Seafood Boil in a Bag with Garlic Butter Sauce
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.
Servings 5 servings
Calories 753kcal
Equipment
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
- ½ 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
- ½ 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.
Notes
You can use any seafood you want in this recipe with little adjustment to cook time.
You can season the butter sauce with whatever spices you like.
Olive oil can be substituted for butter.
Don't overboil and overcook the potatoes. You want them to be fork tender because they will cook again while baking which will soften them up even more.
I recommend you use a sheet pan for the bag as it bakes in case the bag leaks.
If the bag is leaking before you get it in the oven, I recommend double wrapping.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 753kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 50g