Name: Southern Seafood Boil with Shrimp, Crab, and Sausage
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4-6 quarts water; 24 ounces white wine/beer (2 bottles of beer or 1 bottle of wine); 1 Orange (unpeeled, cut into quarters); 2 carrots (cut into pieces); 2 stalks celery (cut into pieces); 2 head of garlic (Sliced in half); 1 Vidalia onion (cut into chunks); 3-5 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning; 1 tablespoon salt; 1 tablespoon smoked paprika; 2 bay leaf; ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce; 4 ears corn on the cob (cut into thirds); 2 lbs new potatoes; 12 ounces andouille sausage (sliced into 1 inch slices); 1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined); 1 lb crab legs; 2 lbs mussels/clams

A Southern seafood boil is more than dinner, it’s an excuse to gather everyone around the table for piles of shrimp, crab legs, mussels, corn, and potatoes, all simmered in a spiced Old Bay broth. Easy to make, fun to eat, and perfect for feeding a crowd.

A seafood boil poured out onto a black board

Old Bay Seafood Boil – A Southern Summer Tradition

Where I live in North Carolina, a seafood boil isn’t just a recipe, it’s a social event. You’ll see them year-round, but summer? That’s prime time. Picture a table covered in paper, platters piled high with shrimp, crab legs, mussels, smoky sausage, sweet corn, and baby potatoes.

Everyone standing around, cracking shells, laughing, eating with their hands. It’s messy. It’s loud. And it’s one of the best ways to feed a crowd without stressing over a dozen side dishes.

If I’m cooking for a big group, I might set a warm homemade peach dessert in the oven while I’m at the stove, nothing finishes a seafood feast better than warm cobbler with vanilla ice cream melting on top. And if you’ve got extra hungry folks, a basket of buttery skillet cornbread or light, buttery dinner rolls never goes uneaten.

Why This Works for a Crowd

This isn’t some delicate seafood platter where you’re worried about breaking the budget or overthinking the presentation. You can scale it up or down depending on how many guests are coming and what’s fresh at your market. Shrimp and mussels are easy finds here, but I’ll grab frozen crab legs if that’s all I can get. And the magic? It all cooks in one big pot.

I’ve even had neighbors drop by mid-boil, and you just toss in a little more corn and sausage. No one leaves hungry.

A white platter full of seafood — A classic seafood boil piled high with shrimp, corn, and potatoes, messy, flavorful, and made for sharing.

The Only Three Things You Need to Remember

Forget memorizing the entire ingredient list, that’s in the recipe card below. But here’s what matters:

Old Bay. If you leave it out, it’s not a seafood boil.
A big enough pot. Before you decide to make any seafood boil recipe, you need to see if you have a big enough pot. Not only does it need to hold 6 quarts of water, but it has to hold all the ingredients. No, your Dutch oven won’t cut it. I use a canning pot that will hold 12 quarts. You don’t need one quite that big, a large stock pot would also work.
Timing. Overcook the shrimp and they’ll go rubbery.

Everything else is flexible. Swap mussels for clams. Add lobster tails if you’re feeling fancy. Or go simple with just shrimp and sausage.

Featured reader review

“So so so yummy!!! I followed this recipe to the T and the shrimp, crab and clams turned out perfectly. I like a little spice (not everyone’s thing) so I poured in a little cayenne pepper to the boil. The potatoes and corn soaked up the true essence of the ingredients the stock, and the seafood turned out perfect – nothing was over cooked and FULL of yummy flavor!”
Sara

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seafood and sausage for a seafood boil. — Gather the protein

Vegetables for a seafood boil — Gather the vegetables

Seasonings for an old bay seafood boil — Gather the seasonings

The Broth Is Everything

Before the seafood even hits the pot, you need a broth that makes people want to lean over just to breathe it in. I start with water, Old Bay, a bay leaf, smoked paprika, and either beer or white wine, whichever I’m in the mood for. Toss in a whole head of garlic, an orange or lemon, and maybe some celery or carrots for depth. Let it bubble for about 10 minutes before adding anything else.

I lean toward a dark beer like Guinness if I’m going that route. If wine, a basic dry white is fine, don’t waste the expensive stuff, it’s getting diluted. And yes, chicken broth works if you’d rather skip the alcohol.

PRO TIP: This is really one of those recipes where it’s crucial that you have everything prepped before you start, otherwise, you’ll overcook the seafood.

Building the Boil

Step 1- Create a broth

Bring water to a boil in a large pot, then add the seasoning ingredients and let the broth boil for 10 minutes.

Step 2- Make the sauce

While the water is heating, brown some butter in a small sauce pan and set it aside.

Step 3 – Potatoes first

Once the seasonings have boiled for 10 minutes, set a timer for 25 minutes. Add baby red potatoes to the pot, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Next you’ll add things based on how long they take to cook.

Step 4 – Corn and sausage next

Add corn on the cob that has been cut into thirds and andouille sausage and cook for 5 minutes. Crab legs, shrimp, clams and mussels only take a few minutes so make sure the potatoes and corn are almost done before you start adding the seafood.

Step 5 – Seafood last

When the potatoes and corn are done, add crab legs. With 3 minutes left, add shrimp, clams and mussels or whatever mixture you have. Cook until the shrimp are pink and the shells have opened on the clams and mussels.

Keep the lid on as much as you can to lock in flavor, but crack it slightly if it starts to boil over.

Serving Without the Fuss

When everything’s done, I drain it straight onto a big platter (or a rimmed baking sheet if you’re keeping it casual). Drizzle with brown butter, it’s just butter cooked until golden and nutty, and add lemon wedges and parsley. That’s it. No sides required unless you want that bread or cobbler we talked about earlier.

A pot full of all the ingredients for a seafood boil

PRO TIP: Remove any clams or mussels that did not open before serving. This means they were probably dead before you started and should not be eaten.

Little Tips I’ve Learned

Prep everything before you start. Once the boil’s going, you won’t have time to chop or measure.
Use jumbo shrimp if you can, they’re easier to cook without overdoing it.
Toss any mussels or clams that don’t open.

Crab legs and corn with mussels and shrimp on a platter

And remember, this is meant to be fun. Get people involved, hand them tongs, let them drop in the potatoes, have someone else watch the shrimp. You’ll get a better boil and better stories out of it.

How to Reheat

Seafood can be difficult to reheat, it can give off a strong fishy smell and can easily get dried out and rubbery. But if you have any left over, you want to be able to enjoy it the next day.

The oven is the easiest way. If you put it in the microwave, the shellfish will get rubbery. Instead place it in a casserole dish, sprinkle with water and cover with aluminum foil. Place it in the oven at a low temperature, 275º for about 10 minutes.

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.

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5 from 16 votes (12 ratings without comment)

Southern Seafood Boil with Shrimp, Crab, and Sausage

Old Bay Seafood Boil – A Southern Summer Tradition

Why This Works for a Crowd