Here’s the thing about crawfish delivery: You can’t get live crawfish shipped everywhere in the United States. Not all of the major crawfish providers deliver out of their states or regions. Additionally, some states have limitations on where you can ship live crawfish. If you live in the following places, you cannot get live crawfish delivery unless you order from a local vendor:
- Hawaii
- Washington
- Michigan
- Illinois
- Wisconsin
- Pennsylvania
- Minnesota
- Idaho
- Oregon
That said, folks living in these states can still get frozen crawfish. In fact, many prefer this method of crawfish delivery. The season is notoriously short, running from March to May. This means frozen crawfish is a great option for most Americans during most times of the year.
If you’re looking to order crawfish delivery, whether fresh or frozen, the below grids can help. We have options for both live crawfish delivery and frozen options from several crawfish companies.
| Company | Price/lb (Jumbo) | Reviews | Rating | Go To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Crab Place | $10.18 | 569 | 4.5 | |
| Cameron’s Seafood | $12.79 | 105 | 5.0 |
Contents
Prices for Live Crawfish Delivery
As noted above, live crawfish delivery is only available in certain states and at certain times of year. While we think frozen crawfish is just as delicious, we won’t fault you for wanting the live stuff. Check any of the below companies to see if you can get a live shipment sent to your home.
| Company | Price/30lbs | Price/60lbs | Go To |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Crab Place | $419.94 | $839.99 | website |
| LA Crawfish | $169.99 | $329.99 | website |
| Cajun Crawfish | $177.99 | $348.99 | website |
| Acadia Crawfish | $75.00 | $150.00 | website |
| Cajun Grocer | $239.70 | $401.40 | website |
| KL Crawfish Farms | $112.50 | $225.00 | website |
Please note: LA Crawfish only ships to LA, AR, MI, and east Texas. Cajun Crawfish ships all over US. Cajun Grocer ships all over US. KL Crawfish Farms claims to be the only company that ships live crawfish year round. We’ll talk about that one a bit below.
The Best Crawfish Delivery in America
Crawfish delivery isn’t as niche as it used to be. The seafood can be described as tasting more like lobster or like a combination of shrimp and crab. It’s mild and sweet but also pretty meaty. A delicacy but also a staple of Cajun cuisine, crawfish has been gaining popularity over the years. We like to think of it as the most underrated seafood.
But with added popularity has come added buying options. If you want to order crawfish delivery, you might not know where to go. Here are some of the most notable crawfish delivery companies in America.
Crawfish.com – Crawfish.com is based out of New Orleans, LA and offers live crawfish on a seasonal basis. They also sell a variety of crawfish accessories – seasoning, pots, burners, trays – making this a good one-stop shop option for those who can get live crawfish delivery.
Kyle LeBlanc Crawfish Farms – This vendor says they offer live crawfish shipped year-round. In fact, they boast that they’re the only crawfish supplier to offer both live and boiled crawfish all year. Crawfish season is notoriously short, so we’re not completely sure how they’re able to manage live shipment in the winter. We’re a little skeptical of this, but if you need live crawfish delivered in November, this is apparently the only place to get it.
CajunCrawfish.com – This is a good spot to shop for either live or boiled crawfish. They also sell crawfish tail meat. This can be a good option for folks wanting to incorporate the seafood into recipes. Live crawfish orders are sourced and shipped on the same day.
The Crab Place – The Crab Place offers pre-cooked and frozen crawfish. This means all you have to do is heat the order to the desired temperature, and it’ll be ready to serve. They also pre-season their crawfish, making this one of the best places to buy if you’ve never hosted a boil before.
Cameron’s Seafood – Cameron’s Seafood also offers fully cooked and frozen crawfish. They stay safe to eat for up to 4 months. This means you can enjoy your purchase right when it arrives or as late as October. Like the Crab Place, they also pre-season their crawfish with Cajun spice.
Louisiana Crawfish Company – These guys are the biggest live crawfish company in Louisiana. They have a maximum number of live crawfish orders they can process in a week, and all orders are filled on a first come/first served basis. In other words, if you want to buy crawfish from these guys, get your orders in toward the beginning of the week.
Finding Local Live Crawfish Delivery Services
There are great live crawfish delivery services that ship nationwide as well as locally. The closer you live to the heart of the crawfish market, Louisiana, the better live crawfish prices you can get. Outside of the main crawfish region, it will be harder to find local sources of live crawfish. Specialty seafood stores may carry crawfish during their peak season. Below, we list some online seafood companies that offer live crawfish. Their live crawfish prices vary, depending on shipping and amount of crawfish.
Next-Day Delivery Nationwide
- The Crab Place
- Cameron’s Seafood
- Louisiana Crawfish Company
- Kyle LeBlanc Crawfish Farms
- Cajun Grocer
Regional Delivery and Local Pickup
- Louisiana Wild (Texas)
- Louisiana Seafood Company (Tennessee)
Size Grades for Fresh Crawfish Delivery
Some companies have their own system for grading live crawfish. Some companies don’t offer grades at all. But, for the most part, the industry uses three different grades to size the crawfish and determine the live crawfish prices. It’s important to recognize these size differences so that you know what you’re getting. This will help you make a more accurate cost comparison.
- Value/Field Run: This is the smallest grading size. It’s also common for value crawfish grades to include a mix of smaller and larger crawfish that were simply never graded and sorted. Thus, crawfish counts can vary quite a lot, but it might take about 30-50 field run crawfish to make a pound of live crawfish, or about 150-250 for a pound of crawfish meat. Outside of crawfish season, smaller “field run” crawfish harvested from local farms may be the only thing available. During peak season (March-May), you may be able to find this grade of crawfish at a steep discount. Some companies also sell their smallest crawfish as high-quality bait for trout, catfish, and bass fishing.
- Select: Select grade crawfish are probably the most popular choice overall. We especially recommend them for beginners who have less experience with boiling crawfish and who are less efficient at peeling and eating the seafood. “Select” is also the most common size grade for restaurants who want to serve substantial-looking crawfish without eating into their profit margins. It might take about 20-30 select crawfish for every pound of live crawfish or about 100-150 to make a pound of cooked crawfish meat.
- Premium: These jumbo size crawfish are a popular choice for people throwing a crawfish boil for a big party, annual event, or some type of special occasion. While select grade will look like “large” crawfish, premium grade crawfish can be impressive – so impressive that they may look like lobsters. You can serve these at your wedding without the meal taking up the entire reception. It should take as few as 12-18 premium crawfish for every pound of live crawfish or about 60-100 to make a pound of cooked crawfish meat. To order crawfish online instead of over the phone, use the grid above.
Quality Live Crawfish Delivery Right to Your Door
Living in shallow ponds, rivers, and streams across the Gulf Coast region and in many coastal areas, crawfish are called mudbugs for good reason. But muddy water can still be clean in that it’s free from contaminants that harm otherwise healthy and delicious crawfish populations. Reputable crawfish companies show a commitment to protecting the habitat and water quality for both the crawfish farm and surrounding habitat. These companies are also diligent in their harvest, preparation, and storage of live crawfish. High-humidity coolers and short turnaround times between harvest and shipping are paramount to delivering live, delicious-tasting crawfish.
Reputable companies are clear and honest about their live crawfish prices and delivery. Crawfish farms can extend the time of year in which you can get great-tasting crawfish delivered to your door. That said, you can’t get the same quality crawfish when they’re out of season. For this reason, many companies will only sell crawfish when they can deliver a high-quality product. Remember that the crawfish price per pound will differ depending on whether you buy live or frozen and when during the year you make your purchase.
Shipping and Delivery
A lot of companies build the cost of shipping into the per-pound price when you order live crawfish delivered. But where you live will determine how the crawfish ship and how much the package will cost. The cheapest choice is always local pickup, but that’s not an option for a lot of people. Throughout Louisiana and in many neighboring states, regional ground shipping will get the crawfish to you overnight, alive and well and for a reasonable price. For longer distances, next-day air express is necessary to get crawfish packs delivered to your door.
Another option with some crawfish companies and many cities across the country is to use Southwest Air Cargo. You can usually get good live crawfish prices overall, but you must go to airport cargo to pick up the shipment.
Only the largest crawfish companies have the necessary size to get a competitive rate and logistical support from the major freight carriers (UPS, FedEx, USPS). You can get live crawfish delivery to your door, but it’s important to make sure your address is accurate and verified by the carrier. Delayed shipments can seriously harm the quality of the crawfish.
Knowing When to Schedule Your Live Crawfish Delivery
Planning is key for a successful crawfish boil. Part of the success comes from ordering your live crawfish on the right day to ensure the crawfish is still fresh by the time you cook it. You need to base your live crawfish delivery date off the day you intend to have the boil.
Pay close attention to the shipping policies for the place you plan to buy from. Most places offer next-day delivery on your order if you place the order before a certain time of day. This normally applies to all orders Monday through Thursday. Weekend deliveries are a bit different. You may be able to place an order on Friday for a Saturday delivery. However, other weekend deliveries might be off the table.
So, when should you place an order? Some online stores have a “pick your date” option to select a delivery day ahead of time. Generally, though, you should place your live crawfish order 1 or 2 days before your boil. You should cook the crawfish either the day it arrives or the day after. Cooked crawfish can last in the fridge for about 4 days. If you buy pre-cooked and peeled crawfish, you can store them in the freezer for a few months.
How to Receive and Clean Crawfish
Live crawfish delivery will take effort on your part to ensure your crawfish remains fresh and clean. You should try to be at your house when your order of live crawfish arrives. Most crawfish providers ship the crawfish in a sack in a special refrigerated case.
You first rinse the sack of crawfish with fresh water. After you rinse them, place the crawfish, still in the bag, back into the chest they came in. The goal is to keep the crawfish hydrated and cool. To accomplish this, cover the crawfish with a layer of ice and make sure there is adequate drainage to let any water drain. Cover and store the crawfish in a place like a garage or a basement to maintain a consistently cool temperature until you are ready to use them. You need to consume the crawfish either the same day they arrive or the next day.
Purging is the name of the cleaning process for crawfish. You must purge the crawfish to rid the fish of any residual mud or grit. Purge the crawfish before you are ready to cook. Many live crawfish delivery orders come with instructions for this step. The most thorough way to clean the crawfish is to take the crawfish out of the sack and sprinkle on 16 ounces of salt and enough water to cover the crawfish. Let them sit for about 10 minutes, empty the water, and repeat the process 1 to 2 more times. You do not have to do the salt purge if the crawfish seem clean, but you should always carefully wash the crawfish before cooking them.
Recreating Authentic Crawfish Boils
There is no denying that the best crawfish boils are the ones in the backyards and seafood restaurants of Louisiana. However, not everyone can make it to one of these boils easily. The good news is that you can recreate an authentic crawfish boil wherever you are with the right ingredients, equipment, and preparation. You may have cooked crawfish before but maybe haven’t put together a proper boil. The information earlier will help you navigate the live crawfish delivery process and live crawfish prices, and here we’ll get you primed and ready for your next boil.
Boiling Equipment
- Propane Burner: Unless you are cooking a very small amount of crawfish, a proper crawfish pot will not fit on your stove. Plus, part of the boil experience is cooking the crawfish outside to make the transfer from pot to plate easy. You will first need a gas or propane burner large enough to accommodate your boiling pot. You can find a burner from your local hardware store like Ace Hardware or Amazon. Along with the burner, you need to have a propane tank to supply the cooker.
- Crawfish Boiling Pot: 2 quarts of liquid for every pound of crawfish is the rule of thumb for the size of a crawfish boiling pot. So, a 60-quart pot will cook 30 pounds of crawfish. Home Depot has a couple good options, but Bayou Classic is the best brand to look for.
- Large Ice Chest: Ice chests typically keep things cool, but for crawfish, they keep things hot. You will need a large enough ice chest to hold all of the crawfish you plan to cook and then some. The ice chest is where you immediately transfer the crawfish to when they are done boiling. The closed chest traps the heat and allows the crawfish to steam and soak up any seasonings you add. You can pick these up from places like Walmart and Home Depot.
Preparation
- Thoroughly wash your crawfish to remove any grime or mud.
- Fill your boiling pot with the right amount of water, using the 2:1 water (qts) to crawfish (lbs) ratio.
- Season the water with one bag of your chosen seasoning blend.
- Light your propane burner, and bring the water to a boil (with patience).
- When the water is boiling, you can cook any vegetables like potatoes or corn first. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove them from the pot and keep warm.
- Then, add your crawfish to the boiling water and cover with a lid.
- Once the water with the crawfish returns to a rolling boil, cook the crawfish for 2 to 5 minutes.
- Prepare your ice chest by sprinkling some seafood boil seasoning on the bottom while the crawfish are boiling.
- When the crawfish are done, pour them in layers into the ice chest, sprinkling more seafood seasoning on each layer.
- After you add all the crawfish and seasoning, close the ice chest and have someone help you shake the chest to distribute the seasoning among the crawfish.
- Steam the crawfish in the chest for about 15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy the crawfish.
How to Eat Crawfish
Correctly eating crawfish doesn’t have to be a barrier to ordering crawfish delivery. Preparing and consuming crawfish requires technique and strategy. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to learn. Check out the video below for an easy-to-follow guide to eating crawfish. Once you’re confident in your ability to eat these delicious little crustaceans, you’ll be ready to order live crawfish shipped to me.
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