This Boiling Crab’s Whole ShaBang sauce recipe is incredibly easy to make and I’ve incorporated a lot of tricks that will save you time and money. This versatile sauce is absolutely to die for and pairs beautifully with virtually any type of seafood.
For more delicious seafood recipes try my Baked Tilapia, Grilled Shrimp Skewers, or these crispy Air-Fried Shrimp Patties. You can serve these with your homemade Boiling Crab sauce and some delicious and easy accompaniments.
What Is The Whole Shabang Sauce Recipe From Boiling Crab?
The Whole Shabang Sauce is extremely underrated and very few people have actually heard of it before.
This is exclusively prepared by The Boiling Crab restaurant franchise in America. Their menu is quite unique.
You first choose your seafood base, then your sauce, and finally, the spiciness level. This means you can mix and match different flavors as much as you’d like! Ultimately, it will take you a LONG TIME to run out of options!
Now, what makes this concept really special are the sauces you can choose from. They give the meal the most flavor. There are four options: Rajun Cajun, Lemon Pepper, a classic Garlic Sauce, and then finally, as the name implies, “The Whole Sha-Bang!”
This Boiling Crab’s Whole ShaBang sauce recipe is a mixture of all three previously mentioned. It has a strong Cajun, garlic, and lemon-pepper flavor with a buttery base that helps tie it all together.
It is a sauce that is packed with ingredients and packed with complex flavors. And what I love about making it yourself is that you can make minor changes to customize the sauce to your liking.
If you aren’t the biggest fan of lemon, you can reduce the amount of lemon zest in the recipes. And if you want to make it more peppery, increase the black pepper amount. It’s that easy and why I am showing you how to make it at home!
Choosing The Spice Level
For each of these sauces, you can choose different spice levels. You can make it non-spicy, mild, medium, or super spicy.
I personally wouldn’t say there is a “better” option. It comes down to what you are using the sauce for and what your preference is when it comes to spicy.
If I am making expensive shallots, I want to taste their natural flavor. Not hide it underneath a bunch of heat! In that case, I would use a non-spicy or mild hot sauce.
What You Will Need For This Sha Bang Sauce Recipe
As I’ve said before, there is a lot that goes into this Boiling Crab’s Whole ShaBang sauce recipe. But, to make your life easier, buy pre-made spice mixes.
For example, you can definitely make your own Cajun seasoning, but I just prefer buying some from the shop. I also did the same with the Old Bay spice.
You can also replace the lemon zest and black pepper with Lemon Pepper seasoning. However, I tend to struggle to find any in-store and it’s really easy to make at home.
Then, I also like to buy pre-minced garlic for this recipe because of the amount you need. If you cannot find any or don’t mind spending some time to make your own, you will need about 12-15 large garlic cloves to make 1/2 cup of minced garlic. You may even need more!
I also help tie the flavors together with a little bit of paprika and caster sugar. The sugar is especially important because it helps balance any tart flavors in the sauce.
The base of this sauce is made up of butter and water. You don’t have to add the water, but I like how it slightly “dilutes” the intense blend of flavors from all the spices.
And finally, the hot sauce. As I’ve said, you can decide how much (if any) you want to add. You can also use any brand that you like.
Tips And Tricks For Boiling Crab’s Whole ShaBang Sauce Recipe
- When adding the hot sauce to the sauce, only start with a teaspoon. Adjust the spiciness from there. You can always add more, but you can never take it away – at least it’s not a very easy task to do and takes a lot of time!
- You can help balance the flavors of the sauce by adding some sugar or salt. Don’t overdo it because again, you cannot take it away.
- Once the sauce is made, you can stir in some seafood and leave them to cook inside the sauce. Alternatively, you can serve the sauce over a pre-cooked dish.
- If you have any leftover Boiling Crab Seasoning, you can store it in an airtight container inside the fridge. If it hasn’t been contaminated with seafood, it will last up to a week. However, once you mix it with meat or vegetables, it will only last as long as that item. Seafood generally only keeps well for a day after it has been cooked.
- For the mixed seafood boil recipe, you can use any type of seafood that you’d like. Boiling crab offers a wide variety of options so I’ve just developed a mix that is hearty, rich, nutrient-dense, and extremely flavorful.
- If you do choose any type of seafood other than what I’ve included in the recipe, just make sure you allow them to cook for long enough. You should also think about when you incorporate them so they don’t overcook or undercook.
- If you have any leftover mixed seafood boil, you can store it inside an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two. I don’t love storing leftover seafood because it is highly susceptible to spoilage.
Boiling Crab’s Whole ShaBang Sauce Recipe – Deliciously Easy
Ingredients
For The Whole Shabang Sauce
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup minced garlic
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- Hot sauce of your choice, to taste
- 2 1/2 tbsp water
For The Whole Shabang Seafood Boil
- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into six chunks
- 2 lobster tails
- 1/2 pound crab legs
- 2 crabs
- 1/2 pound clams
- 2 ears of corn, peeled and cut into 4-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound pound shrimp or prawns
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
- Fresh lemon slices, for garnish
Instructions
Make The Whole Shabang Sauce
- Add a little bit of butter to a large saucepan and place it on medium heat.
- When the butter has melted, add the garlic and fry it for a minute or so. This will help make the garlic more aromatic.
- Once it's fragrant, add the remaining butter. Leave it to melt completely. Increase the heat slightly so that the butter starts to brown slightly. The garlic shouldn't burn at all!
- After the butter has browned and the garlic is toasted, add all of the spices and water. Mix the ingredients really well to ensure their flavors blend together seamlessly.
- Turn the heat to its lowest setting and leave the sauce to cook for roughly 10 minutes.
- To a taste test and adjust the flavors to your liking. This is where you can play around with the level of spice for the sauce.
- Next, you can either use the sauce as-is or add seafood to it. The sauce should be served warm (for the best flavor) and can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days.
Make The Whole Shabang Mixed Seafood Boil
- To start, fill a large pot with boiling water. It will be roughly 10 cups, depending on the size of your ingredients.
- Then, add the onion and garlic to the mixture. Bring the seasoned water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add a lid to the pot to make the water boil more quickly.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add the potato chunks. Leave them to cook for roughly 8 minutes. You can leave the pot uncovered and on medium-high heat.
- The remaining ingredients should be added in a specific order and for specific amounts of time. So, if you are leaving out (for example) the lobster tail, you should take away the cooking time. The previously added ingredients still need it. So in this example, the potatoes will cook for 8 minutes, then another 5 minutes before you add the clams, etc.
- When the potatoes have been cooking for 8 minutes, add the lobster tails. Leave them to boil for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, add the crabs, crab legs, clams, and pieces of corn. Stir the ingredients together well so their flavors blend. Leave these ingredients to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Next, add the shrimp or prawns – whichever you choose. These should only cook for 3 minutes.
- After the ingredients have fully cooked, drain the seafood boil from the water and keep it inside of the large pot.
- Then, add some of your homemade Whole Shabang sauce. You can decide how much you want to add.
- Stir in some butter to give the seafood boil a creamy finish.
- Finally, garnish your Whole Shabang seafood boil with freshly chopped parsley and fresh lemon slices.
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