Cast Iron Garlic Butter Seafood Boil (Restaurant-Level Flavor in One Pan)
If you’ve ever wanted to bring that steamy, buttery, wildly addictive seafood boil experience home, the kind you usually crack open at a coastal restaurant with a bib and a mallet, this cast-iron version is your golden ticket. It’s bold, buttery, garlicky, and packed with crab legs, lobster, shrimp, mussels, corn, and potatoes, all simmered in a spiced Cajun butter sauce that’s so good it should honestly come with a warning label.
This dish is loud, messy, indulgent, and absolutely unforgettable, everything a proper seafood boil should be.
It fills your kitchen with the smell of garlic butter and Old Bay.
It makes everyone gather around the table.
It guarantees you’ll need napkins.
It guarantees you’ll want seconds.
And best of all?
It all cooks beautifully in a cast iron pan, soaking up every bit of flavor.
Ingredients
Seafood
1 lb snow crab legs
1 lb large shrimp, peeled + deveined
1–2 lobster tails, halved
½ lb mussels or clams (optional but delicious)
Veggies & Add-Ins
2 ears corn, cut into chunks
1 lb baby potatoes
1 smoked sausage, sliced
1 lemon, halved
Fresh parsley, for topping
Garlic Cajun Butter Sauce
1 cup unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp lemon pepper
½ cup chicken broth
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1–2 tsp hot sauce (optional but recommended)
How to Make the Best Cast Iron Seafood Boil
1️⃣Par-Boil the Potatoes
Boil baby potatoes for 8–10 minutes until fork-tender. Remove and set aside.
2️⃣ Build the Cajun Garlic Butter
In your black cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Stir in Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, paprika, lemon pepper, and onion powder.
Your kitchen will smell unreal.
3️⃣ Add the Sausage + Corn
Toss sliced sausage and corn directly into the bubbling butter.
Cook 5 minutes to let everything soak up those spices.
4️⃣ Layer in the Seafood
Add crab legs, lobster tails, shrimp, and mussels.
Pour in chicken broth and Worcestershire.
Cover and steam 7–10 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through.
5️⃣ Add Potatoes + Finish
Stir in the par-boiled potatoes.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top.
Taste and add hot sauce if you want a kick.
6️⃣ Serve (and Prepare to Impress)
Garnish with parsley, serve straight in the skillet, and bring extra lemon wedges.
It’s messy, communal, and absolutely perfect.
Serve With
Crusty garlic bread
Steamed rice
Melted butter for dipping
Extra lemon + fresh herbs
🧊 Storage
Fridge: up to 2 days (seafood doesn’t keep long)
Reheat: steam on low with a splash of broth or butter
Tip: Shrimp reheats quickly… don’t overcook