There is nothing better than eating shrimp boil straight off the table! It is a quick and easy meal option when you’re craving seafood and have a crowd to feed. It’s a hearty dinner loaded with deliciously juicy corn, smoky sausage, flavorful shrimp, and tender potatoes. You need to make this recipe at least once during the summer when corn is in season!
Ready in around 30 minutes, this shrimp boil recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight. Everything is also boiled in one pot, hence the name, making for easy cleanup afterward. Even better, this recipe uses Old Bay seasoning, so you don’t have to buy a bunch of spices.
You will fall in love with all the amazing flavors and textures so there won’t be a single bite left! If you want another easy and delicious shrimp recipe, then try my coconut shrimp recipe, garlic shrimp recipe, or shrimp tacos.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Old Bay seasoning — Old Bay seasoning is a must and provides a unique, bold flavor made with a blend of seasoning with heavy flavoring from celery salt, paprika, and mustard seed.
Lemon — fresh lemons add a bright, fresh flavor to the shrimp boil.
Potatoes — I use baby red potatoes, but you can also use Yukon gold potatoes. Just make sure to cut them down to a similar size as halved baby potatoes.
Sausage — I love how well andouille sausage goes with the shrimp boil. It is spicy and smoky, so if you prefer something milder, try kielbasa sausage.
Corn — if fresh corn is in season, I highly recommend using that. If not, you can use frozen corn on the cob.
Shrimp — you can buy shrimp peeled and deveined to save time preparing them. I recommend buying large or jumbo shrimp to avoid them overcooking.
Butter — combining melted butter with the cooking liquid of the shrimp boil makes for a flavorful dip.
How to Make Shrimp Boil
1. In a large pot, combine the water, Old Bay seasoning, halved lemons, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Add the potatoes and cook until just fork tender.
3. Add the sausage and corn and cook.
4. Stir in the shrimp and cook until opaque and pink.
5. Drain the shrimp mixture into a large colander, reserving ¾ cup of the boiling liquid in a small bowl.
6. Whisk the butter into the reserved boiling liquid. Transfer the shrimp mixture onto a large sheet pan. Garnish with parsley. Serve with the butter mixture and lemon wedges.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Shrimp cooks quickly and can become rubbery if overcooked so keep a close eye on it.
- Make sure you have everything ready to go near the end! To help ensure the shrimp do not overcook from residual heat, you want to drain the mixture quickly and spread it on a sheet pan to cool.
- Feel free to add more seafood to your shrimp boil. Crab, lobster, clams, and scallops make for delicious additions.
- As this shrimp boil recipe has so many components, it’s a whole meal on its own. However, I enjoy serving this recipe with coleslaw, macaroni salad, homemade cornbread, and potato salad if you’d like some sides.
Frequently Asked Questions
You sure can! I recommend thawing the shrimp beforehand. You can quickly thaw frozen shrimp by placing them under running cold water.
This shrimp boil keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You can gently reheat leftovers in the oven or you can also reheat leftovers on the stovetop with a splash of broth and water with the lid on. If you have a seafood boil bag, you can reheat leftovers in the bag by placing it into a pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Shrimp Boil recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Shrimp Boil
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Colander or strainer
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 4 quarts water for boiling (4 L)
- ½ cup Old Bay seasoning (224g)
- 3 lemons 2 halved and 1 wedged for serving
- 1 onion quartered
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 pound baby red potatoes halved (450g)
- 1 pound andouille sausage cut into 1-inch pieces (450g)
- 4 ears corn husked and cut into quarters
- 2 pounds shrimp peeled and deveined, with tails on (900g)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted (57g)
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine the water, Old Bay seasoning, halved lemons, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the potatoes and cook until just fork tender, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage and corn and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the shrimp and cook until opaque and pink, about 2 minutes.
- Drain the shrimp mixture into a large colander, reserving 3/4 cup of the boiling liquid in a small bowl. Whisk the butter into the reserved boiling liquid.
- Transfer the shrimp mixture onto a large sheet pan. Garnish with parsley. Serve with the butter mixture and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Shrimp cooks quickly and can become rubbery if overcooked. Keep a close eye on the shrimp.
- Make sure you have everything ready to go near the end! To help ensure the shrimp do not overcook from residual heat, you want to drain the mixture quickly and spread it on a sheet pan to cool.
- Feel free to add more seafood to this dish. Crab, lobster, clams, and scallops make for a delicious addition.
- As this recipe has so many components, it’s a whole meal on its own. However, I enjoy serving this recipe with coleslaw, macaroni salad, cornbread, and potato salad if you’d like some sides.
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