crawfish
How to boil crawfish (and turn it into a seafood boil)
A step by step crawfish boil for home cooks: buying, seasoning, boil and soak times, a seafood boil variation and what LSU AgCenter research says about purging and straight tails.
Key points
- A classic crawfish boil is simple: rinse live crawfish, bring heavily seasoned water to a rolling boil, cook the crawfish for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and let them soak up the seasoning.
- Salt does not purge crawfish. LSU AgCenter research found that adding salt to the wash water gives no significant advantage over plain water; only a 12 to 24 hour freshwater purge really empties the gut.[A]
- A straight tail after cooking is not a reliable sign that a crawfish was dead before it went in the pot, according to the same research.[A]
- Crawfish season broadly runs January to July and peaks March to May, which is the best time to buy live crawfish by the sack.[29]
Before you start: buying and planning
Live crawfish are sold by the sack or by the pound during the season. Our crawfish in Spring, TX guide lists where public listings show crawfish around Spring, and crawfish season in Texas explains when supply and size are at their best.
For a home boil we plan on about 3 to 5 pounds of live crawfish per person as the main course, closer to 3 pounds if there is plenty of corn, potatoes and sausage, and closer to 5 for serious crawfish eaters. That is our rule of thumb, not an official figure; appetites vary a lot.
Equipment
- A large stockpot with a strainer basket. For 10 to 15 pounds of crawfish, a pot of 60 quarts or more is comfortable.
- An outdoor propane burner. A full pot of water is too big for most kitchen stoves.
- A large cooler or tub for rinsing, a paddle or long spoon, and a table covered in newspaper or butcher paper.
Ingredients for about 10 pounds of crawfish
- 10 pounds live crawfish
- Crawfish boil seasoning: a commercial powder or liquid boil, used at the rate on the package, plus 1 to 2 cups extra salt if the blend is low in salt
- 4 lemons, halved
- 2 heads garlic, halved across the middle
- 3 onions, halved
- 2 pounds small red potatoes
- 6 ears corn, halved
- 2 pounds smoked sausage, cut in 2 inch pieces
- Optional: whole mushrooms, whole button celery or artichokes, which soak up seasoning well
How to boil crawfish, step by step
- Rinse the crawfish. Tip the sack into a cooler or tub, cover with cold fresh water, stir gently and drain. Repeat until the water runs mostly clear. Pick out and throw away any that are clearly dead before cooking, along with sticks and mud. There is no need to add salt: LSU AgCenter found it does not clean them any better than plain water.[A]
- Season the water. Fill the pot about halfway with water, add the boil seasoning, lemons (squeeze them in first), garlic and onions, and bring to a hard rolling boil. Taste the water; it should taste strongly of salt and spice.
- Cook the potatoes first. Add the potatoes in the basket and boil for about 10 minutes, until a knife goes in with some resistance.
- Add the sausage and corn. Boil for about 5 minutes more.
- Add the crawfish. Lower the crawfish into the pot. Bring the water back to a rolling boil, then boil for 3 to 5 minutes. The shells turn bright red.
- Turn off the heat and soak. This is where the flavor comes from. Let everything soak for 15 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then. Adding a bag of ice or cold water to the pot stops the cooking and helps the crawfish sink and absorb seasoning. Taste one after 15 minutes and keep soaking until the spice level suits you.
- Drain and serve. Lift the basket, let it drain, and pour everything out onto the table. Serve with extra seasoning, lemon wedges and a dipping sauce if you like.
Tip: if the crawfish are hard to peel, they were usually overcooked. Keep the boil short and let the soak do the work.
Turning it into a seafood boil
A seafood boil uses the same pot and seasoned water, with other shellfish added in order of cooking time. Our order: potatoes first, then sausage and corn, then snow crab clusters and whole shrimp, and crawfish last. Shrimp and crab need only a few minutes at the boil before the soak. If you want a buttery, saucy style, toss the drained seafood with melted butter, garlic and some of the boil seasoning in a large bowl before serving.
The FDA’s general advice is that most seafood should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F, and that shrimp, crab and lobster are done when the flesh is firm, pearly and opaque.[27]
Crawfish boil myths
- “Soak them in salt water to purge them.” LSU AgCenter researchers compared a plain water wash with a salt water wash and found salt made no significant difference. Only a 12 to 24 hour purge in fresh water really reduces what is in the gut, which is impractical for most home cooks.[A]
- “Don’t eat the straight tails.” The same research found no significant difference in tail curl between crawfish that were alive when cooked and those that had been dead, so a straight tail is not a reliable safety test. Overcrowding in the pot may be the cause.[A] Sort out dead crawfish before cooking instead.
Not cooking at home?
During the season, several places around Spring boil crawfish by the pound. See crawfish in Spring, TX for addresses and sources, and our seafood in Spring hub for everything else.
FAQ
How long do you boil crawfish?
In our method, 3 to 5 minutes at a rolling boil, then 15 to 30 minutes soaking with the heat off. The soak is where the crawfish pick up seasoning.
Do you need to purge crawfish with salt?
No. LSU AgCenter research found that salt in the wash water gives no significant advantage over plain water. Rinse them in fresh water until it runs mostly clear.
How much crawfish per person?
As a rule of thumb we plan about 3 to 5 pounds of live crawfish per person as a main course, depending on how many sides you cook.
Are straight-tailed crawfish safe to eat?
LSU AgCenter research found a straight tail is not a reliable sign that a crawfish was dead before cooking. The safer habit is to remove dead crawfish before they go in the pot.
When is the best time for a crawfish boil?
March, April and May, the peak of the season, when crawfish are larger and supply is steady.
Sources for this page
- FOX 8 (WVUE), “LSU AgCenter reveals truths behind crawfish myths”, 26 February 2014, quoting LSU AgCenter crawfish researcher Ray McClain. https://www.fox8live.com/story/24830951/lsu-agcenter-reveals-truths-behind-crawfish-myths/