Backyard boiler Kevin Burke shares the tricks of the trade he’s perfected over the years

Few rituals in the Louisiana culinary tableau inspire stronger opinions than boiling crawfish. From favorite vendors to the seasoning method to the length of the “soak,” the boil presents endless variations on a theme. Powerful convictions also exist over how to purge the mudbugs, what type of equipment to use, and what else to throw in the pot.

Backyard boiler Kevin Burke has given boiling crawfish a lot of thought—and practice. Growing up in greater New Orleans, he watched the men in his family lord over the boil. When he moved to Atlanta for work as a young sports marketing professional, it was his turn to be in charge. Burke found an underground source for fresh crawfish; a Louisiana transplant running a boiled crawfish stand agreed to sell him sacks out of the back. Burke boiled them for his friends and neighbors, becoming the most popular guy on the block, he jokes.

Returning to Louisiana years later placed him back in the company of experts. “I was no longer the best crawfish boiler in town,” laughs Burke, who owns a firm that markets Louisiana cultural events and is executive producer of the video series Louisiana Catch & Cook.

But repetition makes perfect. Every spring, he and his wife Emily entertain friends and family with multiple crawfish boils in the backyard of their Baton Rouge home. They recently completed an outdoor kitchen to make their gatherings more comfortable.

Burke’s boiling method has been earned by years of practice, along with expert advice from older family members. “Oh yeah, when it comes to crawfish there are a lot of opinions,” he says, chuckling. “You know there’s a saying that it’s not good to have too many cooks in the kitchen.”

Like most boilers, Kevin Burke deploys a well-worn playbook for turning out scarlet, perfectly seasoned crawfish. Here’s how he does it:

Find a vendor

For Burke, it’s the Garden District convenience store Country Corner. As the season progresses, vendors will sell larger so-called “select” crawfish. But a good purveyor, Burke says, will source from farmers who toss back smaller crawfish while on the boat even early in the season.

Choose your rig

Burke is a fan of Bayou Classic’s 82-quart stainless steel rig, which he says is easier to clean than aluminum. And while some backyard boilers have moved to high-performance rigs that boil water faster, Burke says no, thanks. “Those might be good for catering,” Burke says. “But a crawfish boil is a social event, and who wants to rush that?”

Purge the crawfish

Before dropping them in the pot, backyard boilers clean the crawfish, rinsing them well in a large tub to remove dirt and debris carried from their muddy habitats.

Season the water and let it come to a boil

This is where things get really personal, says Burke, a fan of Slap Ya Mama dry seasoning and other flavor enhancers like lemon, onion and garlic. But other boilers might place all manner of dry or liquid seasonings in the pot, or riff on trends like Viet Crawfish, which calls for fresh oranges, lemongrass and other additions.

Drop the mudbugs

The purged crawfish are dropped into the boiling water. Burke lets the water return to a boil, then turns off the heat and soaks the crawfish for 20 minutes. He sprays the outside of the hot pot down with a hose, mostly to hear the satisfying shhhh, he says. And he adds slow-melt ice to the water to ensure the crawfish don’t overcook.

Go crazy with extras

Burke adds the requisite corn and potatoes, but he doesn’t stop there. He places the potatoes, along with smoked sausage and whole artichokes, in the boil in a mesh sack so it’s easy to fish them out. And at the end of the cooking process, he adds frozen ears of corn. He also places shucked oysters in a small mesh colander atop the crawfish as they soak. The oysters gently poach, absorbing in the boil’s punchy seasoning.

This article was originally published in the March 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.