Crawfish season in New Orleans: when to go and how to eat a boil

Crawfish season in Louisiana runs roughly from winter into early summer, with the best stretch in spring, from about March into May, when crawfish are plentiful, large and at their cheapest. In New Orleans that is boil season: crawfish cooked in heavily seasoned water with corn and potatoes, dumped onto a newspaper-covered table and eaten by hand. Here is how it works and how to eat them like you have done it before.

When is crawfish season in Louisiana?

Crawfish start appearing in winter, often from December or January, and the season can run into June or July. The prime months are in spring. As the weather warms, supply rises, prices fall and the crawfish are bigger and meatier. Early in the season they tend to be smaller and pricier, and late in the season they get larger with harder shells. Weather affects every season, so availability and prices vary from year to year; check locally when you plan a trip.

Crawfish season overlaps with Lent, Easter and the busy spring festival calendar in New Orleans, so boiled crawfish and spring in the city go together. Crawfish are also central to Cajun cooking from the rural parishes west of the city, which is why the boil feels like a statewide tradition rather than only a New Orleans one.

What is a crawfish boil?

A crawfish boil is both a way of cooking and a social event. Live crawfish are cooked in a large pot of boiling water seasoned with a spicy boil mix, usually with whole potatoes, corn on the cob, and often garlic, onions, lemons and sausage. Then everything is drained and poured straight onto a table covered in newspaper, and people gather around and eat with their hands.

Timing matters, because everything shares one pot. A common approach is to start the potatoes first, since they take longest, then add the corn, and add the crawfish last, cooking them only until they turn bright red. Many cooks then let everything sit in the hot, seasoned water for a while so it soaks up more spice, which is why the potatoes at a good boil are often as popular as the crawfish.

It is one of Louisiana's great rituals: less a meal than an afternoon, with friends, family, neighbors and cold drinks, often in a backyard, at a church event or at a bar that runs boils on weekends.

How do you peel and eat boiled crawfish?

The local saying is "pinch the tail, suck the head". Step by step:

1. Twist off the head. Hold the head in one hand and the tail in the other, and twist and pull to separate them.
2. Suck the head, if you want. The head holds the crawfish fat (sometimes called butter) and the spicy cooking liquid. Many people consider it the best part. It is optional.
3. Peel the tail. Peel back the first ring or two of shell from the wide end of the tail to expose the meat.
4. Pinch and pull. Pinch the end of the tail and pull the meat out with your teeth or fingers.

Your first few will be slow and messy. By the end of the afternoon you will be fast.

How much crawfish should you order?

Boiled crawfish are sold by the pound, and for a party, by the sack, which holds a large amount, tens of pounds. Because most of the weight is shell, people eat a lot: a few pounds each is a normal serving for a hungry adult at a restaurant, and more at a boil. If you are not sure, ask staff how much people usually order, and add corn and potatoes on the side.

Where can you eat boiled crawfish in New Orleans?

During the season, look for:

• Seafood restaurants and boil shops, which sell boiled crawfish by the pound to eat in or take out.
• Neighborhood bars, some of which hold weekend boils.
• Seafood markets, where you can buy boiled crawfish to take to a park or picnic.
• Festivals and community events, where boils are often part of the day.

Boiled crawfish are mostly a spring thing, so outside the season many places stop selling them. Call or check before you go.

What are the rules at a crawfish boil?

If you are invited to a backyard boil, a few unwritten rules help:

• Peel your own. Unless you are feeding a small child, everyone peels for themselves.
• Keep your shells in a pile. Do not mix empty shells with crawfish others are still eating.
• Do not hog the corn and potatoes. They are for sharing.
• Help clean up. Rolling up the newspaper and breaking down the table is part of the day, and it is how you get invited back.
• Bring something. Drinks or ice are always welcome.

What other crawfish dishes should you try?

Crawfish turn up in many Louisiana dishes beyond the boil, especially in Cajun cooking: crawfish etouffee (crawfish tails in a thick, rich sauce over rice), crawfish bisque, crawfish pies, and crawfish in pasta, fried rice and dips. Outside boil season, these are a good way to taste crawfish, since frozen and peeled tails are available all year.

Once you know your favorite boil spot, share it. On Mosey you can rate the places you ate at and the dishes you ordered, with photos, save a list of spring crawfish stops and follow friends who know where the good boils are.

More guides to read next:

• Eating in the French Quarter without the tourist traps
• Creole vs Cajun food, and gumbo, explained for New Orleans visitors
• Po'boys and muffulettas: New Orleans sandwiches explained

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.