To figure out how many pounds of crawfish you should order for your crawfish boil, you have to figure out a few things. For lighter eaters—or if you are throwing in a lot of other filling features like potato, sausage, shrimp, gator, or other low country boil items—then the minimum crawfish you want is 3 – 5 pounds per person. If crawfish is the centerpiece, count on 5 to 7 pounds per guest.
- 1. Determine the total number of guests. RSVP's are helpful.
- 2. Multiply the total number of guests by the pounds per person.
- Pounds per person is 3 to 10 pounds per guest depending on:
- If there is a lot of extra featured ingredients; and
- Eaters' appetite for crawfish. (Experience level.)
- 3. Add a couple extra pounds to the crawfish boiler for every 3-4 guests.
Truly experienced Creole crawfish eaters can put away 5 to 7 pounds and easily come back for seconds. If it's a long day or weekend event, you may want to prepare for 10 pounds a person.
For killer crawfish boils, make sure you buy your crawdads fresh and live for the best results cooking crawfish. The closer to the day and time of the boil, the better.
You can order crawfish online from crawfish farmers or get them local. Whether overnight delivery or pickup from a local vendor, make sure your delectable mudbugs are:
- Alive
- Clean, not caked in mud
- Delivered next day air or picked up local
- Consistent in size for even cooking
Never keep your crawfish more than three days. Never cook dead crawfish. (If they float when you clean them, they're dead.)
We doubt there will be any leftover. If there is, consider freezing boiled crawfish. Or, plan ahead and have take-away bags or tins for guests.
Aside from the tables, chairs, and setup for your Louisiana crawfish feast or Lowcountry boil, you will need some basics to cook your order of live crawfish.
- A large boil pot (also called a shrimp boil pots)
- Insulated gloves
- Wood-handled strainer or spoon
- Propane crawfish cooker
For cooking crawfish, you will also need basic ingredients:
- Onions
- Garlic
- Crawfish or crab boil seasoning or your own spice blend
- Corn on the cob (raw or frozen)
- Small potatoes, like new or fingerling potatoes
Other recommended ingredients:
- Lemons or citrus
- Bell peppers, hot peppers, or black or cayenne pepper
- Hot sauce
- Bay leaves
- Celery
- Shrimp, clams, oysters, crab, or other seafood stew features
- Cajun, Andouille, or spicy sausage (pre-cooked and cut into chunks)
