Crawfish Boil Foil Packets (Printable Version)

Bold crawfish with corn and potatoes grilled in foil packets for an easy flavorful meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb cooked crawfish tails, peeled
02 - 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 ears corn, cut into 4 pieces each
04 - 12 baby potatoes, halved
05 - 1 red onion, cut into wedges
06 - 1 lemon, sliced

→ Sausage

07 - 8 oz andouille or smoked sausage, sliced

→ Seasonings

08 - 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning blend
09 - 1 tsp garlic powder
10 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 tsp salt
13 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

→ Fats and Liquids

14 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
15 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Garnish

16 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Set grill to medium-high heat, approximately 400°F. Allow time for grates to reach proper temperature.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine crawfish tails, shrimp, corn pieces, potato halves, onion wedges, sausage slices, and lemon slices.
03 - Drizzle the seafood and vegetable mixture with melted butter and olive oil. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. Toss thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly coated.
04 - Cut four sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, each approximately 16 inches long. Divide the seasoned mixture evenly among the foil sheets, placing ingredients in the center of each sheet.
05 - Fold up the short sides of each foil sheet, then fold the long sides inward, creating secure seals to prevent steam and liquid from escaping during cooking.
06 - Place packets seam-side up on the preheated grill. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and seafood is heated through.
07 - Carefully open packets, being cautious of escaping steam. Garnish each packet with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately with additional lemon wedges.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Zero cleanup magic: Everything cooks inside foil, so you're done before the sun sets.
  • Feeds a crowd with ease: Make four packets or forty—they grill the same way, letting you actually enjoy your guests.
  • Restaurant flavors at home: Smoked sausage, Cajun spices, and melted butter create that deep, complex taste you'd pay for.
  • Customizable for every preference: Swap crawfish for shrimp, add extra heat, or dial it back—the packet method handles it all.
02 -
  • Pre-cooked crawfish changes everything: If you use raw crawfish tails, add an extra 5-10 minutes to the cooking time and don't be tempted to peek early—they need that uninterrupted heat to cook through properly.
  • Potato size matters more than you'd think: Halving baby potatoes is the difference between tender insides and hard centers; if your potatoes are larger, give them a quick boil first or they'll still be crunchy when everything else is done.
  • Foil quality is not optional: Cheap foil tears, leaving you scrambling mid-grill; heavy-duty foil is your friend, and it's worth the small extra cost for peace of mind.
  • Sealing technique determines success: A loose seal means flavorful butter drips away and seafood cooks unevenly—crimp those edges like you mean it, but not so hard that you puncture the foil.
03 -
  • Prep your foil sheets and ingredients the morning of: Have everything cut and measured so assembly takes 5 minutes—the hardest part of this recipe is the setup, not the cooking.
  • Double-seal the seams if you're nervous about leaks: Fold the edge over itself, then crimp it again; the butter's too good to lose to a foil tear.
  • Serve the packets still in foil on a platter: It keeps everything hot and looks like you put real effort into presentation, even though you barely touched a pot.
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