Enjoy a seafood extravaganza at home with a Viet-Cajun Seafood Boil! A vibrant and bold combination of Cajun spices and Vietnamese flavors. Dig into this incredibly delicious, garlicky, and spicy feast filled with lobster, shrimp, clams, corn, and potato. Spicy garlic butter completes the meal!

this recipe

What is a Viet Cajun Seafood Boil?

A Viet-Cajun Seafood boil is a classic seafood boil — with a Vietnamese-Cajun style of seasoning. The combination of Vietnamese and Cajun flavors comes from the influx of Vietnamese refugees who settled on the Gulf Coast (Texas and Louisiana). They overcame significant adversity to create a uniquely American cuisine: Viet-Cajun!

All the components of a delicious seafood boil — lobster, clams, shrimp, andouille sausage, corn, and baby potatoes — are cooked in a spicy and flavorful broth. Combining Vietnamese ingredients (lemongrass, fish sauce, lots of garlic) with Southern seasoning (Old Bay seasoning, cajun spices) makes the average seafood boil truly spectacular.

Serve with a spicy garlic butter dipping sauce to round out the meal. And don’t forget the flavorful broth used to boil all the delicious seafood! It can be served as a side soup or an additional dipping sauce.

I also like to serve with Miso Garlic Bread to mop up all the juices. Cold beer and hot sauce are also a must!

As a bonus, a Vietnamese Cajun Seafood Boil doesn’t require much cooking at all. You’ll need a pot that’s big enough to boil everything together. And sheet pans for serving. One of my favorite ways to host and such a delicious and extravagant meal.

Crawfish Boil vs Seafood Boil

A Vietnamese-Cajun boil typically includes fresh crawfish. In Houston’s many crawfish restaurants, Viet-Cajun crawfish is a popular flavor. Crawfish are a shellfish that look like a mini lobster. Small, meaty, and more affordable than lobster — it has significant cultural roots and history in the South and Louisiana in particular.

However, if you don’t have access to live crawfish, a general Seafood Boil is also very good. Swap with whatever seafood that’s accessible in your area. For my recipe, I use lobster instead of crawfish. The seasoning and flavoring are still delicious!

Ingredients:

• Lobster. One lobster per person for a decadent, luxurious meal. Can be swapped with fresh crawfish.
• Shrimp. Look for large head-on shrimp with tails. They make for an extra flavorful broth.
• Andouille Sausage. A smoked sausage that’s full of flavor. If you like spicy, look for spicy andouille sausage.
• Clams. Sweet, littleneck clams release their juices and are such a tasty treat!
• Corn. Summersweet fresh corn is a classic addition. Cut ears into halves or thirds for easier eating.
• Red Potato. Little red potatoes add a starchy element and soak up all that flavorful broth! They also keep their shape better than yellow potatoes.
• Garlic + Ginger + Lemongrass. The flavorful aromatics.
• Fish Sauce. Adds so much umami-rich flavor and adds an overall seafood richness. I recommend Three Crabs or Red Boat Fish Sauce.
• Cajun spices. Look in the spice aisle for ready-made Cajun spice blend. If it doesn’t contain salt, you’ll need to add salt to the broth.
• Cayenne. Add ground cayenne pepper to the spicy garlic butter.
• Old Bay. A classic seasoning for seafood dishes.

Instructions:

1. Make spicy garlic butter sauce. In a small saucepan, add butter, garlic, lemongrass, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Cover and set aside.
2. Make broth. Fill a large pot with 6 cups of water. Add garlic, lemongrass, ginger, fish sauce, Old Bay, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer until flavors combine, about 5 minutes.
3. Add smoked sausages and potatoes. In an even layer, add smoked sauges and red potatoes. Cover and boil for 8-10 minutes. (Sausages and potatoes take longer to cook than shrimp, clams, and corn.)
4. Add shrimp, clams, and corn. In an even layer, add shrimp, clams, and corn directly on top. Cover and Boil until clams open and shrimp turn pink, another 4-5 minutes.
5. Transfer to sheet pan. Use a mesh strainer and transfer the sausage, potato, shrimp, clams, and corn to a sheet pan. Leave behind the broth and aromatics (garlic, lemongrass, ginger).
6. Add lobsters. Add lobsters to the remaining broth. Cover and boil until bright red and cooked through. Transfer lobsters to tray, placing on top of the sausage, potato, clams, and shrimp.
7. Serve. Bring the sheet pan with the seafood boil to the center of the table. For the broth, remove the remaining aromatics. Transfer the strained broth into small bowls. One bowl per person for sipping and dipping. Transfer spicy garlic butter sauce into individual bowls for each person as well. Eat immediately and enjoy!

PRO Tips:

• Set a timer. Pay attention to the cooking time so everything is not overcooked and mushy. I recommend setting a timer for each layer.
• Spread out newspaper for a tablecloth. For easy clean up. The seafood boil is very messy to eat. The newspaper will soak up the juices and make for a relaxed, casual vibe.
• Essential sides: Miso Butter Garlic Bread, cold beer, and plenty of napkins!

Helpful Kitchen Tools:

• Large Stockpot. You’ll need a very large stockpot to contain the Viet-Cajun Seafood Boil. I bring out my largest stock pot — not my regular everyday stockpot — for this festive meal.
• Sheet pan. For serving, arrange cooked seafood onto a sheet pan and bring to the table. The rimmed sides will contain all the juices.
• Lobster Crackers. Makes it easier to crack open the lobster.
• Kitchen Sheers. *Optional.* If you have them, serve at the table with the lobster crackers. They can be used to snip the lobster tail shells.
• Small Ramekins. For the garlic butter dipping sauce. You’ll need 1 ramekin per person.

More Recipes:

• Lemongrass Chicken Soup
• Instant Pot Viet Chicken Soup
• Crispy Fried Fish Sandwiches
• Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Base Soup)
• Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
• Seafood Soondubu Jjigae

Viet-Cajun Seafood Boil

The Subversive Table | Lis Lam

Enjoy a seafood extravaganza at home with a Viet-Cajun Seafood Boil! A vibrant and bold combination of Cajun spices and Vietnamese cuisine. Dig into this incredibly delicious, garlicky, and spicy feast filled with lobster, shrimp, clams, corn, and potato. Spicy garlic butter completes the meal!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Viet-Cajun

Servings 4

Calories 1079 kcal

Equipment

• Small saucepan
• Large Stockpot
• Mesh Strainer
• rimmed sheet pan *for serving

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Spicy Garlic Butter Sauce

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 head garlic (about 12 cloves) (minced)
• 1 stalk lemongrass (bruised and minced)
• 2 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 10 grinds freshly cracked pepper

Broth:

• 6 cups water
• 4 stalks lemongrass (bruised and minced)
• 2 heads garlic (halved)
• 3-inch piece ginger (sliced)
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
• 2 Tbsp Cajun/Creole seasoning

For the Seafood Boil:

• 2 lbs red potatoes
• 4 smoked sausages (cut in chunks)
• 3 lbs clams
• 2 lbs shrimp (with heads and tails intact)
• 4 ears corn (cut into thirds)
• 4 1lb -1.5lb lobsters (make sure they are all the same weight for an even cook time)

Instructions

 

Make Spicy Garlic Butter Sauce:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, lemongrass, cayenne, and salt. Simmer until softened and flavors combine, about 5 minutes.

Make Broth:

• Add water, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, Cajun seasoning, and Old Bay into large stockpot. Bring to a boil and simmer until flavors combine, about 5 minutes. The broth should be flavorful and spicy, almost too salty.

Add ingredients:

• Add potatoes and sausages. Cover and boil for 8-10 minutes, until potatoes are almost done. (The potatoes and sausages take longer to cook than clams, shrimp, and corn.)
• Add clams, shrimp, and corn. Cover and boil until clams open and shrimp are pink and curled, about 4-5 minutes.
• Using a mesh strainer, transfer potatoes, sausages, clams, shrimp, and corn to a tray. Leave behind broth and aromatics (garlic, ginger, lemongrass). Cover tray loosely with foil and set aside.
• Bring broth to a boil. When the broth is furiously simmering, add lobsters. Cover and boil until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. The lobsters should be bright red. Transfer to tray with tongs.
• Serve with Spicy Garlic Butter Sauce divided evenly into 4 ramekins. Also, serve the broth in small bowls for additional dipping. Enjoy!

Notes

*I use N’wlins Cajun Seasoning, which contains salt.  Check the label of your cajun seasoning.  If it doesn’t include salt, taste the broth and adjust.  You can add more salt or fish sauce if necessary.  

Nutrition

Calories: 1079kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 69gFat: 67gSaturated Fat: 36gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 551mgSodium: 1933mgPotassium: 2178mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3787IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 302mgIron: 8mg

Keyword Seafood Boil, Viet-Cajun

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