This seafood boil sauce recipe is one for the record books. The rich sauce is made with garlic, butter, and a hint of spice. It goes well with seafood boils.
This simple sauce only takes 20 minutes to make and only needs a few simple ingredients. Get your favorite seafood ready and let’s make this tasty sauce!
This sauce is essential for seafood boil recipes. You have to try this recipe, whether you’re having a crab boil, a crawfish boil, a shrimp boil, or just want to dip your fish tails or snow crab legs. That being said, I can promise you that this will become your favorite seafood boil sauce and you will never want to go to a seafood restaurant again. Its such a treat for your taste buds.
Best part? Cooking time from start to finish is 20 minutes. Youll have a delicious seafood butter sauce on your plate in no time!.
Crab is a delicious shellfish that deserves an equally tasty dipping sauce alongside it The right crab dipping sauce helps bring out the sweet, briny flavor of the crab meat. It also provides moisture and contrasting textures to perfectly complement each bite.
With endless options for crab sauces out there, it can be tricky to know which route to take. Here is a comprehensive guide to selecting and making the best crab dipping sauces to enhance your next seafood feast.
Key Factors for Crab Dipping Sauces
Before diving into recipes, let’s go over some key considerations when it comes to finding the ideal crab sauce:
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Flavor – Think about flavors that pair well with sweet crab. Butter, garlic, lemon, and herbs are perfect picks. Spicy, tangy, and creamy sauces also work nicely.
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Consistency – Sauces with some body that cling to the crab meat are best. Aim for sauces with a glossy, silky texture.
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Purpose – Certain crab sauces work better for dipping vs drizzling or serving on the side. Keep your usage in mind.
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Pairings – Consider what you’ll be serving alongside the crab. Remoulade shines with crab cakes while butter sauce is ideal for simply steamed crab legs.
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Difficulty – Opt for quick, easy sauces on busy weeknights. Save more complex recipes for leisurely weekend meals.
Simple Crab Butter Sauce
Crab butter sauce is hands down the easiest, richest route to go for dipping cracked crab legs and claws. Here’s how to make it:
Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional: minced garlic, cayenne, herbs
Instructions:
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Let butter come to a boil then remove from heat.
- Skim milk solids from the top and pour clarified butter into a bowl.
- Whisk in lemon juice and salt. Stir in any optional seasonings.
- Serve butter warm for dipping steamed crab.
The brilliance of crab butter lies in its simplicity. Feel free to jazz it up with minced garlic, cayenne pepper, or fresh herbs.
Classic Crab Cocktail Sauce
When most people think of a seafood sauce, creamy cocktail sauce comes to mind first. It’s easy to make this classic right at home:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon horseradish (prepared or grated fresh)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until fully incorporated.
- Let chill for 30 minutes for flavors to meld.
- Serve alongside peeled crab claws or shrimp cocktail.
The ketchup base provides great clingability for dunking crab pieces into the sauce. Spikes of horseradish and hot sauce cut through the richness.
Lemony Aioli for Crab
Whipping up a quick garlic aioli is one of the simplest ways to add big flavor to crab. Lemon brightens up the creamy sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
- In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients until thoroughly blended.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
- Serve chilled alongside simply boiled crab legs.
The aioli can also be used as a dip for steamed artichokes or spread on sandwiches.
Spicy Remoulade with Crab
Down in New Orleans, remoulade sauce is the classic accompaniment for fried crab cakes, shrimp, and fish. This spicy, herby version amps up the flavor:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons Creole mustard
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients except paprika and mix well.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Finish with a sprinkling of paprika before serving.
The remoulade’s creamy base and spices are ideal for spreading on crab cakes.
Quick Dijon Crab Sauce
For an easy, tangy sauce that comes together in minutes, whip up this Dijon-spiked mixture:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Serve chilled with crab claws and shrimp.
The sharp mustard and touch of sweet honey offer great complexity of flavors.
Crab Cakes with Homemade Sauce
For the perfect pairing, whip up flaky crab cakes and match them with a zesty sauce like the options above. Or whip up a quick honey mustard or Sriracha mayo to use as the crab cake topping.
Whatever sauce you choose, use these tips for fantastic crab cakes:
- Use lump or jumbo lump crab meat for the best texture
- Fold in mayonnaise, egg, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and Old Bay seasoning
- Form cakes and refrigerate for 30 minutes before pan frying in butter or oil
- Top crab cakes with desired sauce and serve immediately
More Ideas for Crab Sauces
Beyond the recipes above, there are endless options for delicious crab dipping sauces. Consider these ideas:
- Tartar Sauce – Mayonnaise-based with capers, pickles, onions, and herbs
- Cajun Sauce – Spicy tomato-based sauce with bold Cajun seasoning
- Hollandaise – A rich, lemony, egg-based sauce
- Seafood Cocktail Sauce – Chilled sauce with tomato juice, horseradish, and lemon
- Brown Butter-Lemon Sauce – Nutty browned butter with fresh lemon juice
The possibilities are endless, so get creative with your own signature crab sauce!
Tips for Serving Crab with Sauce
Once you’ve made your crab sauce, use these tips for the best results:
- Chill sauces like aioli, remoulade, and cocktail sauce before serving
- Warm sauces like drawn butter or hollandaise gently before serving
- Offer several small ramekins of different sauce options for variety
- Set out lemon wedges for squeezing over sauce or crab
- Provide crackers, bread, or veggie sticks for scooping and dipping
- Garnish plates with fresh herbs like parsley, dill, or chives
With the ideal dipping sauce, crab instantly becomes a luxurious, restaurant-worthy meal. So break out your shell cracker and get ready to enjoy sweet, succulent crab meat taken to the next level with your handcrafted sauce creations.
What to serve with Seafood Boil Sauce
Eat this great recipe with fresh seafood or any seafood dish. If you need some inspiration, try these recipes:
For more, heres an entire post on what to eat with a seafood boil.
Old Bay seasoning, garlic, onion powder, red pepper flakes, onions, butter, brown sugar, chicken stock, lemon juice, and fresh parsley are all used in this seafood sauce recipe.
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 for 30 seconds at a time to keep the food from burning when you start cooking it again.
How to make Seafood Boil Sauce
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Put in the diced onions and cook for 5 minutes after the butter melts. After that, add the garlic slices and cook for three more minutes in the butter.
- Salt, pepper, onion powder, old bay, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes should be added now. Stir together and cook for 5 minutes. Then add chicken stock. Add the spices and stir them in. Let the sauce boil, then turn it down and let it cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Take it off the heat and add the parsley and lemon juice.
- Pour over seafood that’s been cooked, and use any extra as a dipping sauce.
Crab Legs – 4 Easy Ways + Flavored Butter Sauce Recipe
How do you make crab dipping sauce?
Pour the melted butter into a serving bowl and add a pinch of salt. Either serve the crab dipping sauce right away or use any of the 3 flavor variations below to enhance it: Stir in grated or finely minced garlic cloves. Roasted garlic would be delicious here as well. Finish the sauce with a pinch of cayenne pepper, tabasco and red pepper flakes.
What dipping sauce is best for crab?
Lemon Butter Sauce This lemon butter sauce, made with dry white wine and fresh dill, is the upgrade your next crab dish craves! Remoulade Sauce This Louisiana-style Remoulade Sauce is a smoky and tangy dipping sauce that’s perfect for crab, po’ boys, fried green tomatoes, and crab cakes.
How do you make crab butter sauce?
Most basic crab butter sauce recipes begin with these 2 simple ingredients: Unsalted butter – If you can, use a good-quality rich butter, like European-style butter. This variety has an extra 2% of butterfat compared to American butter, which may not sound like a lot, but the difference in flavor and texture goes a long way.
Are crab legs good dipping sauce?
Crab legs are a delicious and decadent seafood dish that is perfect for a special occasion. But what makes crab legs even better is a delicious dipping sauce. Here’s 10+ tasty dipping sauces for crab legs to try out! Serve the sauce in a small bowl or ramekin so that guests can dip their crab legs as they eat.