If you like spicy shrimp and seafood boil, then you will definitely want to make this copycat Boiling Crab sauce recipe, better known as the whole sha-bang. This spicy-sweet buttery sauce is the perfect cajun seasoning for all your favorite seafood. Sauce up your favorite seafood with a hint of old bay seasoning, cayenne pepper, lemon, and garlic, all wrapped up with a spicy, medium heat.
This great seafood sauce can be made ahead of time and then when your company arrives all you have to do is boil your seafood and veggies. Drain and toss in this spicy sauce and serve. If you are looking for some sides to go with your seafood try my coleslaw with cilantro recipe or this famous Green Jacket Salad.
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😋Why this sauce is so good
- This sauce is perfect for all types of seafood, veggies, and sausage.
- When you make your sauce, you can turn the heat up or down depending on your preference. If you like a really spicy sauce, add more cayenne pepper.
- The best part is that you can easily create a one-pot meal using this seafood boil recipe. Perfect for a family dinner or a big party.
🛒 Ingredient notes
This sauce is quick and easy to make before you start cooking your seafood.
- Butter: This is a proper butter sauce, so use real butter, not margarine or a butter substitute.
- Lemon juice: Pick a large fresh lemon to juice, not the green bottled kind.
- Garlic: Don't use already minced garlic. Get fresh garlic cloves and mince them yourself.
- Old Bay Seasoning: There are copycat brands out there, but it's best to be brand-specific on this one.
- Hot sauce: Use your favorite brand like Texas Pete, Franks, or Louisiana hot sauce.
- Cajun seasoning: My favorite is Tony Chachere's Original Creole for this recipe.
See the recipe card for a complete list and quantities.
🔪 Step by step instructions
In a medium saucepan, add two sticks of butter. Melt butter over medium-low heat.
- Add freshly minced garlic to the melted butter and simmer for 3 minutes. Be sure to stir the butter mixture continually. If it begins to boil, turn your heat down some. You want the mixture to simmer lightly.
2. Next, add Cajon seasoning, Old Bay Seasoning, smoked paprika, lemon pepper seasoning, sugar, onion powder, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, hot sauce, and water.
Simmer the seafood boil sauce over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring every so often, so it does not burn or stick to the bottom of your pan.
3.-5. Add 3 - 4 pounds of steamed or boiled seafood into a large bowl. Add the sauce and toss to coat everything well. You could also use a large food-grade bag to sauce the seafood in if you prefer.
⭐ Hint: Don't use all the sauce to coat your seafood and vegetables. Pour some in small individual bowls as a dipping sauce.
What seafood is best in a seafood boil?
The beauty of this spicy buttery sauce is that it goes well with so many kinds of seafood. The Boiling Crab restaurant is the originator of this sauce. You pick your favorite seafood for them to add the boiling crab recipe sauce (whole shabang sauce) to at the restaurant.
- Blue crab
- Dungeness crab
- Snow Crab legs
- King crab legs
- Lobster
- Shrimp
- Crawfish
- Oysters, Clams, and Mussels
🦀 How to use boiling crab sauce
The delicious sauce is an easy recipe to make and can be used in a variety of seafood dishes.
Low Country crab boil
Also known as Beaufort Stew or Frogmore Stew, this classic dinner turns out perfect when you sauce it with this boiling crab sauce recipe.
Our family tradition has been to eat a low country boil every Christmas Eve for the past 30+ years. Hence the reason for sharing this recipe with you.
picture
We fill a large stock pot with water and add my homemade seafood boil recipe in a bag.
Turn up your heat to a boil. Add potatoes to the boiling water. A few minutes later, add the corn, then sausage, and crab legs. Last, throw shrimp in the pot. We have found it is best to spread out cooking the ingredients so nothing gets overcooked.
- Snow crab legs
- Shrimp in the shell
- Red potatoes
- Fresh corn on the cob
- Spicy sausage
- Cocktail little sausage: We put these in for the kids because they don't like the larger spicy sausage.
Drain the seafood and veggies. Place it all in a big bowl or large plastic bag. Pour in your boiling crab sauce and toss to coat. That's it. It's dinner time!
💭 Cooking Tip
We cook our seafood boils outside in a large Stainless Stockpot with Basket. We hook our fish cooker burner up to a propane gas canister.
Louisiana crawfish boil
A crawfish boil is another family favorite. We cook it the same way we make our low country boil but only put in crawfish instead of shrimp and crab.
Shrimp boil
A shrimp boil recipe can consist of just shrimp, or you can add in sausage, lemon halves, potatoes, and corn on the cob. Dain and toss it in the boiling crab sauce.
🔀 Variations
Sometimes we do not follow an exact recipe when adding ingredients to our large stockpot. Some years we change it up by adding some of these ideas.
- whole peeled onions
- whole artichokes
- lime halves
- asparagus: I place a pound or so in a veggie mesh cooking bag
❓ FAQ
For easy cleanup place a plastic disposable tablecloth on the table. Next, line the table with several layers of newspaper. Toss your seafood boil right on the newspaper to serve.
Small crabs need to be cooked in boiling water for 8 - 10 minutes. Large crabs weighing around 2 pounds should be boiled for 15 to 20 minutes.
Bloves sauce has fresh onions, garlic, butter, and a variety of spices such as garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper, chili powder, and cajun seasoning mixes.
Storage tips
If you would like to make this a day or two before you need it that is just fine. Follow the recipe instructions. When finished cooking cool to room temperature. Pour into a glass jar and seal with a tight fighting lid. Will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Reheat the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not allow it to boil, it could burn to the bottom of the pan.
More dinner ideas
Love a recipe you've tried? 😋 Please give it a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
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Recipe
Boiling Crab Sauce Recipe; The Whole Sha-Bang Copycat
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 garlic cloves fresh large size, peeled and minced
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 tablespoons Cajun seasoning I like to use Tony Chachere's Original Creole seasoning
- 1 tablespoons Old Bay
- 1 tablespoon Smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper *optional If you like it spicy add 1 - 4 teaspoons
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add two sticks of butter. Melt butter over medium-low heat
- Add freshly minced garlic to the melted butter and simmer for 3 minutes. Be sure to stir the butter mixture continually. If it begins to boil, turn your heat down some. You want the mixture to simmer lightly.
- Next, add Cajon seasoning, Old Bay Seasoning, smoked paprika, lemon pepper seasoning, sugar, onion powder, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, hot sauce, and water.
- Simmer the seafood boil sauce over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring every so often, so it does not burn or stick to the bottom of your pan.
- Add 3 - 4 pounds of steamed or boiled seafood into a large bowl. Add the sauce and toss to coat everything well.
Notes
- Butter: This is a proper butter sauce, so use real butter, not margarine or a butter substitute.
- Lemon juice: Pick a large fresh lemon to juice, not the green bottled kind.
- Garlic: Don't use already minced garlic. Get fresh garlic cloves and mince them yourself.
- Old Bay Seasoning: There are copycat brands out there, but it's best to be brand-specific on this one.
- Hot sauce: Use your favorite brand like Texas Pete, Franks, or Louisiana hot sauce.
- Cajun seasoning: My favorite is Tony Chachere's Original Creole for this recipe.
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