Spicy Instant Pot Seafood Boil

There’s something so fun about gathering around a table full of seafood, especially when it’s ready in a fraction of the time. I’ve been making seafood boils for years, but standing over a hot stove for hours wasn’t exactly my idea of a good time. That’s why I fell in love with making it in my Instant Pot instead.

What I really like about this method is how it keeps all those good flavors locked in while cutting down on the cooking time. It’s perfect for those summer get-togethers when you want to spend more time chatting with friends than cooking in the kitchen. Plus, cleanup is so much easier – just one pot to wash instead of multiple pans and strainers.

Whether you’re new to seafood boils or you’ve been making them forever, this Instant Pot version might just become your go-to method. It’s got all the classic flavors you love – the corn, potatoes, shrimp, and those amazing seasonings – but without the hassle of traditional cooking.

What Kind of Seafood Should I Use?

For a seafood boil, you’ve got lots of options to mix and match based on what’s available and what you prefer. The classic combination of shrimp, crab clusters, and lobster claws works perfectly, but you can adjust based on what’s fresh at your local market. For the shrimp, look for large or jumbo sizes (21/25 or 16/20 count per pound) – the EZ-peel variety makes it simpler for everyone to enjoy at the table. When it comes to crab, snow crab clusters are great because they’re easy to handle and crack, but you could substitute with king crab legs or even whole Dungeness crabs if you can find them. Fresh littleneck clams add a nice touch, but you could also use mussels or even add some crawfish when they’re in season.

Options for Substitutions

This seafood boil recipe is pretty flexible and you can make several swaps based on what’s available:

• Seafood: Feel free to mix and match your seafood based on what’s fresh or in season. You can use king crab instead of snow crab, add mussels instead of clams, or use crawfish in place of shrimp. Just keep the total amount of seafood similar to maintain the seasoning balance.
• Smoked sausage: Any smoked sausage works well here – try andouille for extra kick, kielbasa for a milder flavor, or even chorizo for a different taste. If you don’t eat pork, turkey or chicken sausage are good alternatives.
• Beer: Not a fan of Corona? Any light beer works fine. You can even skip the beer altogether and use chicken broth or additional water plus 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar for tang.
• Red potatoes: You can swap these with Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes. Just keep the pieces similar in size so they cook evenly.
• Louisiana pepper sauce: Tabasco, Crystal, or any hot sauce you like will work. Adjust the amount based on how spicy you want your boil.
• Cajun spice: Old Bay seasoning or your favorite seafood boil seasoning can work instead. If using Old Bay, you might want to add a bit of extra cayenne for heat.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making an Instant Pot seafood boil is adding all seafood at once – different types need different cooking times, so add shrimp and clams last to prevent them from becoming rubbery and overcooked. A common error is not layering ingredients properly – always start with potatoes and corn at the bottom since they take the longest to cook, then add sausage, and finally the seafood on top. To avoid a watery or bland result, don’t skip the beer (it adds depth to the broth) and make sure to use enough seasoning – the liquid should taste slightly saltier than you’d prefer since the seafood and vegetables will absorb some of the flavor. For the best results, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes before quick-releasing the remaining pressure, which helps the flavors settle and prevents the seafood from becoming tough.

What to Serve With Seafood Boil?

A seafood boil is pretty much a complete meal on its own, but there are some simple sides that can make it even better! Warm, crusty French bread is perfect for soaking up all that amazing buttery sauce – I always make sure to have at least one loaf on the table. A light coleslaw adds a nice fresh crunch that balances out the rich seafood, and it’s especially good with the spicy Cajun flavors. If you want to keep things super casual (which is what a seafood boil is all about), just spread some newspaper on the table, dump the seafood in the middle, and serve with cold beer and extra lemon wedges for squeezing over everything.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: If you have any leftovers from your seafood boil (which doesn’t happen often!), place them in an airtight container and pop them in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. The seafood and vegetables will stay good for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that seafood is best enjoyed fresh, so try to eat it sooner rather than later.

Save The Sauce: That tasty butter sauce can be stored separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to use it again, just warm it up gently – it’s great for dipping bread or drizzling over other dishes!

Warm Up: To enjoy your leftovers, gently warm them in a pan with a bit of butter or the saved sauce over medium-low heat until just heated through – about 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook, as seafood can get tough. You can also wrap everything in foil and heat in the oven at 250°F for about 10-15 minutes.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	20-30 minutes
Total Time	35-50 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2700-3200
• Protein: 150-180 g
• Fat: 150-180 g
• Carbohydrates: 150-200 g

Ingredients

For the seafood boil:

• 1 lb large ez-peel shrimp
• 3/4 lb snow crab clusters
• 3/4 lb pre-cooked lobster claws
• 6 fresh littleneck clams
• 3/4 lb smoked sausage links, cut into chunks
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 14 oz lager beer (such as corona, 2 small bottles)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
• 1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp louisiana-style pepper sauce
• 5 small red potatoes, halved
• 2 ears corn on the cob, husked and halved

For the garlic butter sauce and garnish:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
• Chopped italian parsley, for garnish
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Step 1: Prepare Clams and Ingredients

• 6 fresh littleneck clams
• 3/4 lb smoked sausage links, cut into chunks
• 1 cup diced onion

Place the littleneck clams in a bowl of cold, salted water to cover.

Change the water several times to help remove any silt and sand.

As you handle the clams, they should close—discard any that remain wide open or give off a foul odor.

While the clams soak, cut the smoked sausage links into chunks and dice the onion if not already done.

This makes the later steps move smoothly.

Step 2: Sauté Sausage and Onion

• 3/4 lb smoked sausage links, cut into chunks (from Step 1)
• 1 cup diced onion (from Step 1)
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Add the smoked sausage chunks and diced onion to the Instant Pot with olive oil.

Sauté using the sauté function until the sausage browns and the onions are fragrant.

Remove the browned sausage and set it aside.

Leave the onions in the pot to add depth of flavor to the cooking liquid.

Step 3: Build Flavorful Cooking Liquid

• 14 oz lager beer (such as Corona, 2 small bottles)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp Louisiana-style pepper sauce

Add the beer, water, Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, chopped garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and Louisiana-style pepper sauce to the Instant Pot with the sautéed onions.

Stir, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot to unlock all that flavor.

Step 4: Layer and Pressure Cook Potatoes, Corn, and Sausage

• 3/4 lb smoked sausage links, browned (from Step 2)
• 5 small red potatoes, halved
• 2 ears corn on the cob, husked and halved

Add the steamer rack to the Instant Pot, then layer the reserved browned sausage, halved red potatoes, and halved corn on the cob on top.

Secure the lid, set the vent to seal, and pressure cook on Manual/High for 4 minutes.

When done, use quick release to vent the steam.

I like to tuck a few corn cobs on the sides so they cook evenly.

Step 5: Add Crab and Lobster, Finish Pressure Cooking

• 3/4 lb pre-cooked lobster claws
• 3/4 lb snow crab clusters

After releasing the pressure, carefully open the cooker and add the lobster claws and snow crab clusters on top of the potatoes and corn.

Close the lid again, set the vent to seal, and cook at Manual/High pressure for another 2 minutes.

Use quick release to vent when the time is up.

Step 6: Steam Shrimp and Clams

• 1 lb large EZ-Peel shrimp
• 6 fresh littleneck clams (cleaned and drained from Step 1)

Open the pot and layer the shrimp and soaked clams (drained) over the other ingredients.

Place the lid back on, but leave the vent open so steam can escape, and use the steam setting for 5 minutes.

While the seafood steams, you can warm up your Bam sauce or garlic butter in a small skillet, if desired.

Step 7: Serve the Seafood Boil

After steaming, open the cooker and ensure the shrimp are opaque and clams have opened—discard any unopened clams.

Carefully transfer all contents to a large bowl or platter.

Pour about a half cup of the flavorful cooking liquid into your warmed Bam sauce or garlic butter, stir, and then drizzle this over the seafood boil.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

For extra zing, I love finishing the platter with a generous squeeze of lemon juice right before serving.