Seafood always feels like a deluxe meal. There’s no better way to make a crab boil than in an oven bag. The flavors are sealed in and everything is cooked to perfection!
It’s the first day of a new decade and what better way to ring in the new year, than with a lit new recipe?! Traditionally, a new year’s meal consists of things like fish, greens, and beans. However, this year I felt like changing it up in my house. I wanted to share a seafood recipe that would be perfect for upcoming Super Bowl events, Valentine’s Day, or really any night you or your family wants to have some delicious seafood.
This Oven Bag Crab Boil uses Dungeness crab legs because they contain the most meat of any variety. You can also use snow crab legs if you are on a budget or can’t find Dungeness. To get the right feel of a low country boil we also use extra-large shrimp, andouille sausage, corn, and red potatoes. It’s literally a bag of seasoned and juicy seafood!
Glam Kitchen Ingredient Tips
- Fresh lemon juice is always best, but you can also use the bottle if you have it on hand.
- Mincing fresh garlic cloves gives the best flavor, but the jar works in a pinch.
- I used Dungeness crab but any crab legs of your choice will work.
- If you want a lower sodium option, use a salt-free Lemon Pepper Seasoning and also select the reduced-sodium variation of Old Bay.
- If you can’t find andouille sausage or aren’t a fan, feel free to try smoked sausage. You can also substitute turkey smoked sausage to cut back on the fat.
Special Equipment
People often wonder about using slow cooker liners or oven bags/turkey bags. Are they really safe? Why are we using plastic to cook? Turns out these are made from heat-resistant nylon, which a lot of cooking and serving utensils are made out of!
Using an oven bag not only locks in flavor and moisture, but it also makes for easy cleanup – just toss the bag and wipe out your dish!
You can also serve your meal right in the cooking vessel by dumping the cooked bag contents into it. You won’t have those baked-on marks from oil and seasoning, so it will still look pretty on the table.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare your corn and potatoes by roughly chopping. Layer them in the bottom of the oven bag, set in a casserole or baking dish.
Layer the remaining proteins, one by one.
Add seasoning, lemon, and aromatics. Tie up according to directions.
Bake as directed and enjoy!
As always, please let me know how the recipe turns out for you, and enjoy!

Oven Bag Crab Boil
Ingredients
- 2 pounds crab legs I used Dungeness crab legs
- 1 pound XL raw shrimp deveined with shells off (you can leave the shells on if you prefer
- 6 ears corn on the cob
- Old Bay seasoning
- lemon pepper seasoning
- paprika
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
- 2 sticks unsalted butter melted
- 4 ounces low sodium chicken broth
- 1 large lemon cut in half
- 8 cloves garlic chopped
- 12-14 ounces andouille sausage cut into 2 inch pieces
- 4 medium red potatoes cut into quarters
- 1 oven bag I used the turkey size
- 6 cups water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- In a large pot, add water and boil the corn and potatoes for 18-20 minutes on high heat (to ensure potatoes are cooked through )
- Remove from heat, drain and set aside
- In a large pan, lay out the oven bag
- Add the cooked potatoes and corn to the bag
- Generously season with old bay, lemon pepper, and paprika
- Add the andouille sausage to the bag
- Add the crabs and shrimp
- Generously season with more old bay, lemon pepper , and paprika
- Top with garlic, 1 tablespoon parsley, and slice half of the lemon
- Pour in melted butter, chicken broth, and squeeze the other half of the lemons juices over the seafood
- Close the bag with tie or tie a knot in the bag
- Gently shake the bag so that the seasoning and juices evenly distribute(be careful not to rip the bag because the crab legs are sharp)
- Place pan in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes
- Remove from the oven and open the bag
- In another large pan or serving platter, arrange the contents of the bag
- Spoon the bag juices over the crab boil
- Sprinkle remaining parsley over it
- Sprinkle more lemon pepper or old bay (optional step)
- Serve and enjoy !
Question. The 6 cups of water is to boil the potatoes and corn. Is that correct?
Yes ❤️
What do you suggest for lit meal prep and lunch boxes??
I made a list on my Instagram , check it out ❤️ I also have a meal prep ebook
I like the idea of the bag. Its an improvement on the in the kitchen “clam bake” in a pot of steaming water.
Is the 40-45 minutes in the oven the correct amount of time? It seems like a long time for seafood in the oven. I wanna make this tonight but I don’t want to overcook.
Yes , that is correct. It will still come out tasty. But if you want to reduce the cook time you can ❤️
No, I’m going to make it the exact same way that you suggest, i just wanted to confirm. Do you think i could add lobster in that bag for the same time as well?
I would add the lobster the last 15 minutes
Oooh looks yummy! Can’t wait to try it! What brand of chicken broth and lemon pepper do you recommend? Thank you!!
Thank you ! I use McCormick brand lemon pepper and really any store brand unsalted chicken broth
I made this last night and it was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and everything came out amazing! I am looking now to see which recipe is next 🙂
can you use salted butter
Yes
Thanks
You’re welcome ❤️
I will be cooking this today
I’m going to make this today
Awesome ! Enjoy
On the ingredient list, are the crab legs and shrimp cooked or raw? From the picture it looks like cooked crab legs and raw shrimp.
Thanks
Raw shrimp and raw crab legs -crab legs from the seafood case normally have that cooked look
My new fave! I love seafood but I hate the cleanup especially when the craving hits on a busy weekday. Tried this the other day and am doing it RIGHT now to kick back and enjoy with a hurricane to drink. Thanks!
Yassssss so happy to hear that !!! And perfect drink to pair it with !
Just made this and it came out amazing!! I didn’t use shrimp but the idea of the oven bag is a God send ! Thank you for sharing ! Posting pics to my IG and I will definitely tag you !!
Yassss!!! I am so happy to hear that !!! Yes please share !
Pictures coming, i am feeling confident this is a winner recipe and meal.Fingers cross gonna do this at a friends house.Like some else sad the cooking bag is an amazing twist to reducing the clean up. Thanks for sharing. Be back later with my report.
You’re welcome and yes let me know !!❤️
Why do you add the chicken broth to the bag for extra flavor or something…. Second question why not add seafood broth?….
You can add seafood broth if that is your preference , I add it because it gives me the desired final product taste that I like ❤️
Tried this recipe it was a hit…so delicious! Thanks for sharing ❤
I am so glad you enjoyed it ! And you’re welcome ❤️
Does it matter if the crabs and shrimp are frozen? Or do they need to be thawed out?
Thawed ❤️
My daughter wanted to go to a local restaurant for her birthday dinner that serves the crab boil. Due to the pandemic we were not able to done out so I looked on Pinterest to get ideas and I’m so glad I found this page! I followed the recipe exactly except I doubled all the ingredients for my large family lol it was AMAZING! It looked, smelled and tasted sooooooo good!!! My daughters and son said they preferred mine over the restaurant! Absolutely delicious & super easy! THANK YOU! I wish I could post a pic for you!
Hi I follow your IG and can’t wait to make this. Can you suggest a sausage substitute for people like me who don’t eat pork? Thanks!
Hi, beef sausage or chicken sausage !❤️
If I wanted to substitute scallops for some of the shrimp when should they be added? Cook for how long? Thanks!!
If I were making scallops I would make them stove top and add them when the oven bag crabs is done ❤️
The recipe was delicious however the shrimp and a snow crab legs were overcooked
Thank you -and in the future just shorten the cook time to your liking ❤️
Is the sausage pre cooked or it cooks once in the oven with seafood? Going to try this weekend.
Smoked sausage is usually cooked But it still needs to be cooked and will cook with the boil
I’ve made this twice for my family and it came out perfect both times. The first time i used a smoked turkey sausage, prawns, and lobster claws, and added cajun seasoning = Excellence. The second time i used cajun seasoning, chicken andouille sausage, prawns, scallops, and lobster tail = Perfection. Thank you, thank you, thank you! My family thinks I’m pretty amazing because of this recipe 😉
I am so happy to hear that and thank you for supporting !!!!❤️❤️
I’ll be making this tomorrow
Yayyy❤️❤️
The corn was too dry. I used fresh ears and after 15 minutes of boiling and 30 minutes in the oven the corn was very dry. Next time I will add the corn to the oven but still boil the red potatoes. The flavor was on point my sister and the recipe was very easy to follow.
Awww – thank you I will update it to say I used frozen corn since it’s available year round . If you’re using fresh corn you definitely want to increase the cook time
It came out good. How do I thicken up the sauce in the bag
I’m glad to hear that ! And it’s a loose sauce so I wouldn’t recommend making it thicker but if you wanted to I guess you could use a little corn starch and water
Hello and good evening!!! I would like to know the measurements for the old bay and lemon seasoning if u can give one ? Im kinda heavy handy with Dawson if and don’t want it to be to salty thank you
There is an old bay Shortage and I cant Find any anywhere. What can I use as a substitute?
Tony chacheres ❤️
Sorry for the delay – for old bay you can use a tablespoon ans lemon pepper 2 teaspoon
Sorry for the delay – a little corn starch and water ❤️
can i use microwave oven to cook this instead?
No
I planned to try this way to make a “Boil” and after all was ready to go, I found out I didn’t have “oven bags” I bought Slow Cooker liners! So I adapted this into a slow cooker version, using the seasonings you posted and “Janed” it a little more for an excellant result. I loved the flavors combos and used just water and not much of it so the ingredients steamed instead of boilng. I used Zaterran’s Anduollie sausage and it added great flavor and heat to the mix. I did pre boil the potatoes and corn, and they layerd them into the same broth I pre boiled them in with a bit more seasoning, and put my large peeled and cleaned shrimp in frozen, than two clusters of snow crab, frozen. I cooked on high for an hour and then switched to low. I added a stick of unsalted butter to the top. This will be my new way to do a boil from now on. The kitchen stayed cool and all the ingredients were flavorful and tender without being over cooked. Thanks. Next time I have oven bags, I might go back and try again!’
Awesome !
Does the sausage need to be seared in a pan or cooked to any degree before adding to bag?
No, you can add raw sausage , it will cook in the bag
Do you need to shake at any point during the bake time?
Made this for Christmas and it was a hit! Thank you for this great recipe!
No❤️
Yasss- I’m so happy to hear that !
What kind of dipping sauces do you serve with this?
The butter from the oven bag ❤️
How many people does this approximately serve?
4-5
Can I do this without using the bag
Made this tonight with Sam’s Club lobster claws, the Two Fish Shrimp & Snow Crab leg pack from the grocery store (including its Chi way sauce since it had the same ingredients), Klements Polish Kielbasa (I live in Milwaukee so gotta keep it local), frozen corn on the cob niblets & fresh baby red potatoes. I added dried chives instead of the fresh parsley, and a bit of the dry white moscato I was drinking as I put everything together (I also have a Sauvignon Blanc I will drink/pair with this so that could have gone in instead). I added extra no-salt lemon pepper, Tony Chachere’s & Old Bay. I also made some Sam’s Club Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits to go with this.
Guess what though: I put the whole bag together without having first pre-boiled the potatoes & corn! I was worried for about a few seconds & put my oven on for 50 minutes total (at 425F only for the 15 mins it took to make the biscuits first so I could have one as an appetizer).
PERFECTION!!!! Thank you Ms. Shauntay for this awesome home experience!!!!
Your dinner sounds like it amazing 😻 you’re welcome !!
Hi Shauntay. Love your recipes. I wanted to know if I can add shrimp, lobster tails or scallions to this recipe? Also, the spice blend would it be a good mix for these or other seafood rather than the typical butter with lemon combo? Plz advice. Thanks 🤗.
Hi, shrimp is already in the recipe . You can add lobster tails and scallion . And you can play with any seasonings you have at home if you want to change anything up ❤️
Confused about how much old bay. As a first timer I have no clue if I should dump the whole bottle or measure it out
My older recipes don’t have seasoning measurements – I would say start with 2 tablespoons and you can always adjust later