Down here in Louisiana, a good Cajun seafood boil is a way of life. Most folks know crawfish are the star of the show, but shrimp? They're another crowd-pleaser that'll bring that bold Southern flavor to the table. Whether it's crawfish, shrimp, or a mix of both, you're gonna end up with a pot full of good eats—but there's a little trick to getting it right.
The best part? You don’t have to mess with your favorite boil recipe one bit. The same seasonings, spices, and ingredients work perfectly for both. The only thing you'll have to keep in mind is how much seafood you’re cooking for your crew and how long each one needs to boil.
For this guide, we’re going to assume you already know how to cook a crawfish boil. If not, start here:
While many boilers have their own unique methods and ingredients, those resources will show you exactly how to boil seafood Louisiana style. We recommend starting with the traditional approach. You can’t go wrong with a classic seafood boil, and once you know the rules, you’ll be better at breaking them!
Once you’ve brushed up on your crawfish boiling know-how, come back here for information on how to cook a shrimp boil compared to crawfish.
First things first—if you know how to cook a crawfish boil, you also know that it’s better to have more seafood boil leftovers than hungry guests! In Louisiana, leftovers from a boil are a blessing—not a problem. Peel the extra crawfish or shrimp and use them for gumbo, étouffée, or po’boys the next day. When in doubt, buy more seafood than you think you’ll need. You never know when extra guests might show up (invited or not!), and once you start munching, it’s hard to stop.
When deciding how much seafood to get, it’s important to think about the crustacean itself. Crawfish come with big, tough shells and not a whole lot of meat compared to their size. Shrimp, on the other hand, are almost all meat with thin, light shells. So, when you’re buying for your boil, keep in mind that you’ll need more crawfish by weight to feed your crowd, while shrimp will go a lot further pound for pound.
If this is your first time learning how to cook a crawfish boil, or if you’re changing up the usual recipe with shrimp, here’s how much to get:
If you’re boiling with crawfish and shrimp, simply cut both quantities in half—1.5-2.5 pounds of crawfish and 1/4-1/2 pound of shrimp.
If you’re new to boiling shrimp, here’s the thing—you have to watch that timing like a hawk. Shrimp cooks fast, way faster than crawfish, and it’s easy to overdo it. Let them sit too long, and you’ll end up with tough, rubbery shrimp nobody wants. So, keep a close eye on the clock and the heat to make sure they come out just right—tender, juicy, and packed with flavor.
First, let’s start with how to cook a crawfish boil. Crawfish require approximately 3-5 minutes in boiling water to fully cook. After that, they should soak for an extra 25-30 minutes to fully absorb the flavors from your seafood boil seasoning.
The crawfish will be a bright red color when they’re done, but don’t depend on visual cues. Use our seafood boil paddle to eliminate the guesswork.
Shrimp only need to cook at a full boil for one minute or so before they’re ready, so you can toss them a few minutes after cranking your propane jet burner to high and right before starting the cool down with the Boil Boss crawfish cooler.
The shrimp will be a pinkish-orange color when they’re done. Some people remove them during the soaking period to prevent overcooking, while others prefer to let them absorb the spices.
With the Boil Boss cooling ring, you're able to drop the water temperature rapidly to ensure the shrimp do not overcook. We recommend bringing the pot to a rolling boil, adding your shrimp, cooking for 1-2 minutes at a rolling boil, cutting the heat, dropping the temperature with the boil boss crawfish cooler, soaking the shrimp for 5-7minutes, and removing them!
Even if you already know how to cook a crawfish boil or a shrimp boil, upgrading your crawfish cooking supplies makes your job easier and your feast tastier. And, because shrimp are much more delicate than crawfish, using the right shrimp boil equipment is especially important.
We invented innovative solutions that make seafood boils stress- and hassle-free experiences. Try our patented designs, and start cooking your seafood perfectly with ease!
Steamed vs. boiled crawfish is a hot topic among Louisianans who love a good Cajun seafood feast—and the same goes for shrimp. While it all comes down to personal preference, after years of hosting and attending seafood boils, we’re firmly in the boil camp. Here’s why!
Steamed vs. boiled shrimp and crawfish—let’s start the showdown!
Seafood boils are (quite literally) steeped in Cajun tradition. Here in Louisiana, people have been getting together to boil crawfish, shrimp, and other seafood since the 1700s. Good food with good company—what better way to pass a good time? The classic crawfish boil is a classic for a reason. That said, sometimes you may want to change it up to keep things interesting.
Struggling with slow, inefficient crawfish, shrimp, or crab boil burners? Traditional designs waste time and propane, making it tough to get perfectly cooked seafood every time. But with the Boil Boss Triple Jet Burner, those days are over. We created the patent-pending Boil Boss Triple Jet Burner to take the stress out of cooking and help deliver the results you want from your boil.