thawed, then it has been thawed from frozen. After the crabs are caught they are cooked on the boat and then flash-frozen right on the spot.
Crab should be cooked until the flesh is pearly or white, and opaque. You won’t be able to tell much by the outside color, because when you bought them they were already pre-cooked and orange. Examine the shoulder (this is the large white part of the cluster). It should be pearly white.
Substitutions and Different Ways to Season
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- Cajun Seasoning
- Creole Seasoning
- Homemade Ranch Seasoning
- Homemade BBQ Seasoning and Rub
How to Reheat
My favorite way to reheat is on the stove using additional butter. Microwaved seafood can turn out mushy, so I avoid it.
More Seafood Recipes
Creamy Seafood Shells
Lemon Pepper Shrimp
Creamy Lobster Bisque
Dungeness Crab Legs
Grilled Snow Crab Legs
Smoked Crab Legs
Crab Quiche
Creamy Crab Bisque
Seafood Boil in a Bag with Garlic Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound red potatoes Sliced in half
- 6 ears mini corn on the cob
- 6 oz smoked sausage Sliced into 1 inch rounds. I use andouille sausage.
- 1 pound snow crab legs Thawed
- 1 pound raw shrimp Deveined; peeled if preferred.
Garlic Butter Sauce
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup dry white wine I use Pinot Grigio. Broth can be substituted with broth if desired.
- 5-6 garlic cloves Adjust to suit your taste and use less for less garlic flavor.
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning Optional for spicy
- 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Adjust to suit taste.
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Potatoes and Corn
- Bring a large pot with water on the stove to boil. The pot should be large enough to fit the potatoes and corn.
- Add the potatoes and corn to the pot and boil for 10-13 minutes. Pierce the potatoes with a fork. They should be fork-tender, but not falling apart.
- Remove them from the water and set them aside.
Garlic Butter Sauce
- Place a skillet or saucepan on medium heat and add the butter.
- When melted, add the remaining ingredients and stir. Stir for 3-4 minutes until combined.
Seafood Boil Bag
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the shrimp, crab legs, sausage, potatoes, and corn to the oven bag. Drizzle the butter sauce throughout. Tie the bag to seal it.
- Toss the contents around in the bag to ensure the butter is fully coated.
- Place the bag on a sheet pan or in a baking dish in the oven.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes.
- Keep a watchful eye because bake time will vary based on your oven. After 10-12 minutes I like to flip the bag over and continue to bake. While flipping, I examine the seafood. You want to be sure the shrimp cooks evenly and consistently.
- Shrimp will turn bright pink when cooked. Crab should be cooked until the flesh is pearly or white, and opaque. Examine the shoulder (this is the large white part of the cluster). It should be pearly white.
- I usually bake for around 25 minutes. Bake for however long it takes to cook the seafood.
- If you aren’t serving the boil immediately, drain the excess butter from the bag into a bowl for dipping the seafood. As the bag stands at room temperature (out of the oven) the butter will start to harden. That will make it harder to enjoy it. Pour it out into a bowl, that way it can be reheated and enjoyed if necessary.
