This Boiling Crab Sauce Recipe, also known as the “Whole Shabang,” is a spicy-sweet, buttery Cajun sauce that pairs perfectly with all your favorite seafood. Hints of Old Bay seasoning, cayenne pepper, lemon, and garlic come together to create a medium heat that’s ideal for your next seafood dinner.
Whether you’re planning a shrimp boil or looking to kick up your crab dishes’ flavor, this sauce for seafood boil will surely become a favorite. Plus, it’s versatile enough to complement a variety of seafood boil recipes.
Why You’ll Want to Make This Boiling Crab Sauce Recipe
- Flavor: A rich, garlicky butter sauce infused with Cajun and Creole spices coats every bite.
- Easy to Make: Simple ingredients come together in just 20 minutes.
- Perfect for Gatherings: This recipe serves a crowd, making it ideal for hosting.
- Customizable: Adjust the spice level to your preference.
Tips Before You Get Started
Here are some quick and easy tips to ensure your seafood dinner turns out perfectly every time.
- Use real butter, not margarine or substitutes, for the best flavor.
- Opt for fresh lemon juice and freshly minced garlic to enhance the sauce’s taste.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper to control the spice level according to your preference.
- If serving a crowd, double the recipe and keep warm on the stovetop.
Ingredients You Will Need for Boiling Crab Sauce
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- 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.
📝 Note: You can find the full recipe with ingredients and measurements in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
How To Make The Whole Shebang Recipe
Make Sauce
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.
Pick Your Seafood
Add 3 – 4 pounds of steamed or boiled seafood into a large bowl. You can also add cooked sausage, corn, or potatoes.
Toss and Serve
Pour the suace over the seafood and toss to coat everything well. If you prefer, you could also use a large food-grade bag to sauce the seafood in.
Pro Tip: Save some of the sauce to serve in small individual bowls as a dipping sauce.
Tips and Variation Ideas
- Seafood Options: This sauce pairs well with various seafood, including blue crab, Dungeness crab, snow crab legs, king crab legs, lobster, shrimp, crawfish, oysters, clams, and mussels.
- Vegetable Add-Ins: Enhance your boil by adding whole peeled onions, whole artichokes, potatoes, or crisp asparagus.
- Spice Level: Adjust the cayenne pepper to make the sauce spicier or milder, depending on your preference.
- Add extras: Corn on the cob, potatoes, and sausage make this a complete seafood boil meal.
- Storage: Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you are ready to serve the sauce over your favorite seafood, heat the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not allow it to boil, it could burn to the bottom of the pan.
⚖️ Need a big batch to feed a crowd? You can easily change the number of servings in the recipe card below by tapping 2x or 3x. The ingredient measurements will automatically double or triple. You can then tap print and there you have it, a recipe for a crowd.
Do you have a question about the recipe? Feel free to ask in the comments below. I’m here to help!
Boiling Crab Sauce Recipe
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
Ingredients
- 8 garlic cloves, fresh large size, peeled and minced
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 tablespoons Tony Chachere's Original Creole seasoning, or your favorite brand
- 1 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 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 sauce
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add two sticks of butter. Melt butter over medium-low heat2 sticks butter
- 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.8 garlic cloves
- Next, add Cajon seasoning, Old Bay Seasoning, smoked paprika, lemon pepper seasoning, sugar, onion powder, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, hot sauce, and water.1 tablespoons Tony Chachere's Original Creole seasoning, 1 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning, 1 tablespoon Smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, 1/4 cup 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.
Equipment
This sauce is fantastic! It’s very easy to make. I like that I can adjust the spice level to my family’s taste. It’s tangy & spicy with a hint of sweetness (I half the sugar content.).
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing.
Excellent, the sauce was perfect! I used two pounds shrimp, 1 pound of sausage, plus 1/2 pound small Yukon potatoes (cooked in air fryer) and three corns cut in half for six pieces. The family loved it!
Thanks for sharing Teresa. I love the sauce too. When I was shooting this recipe I kept moving the shrimp around so I could lick the sound off my fingers.
In south Louisiana we do something like this but add Lea & Perrin and white wine and cook the shrimp in the sauce right at the end, about 3 minutes. This way the flavors go all through the shrimp. It is served with French bread for dipping.
Just a suggestion.
Butch, I would love to try your recipe additions. Can you send me the measurements? [email protected]