Five Tips to Make a Seafood Boil on a Budget
Five Tips to Make a Seafood Boil on a Budget
Are you craving some well-seasoned, spicy, buttery, and tender seafood? A seafood boil stirred up in a traditional pot and smothered in garlic butter sauce and Cajun seasoning is all you need to satisfy your cravings.
Seafood boil is a perfect, traditional treat to serve at parties, gatherings, and festivals. Whether you are planning a beachside picnic or a housewarming party, a seafood boil will never disappoint. Prepared with luxurious shellfish and meaty sausages, the goodness of a seafood boil will always tantalize your senses.
Everyone knows that seafood boils are made with some expensive seafood including crabs, lobsters, shrimp, mussels, and clams. While the dish does sound costly, it should not always burn a hole in your pocket.
There are ways to enjoy the luxurious flavors of a seafood boil and dip your fingers in the meaty goodness of crabs without spending a fortune. In this blog post, we will share how you can make a seafood boil while staying within your budget. So, let’s get started!
What’s in a Seafood Boil
There are many variations of this classic, southern dish. Typically, crab legs, lobster tails, and shrimp are used as the star ingredients of this recipe. You can prepare it according to your own taste and style and try different combinations of seafood to stir up a perfect blend.
If you are trying a low-country seafood boil, you will often find it prepared with jumbo shrimp, potatoes, corn, and beef sausages. Crabby Bags’ all-new easy low-country shrimp boil is everything you need to satisfy your seafood cravings. It is brimming with exciting flavors and buttery goodness of the garlic sauce. If you are looking for a ready-to-cook option, Crabby Bags' perfectly seasoned boil bags will introduce you to the true taste of the South without making any effort.
How to Make a Seafood Boil on a Budget
There are many ways you can make seafood boil on a budget and enjoy a scrumptious meal without splurging. Here are some tips to avoid burning a hole in your pocket while making a seafood boil.
Use Snow Crab Instead of King Crab
While king crab is one of the most popular options for making seafood boils, they can be ridiculously overpriced. They have a short harvesting season and are available for a limited time, which makes them an expensive option compared to snow crab legs.
Undoubtedly, there is a huge difference when it comes to the taste of the two crabs. Snow crabs have a snowy white meat that is firm and sweet, but also a little briny in flavor. Their meat also holds together better. King crabs, on the other hand, have very tender, sweet, and delicate meat that often tastes like lobster meat.
There is a significant price difference between snow crab and king crab. If you want to make seafood on a budget, you should probably consider getting snow crab legs. They taste heavenly in garlic butter sauce, and if paired with smokey sausages and shrimp, they will end up giving you the best seafood boil.
Crabby Bags also have an easy-to-cook snow crab boil bag that is seasoned to perfectness! Try the Original snow crab boil and sweet heat snow crab boil to give your taste buds an unforgettable treat.
Use Lobster Tails
Many seafood lovers argue that lobster claws and knuckles have the tenderest, sweetest meat, and we completely agree. But it can usually cost you an arm and a leg and still may not be enough to feed your entire party.
The claw meat is usually more sweet and tender but claws are heavy compared to the actual meat within. You end up with only 30% meat and more than 70% claw wastage when you choose to go with lobster claws. It is more wise and budget-friendly to go for lobster tails when preparing a seafood boil as their shell is thinner and has more meat inside.
Shop Local
It’s best to turn to your local fishmongers for seafood. They usually have super fresh, local seafood that will be cheap and flavorful. It’s best to visit these shops early in the morning so you can pick fresh seafood at reasonable prices.
Most supermarkets usually do not keep items like crab legs and lobster tails. And even if they do, the prices are higher compared to the fish market.
Mix and Match
You can toss a variety of seafood into your boil instead of just focusing on one main ingredient. For instance, if you want to wow your guests with a tenderly cooked and spicy seafood boil with lobsters, you can add more than just lobsters in the broth.
Preparing a seafood boil with just lobsters can cost you a lot. Add pieces of the lobster tail but also add mussels, clams, and shrimp. Mussels and clams are usually inexpensive, taste amazing in the cajun-flavored broth, and expand the amount of your dish to feed the whole party.
You can add any two seafood ingredients and add mussels and clams on top to stretch the quantity. This will save you precious bucks without ruining the authentic flavors of the seafood boil.
Cut the Sides
While adding sides like cornbread, garlic bread, fries, and salad can elevate the experience of your seafood boil, cutting them is the best option if you wish to stay within budget.
People usually come to seafood boils to enjoy the succulent flavors of seafood, veggies, and meat. Cutting the sides and focusing on just providing the best seafood boil to your guests will be enough to satisfy their cravings.
You can add beer or soft drinks alongside your seafood boil if you are skipping the sides. A chilled drink will compensate for the heat and spices and you will be all good to go!
If you are also looking forward to enjoying a delicious seafood meal with your friends and family, then Crabby Bags have got you covered! Visit their website right now and add your favorite products to your own custom box!