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!.
Juicy crab sauce is the crowning glory of seafood boils and crab dishes. Its buttery, spicy and herbaceous flavors take crab and shellfish to new heights. But what exactly gives this sauce its signature taste?
The base starts with butter, garlic and onion. An arsenal of spices add heat, aroma and depth. Other ingredients balance tanginess, savoriness and sweetness. Once combined, these components create an irresistible sauce that begs to be dunked and drizzled.
Let’s explore the main elements that make up juicy crab sauce’s complex, mouthwatering flavor profile. Understanding the key ingredients provides a blueprint to craft your own version or tweak recipes to suit your tastes.
Butter – The Foundation
Butter provides the luxurious, velvety base. Using salted or unsalted butter comes down to personal preference. Salted imparts a hint of saltiness while unsalted allows you to control seasoning. Whichever you choose butter delivers rich texture.
When making the sauce, the butter is typically heated until melted and foaming. This emulsifies the butter, meaning the milk proteins and fat separate slightly. As a result, the sauce becomes smooth and thick.
Butter comprises a significant portion of juicy crab sauce Some recipes call for up to 1 cup melted butter for 1 to 1 1⁄2 cups of sauce, This shows how integral butter’s creaminess is to the overall luscious mouthfeel,
Onions and Garlic – The Aromatics
Sautéed onion and garlic provide the aromatic backbone. Adding minced or finely diced onion contributes sweetness to balance the spice. Garlic supplies pungency and savory depth.
Cook the onion and garlic briefly in the melted butter to release their flavors before adding other ingredients. This infuses the butter with their essence.
Recipes vary in onion and garlic amounts. But expect at least 2 to 3 tablespoons of each for 1 cup of sauce. Adjust to your taste, keeping in mind more onion brings sweetness while more garlic boosts punchiness.
Spices – The Heat
No juicy crab sauce is complete without sizzling spice. The specific blend provides signature flavor. Common spicy elements include:
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Cayenne – Brings concentrated heat and smokiness.
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Crushed red pepper flakes – Supplies bright, acidic heat.
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Paprika – Adds mild sweet-spicy warmth and beautiful red-orange color.
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Black pepper – Provides subtle heat and woodsy flavor.
Recipes range from 1⁄4 teaspoon up to 1 tablespoon of each spice per cup of sauce. Start with less and add more to suit your desired spiciness.
Worcestershire Sauce – The Umami
This fermented condiment brings two key elements – savory depth and tang. The anchovies and tamarind in Worcestershire sauce give it intense umami flavor. The vinegar also supplies a subtle acidic bite that balances the rich butter.
Add just 1 to 2 teaspoons per cup of sauce so the Worcestershire doesn’t overwhelm. But it’s essential for that savory injection that makes juicy crab sauce so craveable.
Hot Sauce – The Vinegar
Hot sauce provides another bright, tangy contrast to the butter and spices. Tabasco is commonly used for its concentrated vinegar pinch coupled with chili pepper heat.
Alternatives like sriracha offer less vinegar kick but similar heat. Add hot sauce to taste, usually starting with 1 teaspoon or less per cup of sauce.
Lemon Juice – The Acid
Fresh lemon juice gives juicy crab sauce a brisk acidity. This brightens the flavors and cuts through the richness.
Lemon also supplies a touch of sweet-tart flavor. Add the juice of half a lemon per cup of sauce, then adjust as desired.
Chicken or Seafood Stock – The Moisture
Liquid is needed to bring juicy crab sauce together into a cohesive, pourable concoction. Seafood or chicken stock offers an umami richness that water lacks.
The stock loosens the sauce while contributing savory body. Use just 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup stock per cup of sauce so the flavor isn’t diluted too much.
Cajun Seasoning – The Spice Blend
No juicy crab sauce recipe is complete without Cajun seasoning’s entry of robust flavor. The blend contains spices like garlic, onion, black pepper and cayenne along with herbs such as oregano, thyme and basil.
Add approximately 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning per cup of sauce. Sprinkle a bit more on towards the end until you achieve the desired punch.
Customize for Personal Taste
Part of juicy crab sauce’s appeal lies in the many aromatic ingredients that come together in perfect balance. Adjust amounts of spices, garlic, hot sauce and more to personalize the flavor.
Tweak acidity with extra lemon or the sweetness with a dash of honey. Just maintain the fundamental butter, onion and garlic base along with spice blend and stock.
With this blueprint, you can capture the essence of juicy crab sauce. Then reinvent it to become your signature!
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.
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: Juicy Crab Sauce | Vlogmas Day 7
How to make juicy crab sauce?
If you’re wondering how to make juicy crab sauce, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a look. Garlic — 3 cloves, minced. Onion — 1 large, diced. Butter — 3 tbsp. unsalted. Chicken broth — ⅔ cup. Using a food processor, blend together the onion, garlic, and butter. Blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan, and simmer on low.
What is crab sauce made of?
Juicy crab sauce! Its tangy, flavorful sauce is easy to make and the perfect complement to any seafood dish. Made with a combination of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hot sauce, horseradish, garlic powder, and onion powder, this sauce is sure to tantalize your taste buds. Burst Of Flavor.
Can you use crab sauce on seafood?
Sauce — Remember that this sauce is not exclusive to crab, but it’s best when used on seafood. This juicy crab sauce recipe is healthy and easy to make. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal or a casual dinner party. Using a food processor, blend together the onion, garlic, and butter. Blend until smooth.
Can you freeze crab sauce?
Place the sauce in a freezer-safe container or a resealable freezer bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To Reheat. Juicy crab sauce, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight if it’s frozen. Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and heat it over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it’s heated through.