How to Host a Crawfish Boil

Boiled crawfish and corn on a Chinet Classic® dinner plate

Bring this Creole and Cajun tradition to your own backyard.

Even if you don’t live close to the Gulf of Mexico, you can still host this casual backyard soiree for your friends and family. The two most important things to bring to a crawfish boil? Big appetites and smiles. What not to bring? White pants.

What you’ll need:

Live crawfish (preferred) or frozen crawfish (3-5 lb. per guest)
Deep aluminum pot (60 quarts or more) with a basket and lid
Water (enough to cover shellfish)
Smoked sausage
Cobs of corn (each stalk cut into thirds)
Lemons
Lemon juice
Onions
Garlic
Red potatoes
Cajun seasonings
Newspapers
Long table
Chinet Classic® Lunch Napkins
Chinet Classic® Dinner Plates

Steps to set up:

Live crawfish are most likely going to be muddy and will need to be rinsed. If using frozen crawfish, they will need to be thawed.
Fill your pot up with water. Then add your Cajun seasonings, onions, lemons, lemon juice, red potatoes and garlic. The amount of these ingredients is dependent on how many pounds of crawfish you are boiling as well as personal taste.
Let the water get to a boil. After about 10 minutes, add your crawfish and boil for two minutes.
Add your corn and smoked sausage. Boil for approximately three minutes and then let it sit for about 15 minutes.
Separate everything from the water then pour onto the table with the newspaper, Louisiana style.