How much Crawfish per person for a Party or Crowd

How Many Pounds Of Crawfish Per Person in 2024

To figure out how many pounds of crawfish for each guest you need to also consider what other dishes like cooking up frozen corn are always a favorite. If you have lots of sides or other meats or fish then your crawfish meat is only one of many and people naturally will not eat as much and before your crawfish boil, you want to have that sorted.

No Worries – we have got you covered in our table below where we answer how do you calculate Crawfish per person for
—  crawfish is my main dish – how much per guest at a party
— crawfish meat is one of many dishes – so how much per person. (also if you are planning on light eaters)
Plus a lot of other filling side dishes like potato, sausage, shrimp or french fries (see how many you need for a large group) 

So now you can work out how many pounds to order for your crawfish boil.  For other Catering Quantities Per Person see our resource page.

Plus see here for the best side dishes to serve with fish

HOW MANY POUNDS OF CRAWFISH PER PERSON SHOULD I BUY?

If the crawfish boil recipe is the centerpiece or main dish I would plan on 6 pounds per person.

Now, what is the minimum number of crawfish you want to buy? For light eaters is 4 pounds per person is a safe weight to budget

Let’s also look at answering some specific cooked crawfish quantities per person for a big group before we get to our tables.

Also, see our handy table on How Many Shrimp Per Person for up to 100 people and how to perfectly pan fry shrimp.

Plus how much salmon per person for 20 people.

How many pounds of crawfish are in a sack of Crawfish?

Each sack or bag weighs 30 lbs. And getting a 30lb bag in crawfish boil season is the way to go!

How many servings of Crawfish does 5 lbs make?

Just one serve if it is the main dish, if very small eaters you may get two.

How many pounds of Crawfish do you need for 50 people?

You will need 350 pounds or 11.7 sacks (30lb sacks)

What if my big Group are Experienced Crawfish eaters

Creole folks or real passionate crawfish eaters can put away 5 to 7 pounds and easily come back for seconds. If it’s a long day or weekend event, or a Thanksgiving Cookout you may want to prepare 10 pounds a person if you have a Big Crowd.

How many Crawfish for Different Events and Occasions For A Big Group

• Buffet Style Requires Bigger Portions – 7lb per person
• Thanksgiving Lunch Portion Planner – 5lb per person
• BBQ – 5-10 pounds per person depending on how long the BBQ lasts
• Picnic 5 pounds per guest
• Tailgating 4-6 pounds

How To Make Your Own Crawfish Boil Like A Pro

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. Also, Cajun Crawfish is a really popular style, and who does not like to eat crawfish cooked this way!

The most important thing to know is that this is just about great food and having fun. So make your meal a success by mixing in some great Cajun dishes – including some savory gumbo and sweet treats and combine with your live crawfish.

HOW TO BOIL CRAWFISH

Use these key steps to start cooking.

1. Fill your big boiling pot half with water making sure you have just enough to cover the crawfish
2. Add some Crawfish Boil Seasoning and stir to combine.
3. Light up your burner to begin boiling the water.
4. Add the crawfish when the water is boiling strongly and cover with a lid so that they return to a boil quickly.
5. Let them cook for a maximum of 3 minutes because they continue to cook when removed.
6. Now it is seasoning time – sprinkle a small amount into your clean ice chest. Now put in your boiled crawfish and then add another layer of seasoning on top. A good rule is 0.5-1 lb of seasoning (depends on how strong your season mix is) for every 15 pounds of crawfish.
7. Shut the ice chest and shake to mix together.
8. Leave the ice chest closed for 15-20 minutes so that the flavors a taken up by the crawfish meat.
9. Serve on a Platter and enjoy your feast!

What ingredients can you put in Crawfish?

You can also use these in a crab boil or a shrimp boil.

• cajun seasoning
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• truffle powder

Also serving with smoked sausage, or andouille sausage with dipping sauce makes a great addition to a crawfish season boil.

How Long Does A Cooked Crawfish Last

To ensure longevity, leftover crawfish kept longer than 3 days should be frozen. To do so, ensure that raw boiling water at least one inch above the crawfish is maintained while they are being boiled. This prevents excessive overcooking and guarantees freshness after freezing.

If you order too much for your large group of crawfish eaters, they are just as delicious when cold the next day (stored in your refrigerator or a good ice chest completely covered with ice). What you can do is peel all the leftovers and make garlic (cayenne pepper) crawfish potato soup with the leftover potatoes, corn and crawfish – this dish is simple, uses all the leftovers, and is so delicious.

What are the different types of Crawfish?

Are Crayfish and Crawfish the same thing?

Crawfish, freshwater lobsters, mountain river lobsters, mudbugs, crawdads, or yabbies are all pretty much the same thing. Which term you use depends on where you live. Down south like Louisiana will usually say crawfish, whereas Northerners say crayfish for freshwater crayfish. Folks from the West Coast often use the term crawdad. In the Mississippi Delta, you guessed it they call them mud bugs.