This article provides a comprehensive guide to creating a delicious and keto-friendly seafood boil. Perfect for a summer dinner or a social gathering, this recipe is bursting with flavor and easy to customize. Drawing inspiration from the Louisiana Cajun tradition of community crawfish boils, this keto seafood boil brings people together to enjoy good food and company.
What is a Seafood Boil?
A seafood boil is a social event centered around seafood, similar to a fish fry, barbecue, or potluck. Attendees often bring dishes to share, creating a communal dining experience. This tradition originates from Louisiana Cajun culture, where crawfish boils were a way for communities to gather, eat, and enjoy each other's company.
Traditional vs. Keto Seafood Boil
Traditionally, a seafood boil involves boiling meats and vegetables in a large pot of water. However, this method can be labor-intensive and result in a large quantity of food. This keto-friendly version simplifies the process by using a sheet pan and incorporating low-carb ingredients, making it ideal for a family dinner. A traditional seafood boil usually incorporates ingredients that don’t fit within a ketogenic diet, namely corn and potatoes. However most other items you’d find in a seafood boil are very low carb. Shrimp, crab, lobster, crawfish and various sausage options are totally within your options to incorporate.
Key Ingredients for a Keto Seafood Boil
This recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients to create a flavorful and satisfying meal.
Shrimp
Shrimp is the star of this recipe, offering a low-carb and high-protein option. Raw shrimp without the head or tail is recommended for easier eating and cleanup, making it kid-friendly. Shrimp is a great keto-friendly seafood option since they are so low in carbs. They are also a good source of protein and are more mild tasting than most seafood.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Andouille Sausage
Andouille sausage adds a burst of flavor and texture to the boil. Ensure you choose a sugar-free variety to keep the recipe keto-compliant. Not only is this sausage bursting with flavor and some pretty amazing textures.
Low-Carb Vegetables
- Onions: Add a significant amount of flavor to the boil.
- Squash: Soaks up the flavors of the boil, enhancing the overall taste. Summer squash is used mostly for the color.
- Cauliflower: A low-carb substitute for potatoes, adding bulk to the dish.
Butter
Essential for coating the ingredients in spices and creating a flavorful broth. Butter helps to get everything coated in spices and makes the broth taste so much better! And, who doesn't love butter?
Broth
A combination of water and chicken broth provides the necessary liquid for cooking and creates a tasty broth. You also want enough liquid for an amazingly tasty broth after everything has cooked.
Seasonings
- Old Bay Seasoning: A classic seafood seasoning that adds a distinct flavor.
- Cajun Seasoning: Adds a spicy kick to the boil. Popular brands include Slap Yo Mama Cajun Seasoning and Tony Chachere’s Original Cajun Seasoning. It is a MUST to use Slap Your Mama Cajun seasoning. I am sure once you try Slap Your Mama Cajun seasoning it is going to be a staple in your pantry too!
- Salt and Pepper: Enhances the overall flavor profile.
Optional Ingredients
- Crab Legs: Add a touch of luxury to the boil.
- Cayenne Pepper: For an extra spicy kick.
Recipe: Low Carb Sheet Pan Cajun Shrimp Boil
This recipe provides a step-by-step guide to creating a delicious keto seafood boil on a sheet pan.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound Shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails off)
- 1 Link Andouille sausage (cut into slices)
- ½ medium onion (cut into wedges)
- 1 small yellow squash (sliced)
- 3 cups cauliflower florets
- Chicken broth
- Water
- Old Bay seasoning
- Cajun seasoning (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp butter (melted)
- Fresh garlic
- Lemons
Instructions:
- Prepare the Broth: In a large pot on the stove, combine chicken broth, water, Old Bay seasoning, garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil.
- Cook the Cauliflower: Add the cauliflower to the boiling broth and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Mix in the shrimp, sausage, and yellow squash.
- Season: Add cajun seasoning (if desired), salt, and pepper to taste.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the mixture on a sheet pan.
- Mix: Add sausage, zucchini, squash, cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper to the shrimp and then mix well.
- Cook: Bake in the preheated oven until the shrimp is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
- Melted Butter: Drain the remaining liquid from the boil and toss in the melted butter.
- Serve: Serve the boil on its own or with a side of cloud bread or keto cornbread.
Alternative Cooking Method
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cook Chayote Squash: Bring pot of salted water to a boil and cook chayote sqaush till fork tender, about 15 minutes.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine cooked chayote, shrimp, sausage, summer sqaush, lemons, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, butter, olive oil, salt & pepper. Toss to combine.
- Bake: Divide between two baking sheets and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Garnish: Sprinkle chopped parsley for garnish.
Keto Seafood Boil with Chayote and Summer Squash
This keto shrimp broil is a one pan seafood feast made ketogenic with the use of chayote and summer squash in place of corn and potatoes.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Chayote (or 2 average sized chayote squash) peeled and diced into bite-sized chunks with core removed
- 2 lbs Fresh or Frozen Shrimp thaw shrimp if previously frozen
- 2 links smoked andouille sausage thinly sliced
- 12 oz Summer Squash (or 2 average sized sqaush) thinly sliced
- 3 large lemons sliced into wedges
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 2 tbsp Italian Parsley for garnish finely chopped
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cook Chayote Squash: Bring pot of salted water to a boil and cook chayote sqaush till fork tender, about 15 minutes.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine cooked chayote, shrimp, sausage, summer sqaush, lemons, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, butter, olive oil, salt & pepper. Toss to combine.
- Bake: Divide between two baking sheets and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Garnish: Sprinkle chopped parsley for garnish.
Keto Seafood Boil Dipping Sauce
A flavorful dipping sauce enhances the taste of the seafood boil.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1 whole juice of lemon
- 4 tbsp chives finely chopped
Instructions:
- Combine Ingredients: Combine mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning, Dijon mustard, paprika, lemon juice, and chives.
- Mix: Stir until fully incorporated.
- Serve: Serve with the Shrimp Boil.
Spicy Dipping Sauce
For a spicy dipping sauce:
- Melt leftover butter.
- Add fresh garlic, Old Bay seasoning, or cajun spice.
- Squeeze a few lemons for acidity.
Seafood Boil Sauce Recipe
This seafood boil sauce recipe is one for the record books. It’s full of garlic and butter and a hint of spice for a rich sauce that pairs perfectly with seafood boils.
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Yellow Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- Homemade Seafood Seasoning mix: cajun seasoning, old bay seasoning, onion powder, and red pepper flakes
- Brown Sugar
- Chicken stock
- Lemon juice
- Fresh parsley
Instructions:
- Prepare Ingredients: Dice onions and garlic as finely as possible.
- Melt Butter: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Cook Onions: Add diced onions and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add Garlic: Add diced garlic and continue to cook in the butter for 3 minutes.
- Add Seasonings: Add in the cajun seasoning, old bay, onion powder, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Stir together and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add Chicken Stock: Then add chicken stock. Stir and allow the sauce to come to a boil then simmer for 6-8 minutes to thicken.
- Adjust Spice Level: Adjust the spice level to your liking by adding more (or less) red pepper flakes. If you want add extra spice, add a dash of hot sauce.
- Serve: Eat this great recipe with fresh seafood or any seafood dish.
Reheating Instructions:
Reheat the sauce two ways. For best results, add it to a pan over low heat and allow it to warm. You can also heat in the microwave in 30 second increments to ensure that the cooking process doesn’t start again and burn the ingredients.
Tips and Variations
- Vegetable Options: Customize the boil with your favorite low-carb vegetables, such as zucchini, bell peppers, or asparagus. Depending your flavor preferences depends on the veggies you are going to use.
- Seafood Variety: Add crab legs, lobster, or crawfish for a more diverse seafood experience.
- Spice Level: Adjust the amount of cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper to suit your spice preference.
- Seasoning Brands: Experiment with different cajun seasoning brands to find your favorite flavor. There are lots of cajun seasonings but my favorites are Slap Yo Mama Cajun Seasoning and Tony Chachere’s Original cajun Seasoning. Not all cajun seasonings are created equally. Some brands are salt free and others include salt in their blend.
- Chayote Squash: To prepare the chayote, you’ll first need to peel the outer skin before dicing it into bite size chunks. There is an inner core that is too tough to eat so that should be cut away and discarded. The chayote squash is also a little more dense than a potato so when cooking it you’ll need to add additional time (4-5 minutes more) to cook through. I boiled them prior to adding to the pan, but you could certainly bake them on the same pan before adding any additional ingredients.
- Corn Substitute: While a bite or two of some corn isn’t the worst thing on a ketogenic diet, it can add up if you’re watching your carb intake. So for that reason I simply swapped it out with some summer squash, mostly for the color. I do love the bright pops of yellow on the pan for presentation but if you’re not a fan, simply leave them out (or double up on the shrimp!).
Serving Suggestions
Serve the keto seafood boil on a large platter or directly on a table covered with newspaper for a traditional experience. Offer the dipping sauce on the side and provide lemon wedges for squeezing over the seafood.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Most of the time, I simply serve the boil all on its own because it has so many components to make a full meal. Sometimes, I'll serve it up with some cloudy bread or some keto cornbread. A single pan meal is not only wonderful for ease and cleanup, but the presentation is perfect as well. Pair it with the seasoned dipping sauce I’ve provided below and you’ve got a great dinner or entertainment option.
Other Keto Seafood Inspired Recipes
If you enjoyed this keto shrimp boil, you will love these other seafood-inspired keto recipes!