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This Instant Pot Crab Boil is the very best way to enjoy a low country boil recipe any night of the week! Just break out your pressure cooker and 4 pounds of crab to get started.

 

 

Your whole family will enjoy this quick instant pot crab boil recipe! This is one of our favorite meals and the fact that it’s an easy meal makes it all the better.

If you love Instant Pot seafood recipes, you’ll love this perfectly tender Shrimp Scampi too!

This crab boil doesn’t take long, but everyone will enjoy my Cajun Cream Cheese Shrimp Dip with crackers while they wait. For a fast and yummy dessert, try my Air Fryer Peach Hand Pies.

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Crab Boil

Seafood boils hold a special place in my heart. These community feasts are rooted in the coastal regions of the south and New England. That’s part of why I love this easy recipe. Here’s why you’ll love it:

• A true crab boil can take hours to prepare, but this instant pot seafood boil has a cooking time of just 10 minutes!
• With classic Old Bay seasonings and your favorite hot sauce, the ingredients of the crab boil in this recipe will be a hit with your friends and family.
• I’m certain my garlic butter recipe is the perfect dip to serve with seafood.
• Gathering the whole family around a crab boil is a great way to spend time together connecting and making memories and that’s the best part!

If you’re in the mood just for some crab and your favorite side for an easy dinner, you’ll love these easy oven-baked Crab Legs.

For a great addition, make these golden-brown delicious hush puppies to go on the side.

 

More Instant Pot Recipes to Love

Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Instant Pot Taco Spaghetti

Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi

What Crab Is Best For A Boil?

There is certainly some debate about which crabs are the best to use for your crab boil. In Maine, Dungeness Crabs are preferred. In South Carolina, you’ll find blue crabs are the specialty. Other crabs used for seafood boils include Snow Crabs and King Crabs. 

So, no matter where you find yourself enjoying a seafood boil, and whether it contains snow crabs, blue crabs, crawfish, or oysters, with corn, sausage, and red potatoes, if you’re sitting at a table eating with your fingers and making a mess with friends, family or strangers, you’re bound to have a great time with this instant pot recipe!

Can I Use Frozen Crab?

Yes! Frozen crab will work perfectly in this instant pot crab boil recipe. Because it’s frozen, add about 2 extra minutes to the cook time.

Why Use Pressure Cooking for a Crab Boil?

The high pressure of an Instant Pot lets you make your family meal so much quicker!

We’re talking less than 25 minutes including prep time versus an hour if you were to boil everything in a large pot. If you used your slow cooker, it would take over 5 hours!

Pressure cooking pushes steam through the food and that steam includes all the yummy spices which infuses into the food.

So, there’s no doubt, pressure cooking is the way to go!

 

Kitchen Equipment

The most important kitchen tool you’ll need for this instant pot crab boil recipe is an instant pot or pressure cooker. Here’s a list of all the kitchen tools needed to have your own instant pot crab boil.

• 6 quart Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
• Kitchen Knife
• Measuring Spoons
• Measuring Cups
• Sauce Pan
• Slotted Spoon

Ingredients for Instant Pot Crab Boil

Once you’ve gathered the necessary kitchen equipment, you’ll want to have these ingredients on hand to make your own easy instant pot seafood boil:

BABY POTATOES: I’m using the medley of baby potatoes. You can also use small red potatoes or gold potatoes.

ONION, diced: White or yellow onion.

SWEET CORN, cut in half or thirds: If you want to make it easier, you can purchase the already cut sweet corn.

OLD BAY SEASONING: The best seasoning for any crab boil!

WATER or PILSNER BEER : I use water, but it is common to use beer to add a little more depth of flavor.

4 lbs of CRAB (or less, as needed): Dungeness crab or king crab work well. I’m using Dungeness.

HOT SAUCE (optional): If you like a little heat, just one tablespoon will add a touch.

SLICED LEMONS: For garnish, serve with a slice of lemon to squeeze over the crab boil.

I like to serve my instant pot crab boil with GARLIC BUTTER drizzled on top or on the side as a delicious dipping sauce. Here’s what you’ll need to make the Garlic Butter:

• 1/4 cup of butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

 

Prep

There’s not much prep in this recipe, which just just another reason to love this seafood boil! 

1. Before you begin, you’ll want to dice the onions and cut the corn into thirds.
2. Then, mince the garlic and chop the parsley for the garlic butter sauce. 

How To Make Easy Instant Pot Crab Boil Recipe

The instant pot takes all the guesswork out of this easy seafood boil recipe with a cook time of just 10 minutes and servings for 8 people. Here’s how to make your own tonight:

STEP 1: First, place the baby potatoes, diced onion, and fresh corn in your Instant Pot.

STEP 2: Then, sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of the Old Bay Seasoning and add the water or beer, whichever you prefer.

 

 

STEP 3: Secure the lid on your pressure cooker and set to manual for 5 minutes. Then, quick release.

STEP 4: Next, add the crab. You can use more or less than four pounds depending on the size of your instant pot and the number of guests you’re feeding. Add the remaining Old Bay seasoning and the optional hot sauce to the Instant Pot. Make sure the crab is sitting on top of the vegetables, not submerged in the liquid.

 

STEP 5: Then, secure the lid on the pressure cooker and set it to manual for 5 minutes. Use the quick release option.

STEP 6: After releasing the pressure, stir the contents of the crab boil and place the lid back on the Instant Pot to keep it warm while you prepare the garlic butter  (see directions below).

STEP 7: To serve, use a slotted spoon to dip out a bowl of delish crab boil.

 

How To Make Garlic Butter Sauce

Seasoned butter is a must have if you ask me!

1. To begin making the optional garlic butter sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute before removing it from the heat.
3. Next, add the lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley to the saucepan and stir.

When the garlic butter is ready, you can serve it on the side as a savory dipping sauce. You can also drizzle the melted butter over the crab and vegetables after plating.

Variations and Substitutions

Seafood boils are iconic in the coastal United States, but each region has their own special spin on this traditional dish. Here are some regional variations you can try with your next intstant pot crab boil recipe.

• Embrace Cajun tradition by adding crawfish, rice, and cajun seasoning to create your own instant pot jambalaya! Substitute cajun spices for Old Bay seasoning in this instant pot recipe.
• Try your hand at the Lowcountry’s iconic frogmore Stew by adding smoked or andouille sausage and jumbo shrimp to your instant pot crab boil recipe as they do in South Carolina.
• Serve your instant pot seafood meal on brown paper with a side of slaw the way they do it in the Chesapeake Bay area.
• You can also add clams and sausage for a New England variation that’s undeniably delicious!
• Instead of lemon juice, serve this instant pot boil recipe with fresh lemon wedges.
• Swap out the pilsner beer for chicken broth to keep the extra flavor without the alcohol.

 

What Compliments A Seafood Boil?  

One of my favorite things about a seafood boil is that you can serve it up all by itself! There’s potatoes, vegetables, and delicious crabs to create a complete meal all on its own. If you’re looking for side dishes to serve up along side your seafood boil, try serving it with slaw as they do in the Chesapeake Bay or one of these other side dishes:

• Fresh Baked Bread (with my garlic butter sauce of course!)
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Hush Puppies
• Biscuits
• Cole Slaw
• Cornbread

Storing Leftovers

If you have leftovers, store then in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat, you can steam it again in your instant pot, simply put it on the steam function for 4 minutes or until heated through.

 

This easy instant pot crab boil will bring you all the warm memories and fun of a summer seafood boil any night of the week! I just know your family will enjoy this delicious combination of seafood and vegetables.

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