New Orleans Cajun Seafood Recipe on the Go
I love seafood, and this recipe is one of my favorites. It’s spicy and has a kick to it, but not too much for me. If you’re looking for something with a little more heat (or want to serve it at a party), simply add more cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes!
This is a seafood recipe that I have been making for years. While my first introduction to it was as a crawfish boil, I have recently starting making it with Lobster instead of crawfish.
This dish is called a seafood boil because you are cooking the seafood in salted water and then boiling it. The salt helps to pull out the moisture from the shellfish and also adds flavor to your sauce. My favorite part about this recipe is that it doesn’t take long at all! Once your pot has come to a rolling boil, you can start dropping your ingredients into their individual pots and just let them cook for about 7 minutes for the shellfish or 9-10 minutes for lobster tails (after adding the butter).
So here’s how you make Cajun Seafood Boil:
- 1 gallon water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water (you could also use potato flakes)
- ½ teaspoon salt per quart of water used (if using potatoes flakes instead of cornstarch)
Cajun Seasoning
Cajun seasoning is a blend of herbs and spices that adds a spicy kick to your favorite dishes. The amount of each ingredient varies from brand to brand, but in general it includes salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Then you can add in other flavors like cayenne pepper or brown sugar for sweetness. If you want to make your own Cajun seasoning mix at home try this recipe:
1 cup Vegetable Oil
Vegetable oil is the best oil to use for this recipe. It has a high smoke point of around 450°F (232°C), which makes it an ideal choice if you plan on cooking at such high temperatures. Other oils may be substituted, but they will likely have lower smoke points and can burn during the frying process. For example, olive oil has a smoke point of only 325°F (163°C).
1/2 cup hot sauce (Crystal preferred)
Tabasco brand is a great substitute for Crystal if you can’t find it. If you’re using Tabasco, add 1/4 cup of water instead of the 1/2 cup of hot sauce.
12 Lemons – halved or quartered (or use a combination of lemons and limes)
Lemons are a common ingredient in Cajun food. They can be used to add a citrus flavor to the dish, or they can be used as part of an acid-based marinade. For example, if you’re making a cajun seafood boil you could use lemon juice to flavor the boil water or lemon slices as garnish on top of your boiled seafood.
6 large Onions – halved or quartered (use as many onions as you want)
Onions are a key ingredient in this recipe. Use as many onions as you like for your dish.
8 pounds Red Potatoes – cut in half or quarters if very large
Cut 8 pounds of red potatoes into bite-sized pieces and set aside. You can also use sweet potatoes or yams and cut them into bite-sized pieces as well.
3 heads Garlic – cloves peeled and smashed (use more or less to taste)
Garlic is the star of this dish, so you want it to be a prominent flavor. If you’re not a fan of garlic, use less! The smashed garlic will add texture and flavor in the final dish.
3 pounds Crawfish OR live Lobster (I prefer lobster but crawfish is great too!)
- Crawfish OR live Lobster (I prefer lobster but crawfish is great too!)
- 3 pounds of each
This is a delicious Cajun seafood recipe that can be made in a huge pot over an open fire or in your backyard. It’s great for any occasion and will feed quite a few people, so invite some friends over for dinner!
