🦀 Our Second Annual Seafood Boil
This year we hosted over 80 friends and family for our second annual Memorial Day seafood boil, and somehow it managed to be even more over the top than last year.
The sun was shining, the pool was open, drinks were flowing, and our backyard party officially kicked off the start of summer.
Featuring over 100 pounds of seafood, our guests spent the afternoon gathered around steaming pots, grabbing cold drinks from coolers, and slowly making their way back to the seafood table “just one more time.” Kind of like the bourbon bar in the basement...
The best part of the entire day is always the final seafood dump. Everyone crowds around the counter waiting for the reveal as giant crab legs, crawfish, lobster tails, shrimp, sausage, corn, and shellfish come pouring out onto the paper-lined table completely steaming hot.
It’s chaotic, loud, messy, and honestly one of my favorite moments of the entire year.
What started as “let’s do a seafood boil” has now fully turned into an annual tradition — and if you know my husband Ira, you already know subtle was never going to be part of the plan.
Around here, things tend to become productions very quickly, and our friends have learned to expect nothing less.
And yes… we even had drone footage this year flying above the backyard capturing the seafood table, the crowd, and all 80+ guests packed into one giant summer party. Watching it back honestly feels like the official start of summer has finally arrived.
🦞 The Seafood List
This year’s boil included:
- 10 lbs king crab legs
- 20 lbs 4 oz lobster tails
- 20 lbs large tail-on shrimp
- 40 lbs Louisiana crawfish
- 20 lbs smoked sausage
- 10 lbs mussels
- 5 lbs little neck clams
We also added:
- Mini corn cobettes
- 5 lbs mushrooms
- Lemons
- Garlic
Everything was seasoned using Louisiana Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil seasoning, which gave the entire boil that classic Cajun flavor and incredible aroma.
The corn and mushrooms were added directly into the seasoned holding tank so they soaked up all of that spicy seafood flavor while staying warm for serving.
🔥 The Cooking Process
Thankfully, we invested in most of our setup last year, so this year was mostly about pulling everything out of storage and turning our backyard into a full seafood boil station again.
Our setup included:
- Two 80 qt seafood boiling pots with strainers
- One pot for cooking seafood
- One holding pot for keeping everything hot
- Prep tables for organizing seafood and supplies
- Long wooden paddles for stirring
- Propane burners
- Outdoor handwashing station connected to the garden hose
For serving, we made a Cajun garlic butter using:
- 8 sticks unsalted butter
- Cajun seasoning
- Old Bay seasoning
- Fresh garlic
The butter stayed warm in a crockpot all afternoon for dipping crab legs, lobster, shrimp, and honestly… almost everything else on the table.
For the seafood itself, we kept the cooking broth around 210 degrees and worked in batches, starting with larger seafood first while carefully avoiding overcooking.
The holding pot stayed around 120 degrees and held the smoked sausage, corn, mushrooms, and cooked seafood until the final reveal.
And yes — the moment when everything gets dumped onto the counter is absolutely worth all the prep.
🍋 Hosting Setup
This year hosting felt surprisingly easy because we learned so much from last year and took everything one step further.
I made:
- Dirty rice with smoked sausage
- Cajun corn bread pudding
- Hurricanes
Meanwhile, our incredibly generous friends showed up with:
- Smoked leg of lamb
- Red beans and rice
- Cajun mac and cheese
- Red Lobster biscuits
- Burnt Ends
- Desserts, appetizers, and enough side dishes to feed another neighborhood
Honestly, one of my favorite parts of hosting is seeing everyone contribute something. It turns dinner into a full experience instead of just a meal.
Inside the sunroom, I set up several buffet tables with warmers so guests could drop off appetizers and sides throughout the afternoon.
Outside, we kept the seafood setup casual but intentional:
- Serving boats
- Crawfish bibs
- Coolers full of drinks
- Plenty of paper towels (VERY important)
Presentation is a huge part of the experience for us, so we purposely waited until most guests arrived before starting the final boil. We wanted everyone to witness the seafood dump while everything was piping hot.
It’s dinner and a show.
🦀 Tips for Hosting a Seafood Boil
Plan for More Food Than You Think
We intentionally make too much so guests can pack leftovers and keep the party going at home.
One thing people don’t realize is how much shell weight affects seafood boils. 100 pounds of seafood becomes significantly less once everything is cracked and peeled.
Don’t Overcook Seafood
Seafood cooks quickly, and overcooking ruins the texture. Work in batches and pay close attention to timing.
Prep Ahead
Before guests arrive:
- Wash produce
- Defrost seafood fully
- Organize serving stations
- Prepare butter sauce
Adding frozen seafood directly into the boil will drop the temperature too much.
Make Cleanup Easy
We line the countertop with:
- Plastic table covering
- Food-safe kraft paper
At the end of the night, cleanup is surprisingly simple — just roll everything up and toss it.
Accept the Chaos
Seafood boils are messy, loud, and a little chaotic… which is exactly what makes them fun.
And perhaps the most important hosting lesson:
The best friends are the ones who leave at a reasonable time after helping clean up.
Especially if your husband may or may not have had shared a little too much of his bourbon collection by the end of the night.