An impressive meal made in one pot? I think so! This Chesapeake Seafood Steamer Pot recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd and is so delicious!
Made with shrimp, clams, mussels, snow crab and more, this fresh seafood boil is a fantastic way to impress a crowd and only dirty one pot.
This is a great way to enjoy shellfish and make expensive ingredients like crab stretch further.
Looking for more tasty seafood recipes? Check out Seafood Mac and Cheese with Old Bay, Maryland Style Smoked Crab Cakes, and Smoked Clams Casino: Pellet Grill Recipe.
Seafood Steamer Pot Recipe
Loaded with tons of flavor and a great mix of seafood and other less expensive ingredients like corn and potatoes, this recipe is the ultimate meal!
Now, when I tell you it's going to be a hit ... it is absolutely going to be a hit and you will be the talk of the town.
This recipe is a fantastic way to enjoy shellfish with a crowd without breaking the bank, if full of incredible flavor and is a great way to celebrate the holidays and indulge in great food.
Seafood Boil Ingredients
Shellfish: Get ready to head to the seafood counter at your local grocery store or fish market because you will need 1 lb of shrimp, 1 lb of clams, 1 lb of mussels, and 2 lbs of snow crab.
Meat: 1 lb of your favorite smoked sausage. If you've got the time, you can smoke your own. However, if you are looking to save time, you can use store-bought or substitute with Andouille sausage, which has some nice spice to it or use a milder sausage like kielbasa.
Vegetables: Classic ingredients of a seafood steamer recipe include four ears of corn on the cob and 1 lb of small potatoes. I like to use sweet corn, but you can use whatever corn you like as long as it is fresh. For the potatoes, I recommend baby potatoes, but see what you have handy or what's at the store!
For the Broth: This might come as a surprise, but you will need 16 oz of your favorite beer. Why? Because beer really helps enhance the flavor of the broth. You will also need two sticks of butter and two lemons.
Seasoning: I like to keep it simple and season with ¼ cup of Old Bay seasoning.
How to Make a Seafood Boil in a Steamer Pot
Boil the potatoes. Par boil your potatoes for 15 minutes until barely tender, then drain and set aside. Slice the sausage into 1-inch slices.
Add ingredients to the broth. Pour the beer, one stick of butter, and lemon juice into the pot. Bring to a light simmer.
Add ingredients. Layer your steam pot with corn, potatoes, sausage, snow crab, shrimp, mussels, and clams. While layering, add seafood seasoning over each layer.
Cook. Cook for about 20 minutes, Look for the mussels and clams to start opening up. Once you see them popping open, stir them around with the shrimp. As soon as the shrimp are cooked, pull the steamer basket up and pour them onto trays.
Serve and Enjoy. Serve with melted butter.
Tips, Tricks, and Variations for your Chesapeake Seafood Boil
Seafood: If you want to get fancy, you can add other types of seafood into the mix, like lobster tails and more!
Shrimp: Be sure not to overcook the shrimp! Overcooking seafood, especially shrimp, can happen very quickly, so keep an eye on it. You will know when your shrimp is ready because it turns pink and curls up a bit.
Clams and Mussels: Discard any clams that didn't open. Yes, they are a pain to find in the mix of a gigantic seafood boil but do not eat any clams or mussels that didn't open.
Seasoning: Looking to add more flavor to your broth? Consider using smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, dried thyme, or even bay leaves!
Garlic and Onions: You can never go wrong tossing garlic and onions into the pot if that is your style. I like using fresh garlic, but if you don't feel like chopping, you can use minced garlic or garlic powder.
Corn: Cut the corn into halves or thirds to ensure it cooks all the way through and faster.
Potatoes: I'm a big fan of just tossing in baby potatoes or red potatoes and making less work for myself. However, you can also use Yukon potatoes and chop them up.
Customization: One thing I love about a seafood steamer is that it is truly customizable, and you can toss in really ... whatever you want! The only thing I will advise is to be mindful of different ingredients' cook times.
What goes with a Seafood Boil?
Although this recipe truly is the ultimate meal, you can't go wrong with side dishes to really complete the meal! I recommend serving your steamer pot recipe up with:
- Homemade Spicy Honey Cornbread Recipe
- Classic garlic bread or cheesy garlic bread
- Add more vegetables to the table with broccoli or asparagus
- Add more potatoes to the table with White Cheddar Mashed Potato Casserole or Crispy Air Fryer Steak Fries
- Fresh green salad
What is a seafood steamer recipe made of?
Just like a classic seafood boil, this recipe calls for shrimp, crab legs, mussels, clams, corn, potatoes, and sausage.
What is seafood boil sauce?
A classic seafood boil sauce is a garlic butter sauce that is slightly spicy.
Now, depending on where you are and who makes it, you might find the classic garlic butter sauce to have a ton of heat to it or noticeable kicks of cajan seasoning.
When is seafood boil season?
Always! If you can find shellfish, you can make the recipe.
Summer seems to be a really popular time for people to kick back and steam or boil seafood with a cold one in hand.
However, you can enjoy this recipe year-round for any holiday, birthday, sporting event celebration, etc.
Storing Leftovers
Some people say seafood is better the next day, and I agree!
You definitely want to store any leftovers from your steam pot in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating Leftovers
AVOID THE MICROWAVE!
Whatever you do, please avoid the microwave. There is nothing worse than rubbery leftovers of something that tastes amazing.
When you are ready to enjoy your leftovers for a second, third, or fourth time, reheat in a pot with a bit of water or reheat in a pan with a bit of water.
Make your leftovers new.
Refresh your leftovers by turning them into something new and making seafood pasta! Or my Seafood Mac & Cheese.
This is a great way to stretch whatever leftovers you have into another meal or two with fantastic ingredients and flavors and only spend pennies on pasta.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Stock Pot: Depending on how large you make this recipe, I recommend grabbing a large pot with a steamer basket or a large stockpot.
Tongs: Gotta pull everything out somehow! Make sure you have a trusty pair of tongs alongside.
Seafood Fork: This handy tool is great for getting all those little pieces of crab and lobster out of the shell.
More Recipes Youll Love
Chesapeake Seafood Steamer Pot
Equipment
- 1 large pot with a steamer basket
Ingredients
- 1 lbs Shrimp
- 1 lbs Clams
- 1 lbs Mussels
- 2 lbs Snow Crab
- 4 ears Corn on the Cob
- 16 oz Beer
- ¼ cup Old Bay
- 2 sticks Butter
- 2 Lemons
- 1 lbs Small Potatoes
- 1 lb Smoked Sausage
Instructions
- Par boil your potatoes for 15 minutes until barely tender, then drain and set aside. Slice the sausage into 1-inch slices.
- Pour the beer, one stick of butter, and lemon juice into the pot. Bring to a light simmer
- Layer your steam pot with corn, potatoes, sausage, snow crab, shrimp, mussels, and clams. While layering, add seafood seasoning over each layer.
- Cook for about 20 minutes, Look for the mussels and clams to start opening up. Once you see them popping open, stir them around with the shrimp. As soon as the shrimp are cooked pull the steamer basket up and pour them onto trays.
- Serve with melted butter.
Comments
No Comments