Shrimp Boil

This shrimp boil is a classic Southern summertime favorite. A good shrimp boil features tender shrimp, some potatoes, smoked sausage, and of course corn on the cob for that extra sweetness. It’s a great dish to bring to a barbecue or cookout!

Shrimp Boil Recipe

Summertime. Pool parties. Outdoor events. Simple, delicious seafood dinners. Shrimp boil is deceptively easy to make. It seems really impressive and complex, but like much of the best down-home soul cooking of the South, it’s pretty easy to put together in your own home. With a perfectly chosen blend of spices, this is a surefire hit.

This dish does a great job of combining light, delicious shrimp, perfectly spiced, smoked sausage, and some sweet corn with tender potatoes. It’s easy to love, easy to make, and makes great leftovers.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. It’s fast and filling. Your shrimp boil will be ready in only twenty minutes, and you don’t need much prep work at all.
2. It’s perfect for parties. If you’re looking to feed a big crowd at a summer party, you won’t be slaving away in a hot kitchen for that long.
3. It’s a great dish for kids. You don’t need to be making multiple dinners for picky eaters. Kids absolutely love this colorful, flavorful shrimp boil.

You'll Need ( Notes)

• Shrimp, as you’d expect, is the key ingredient in this dish. Like they said in Forrest Gump, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. It’s versatile, tasty, and cooks in a matter of minutes. You can always try adding other seafood, like crab legs. We love using larger shrimp for this recipe. Different sizes of shrimp have different properties, so we recommend using larger shrimp if you can.
• Andouille sausage is a Cajun specialty. It adds plenty of extra spice to the recipe, and they vary in spiciness quite a bit. If you prefer milder flavor, use a milder andouille sausage. On the other hand, spice lovers can crank up the heat with a hotter sausage. If you can’t find Andouille sausage, any smoked sausage will work.
• Potatoes are a huge piece of the shrimp boil. The yellow or red potatoes are great, holding up to the high heat of the boil.
• For your corn cobs, chop ears of sweet corn into smaller chunks for faster cooking and easier serving.
• Our secret seasoning weapon is Greole Seasoning. It’s great store bought, or you can try making it at home, too! You probably have all the necessary spices sitting on your spice rack.
• Garlic
• Onion
• Lemon wedges are absolutely critical in this recipe. They add brightness and acidity to the mix, helping bring the best out of the flavor palate.
• The final piece of the puzzle for a decadent, heartwarming shrimp boil is melted butter. It takes your shrimp boil from good to great.
• Olive oil

How To Make Shrimp Boil

• Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet with butter or nonstick cooking oil spray.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and onion wedges; cook for 4-5 minutes. Add in corn, mix and cook further until the potatoes are tender, about 7 minutes. Drain well.
• Arrange the cooked corn, onion, potatoes, shrimp and sausage on the prepared sheet.
• In a small bowl combine the melted butter, garlic, olive oil and Creole seasoning. Pour over the mixture and toss with your hands to make sure all the ingredients are evenly coated.
• Bake until shrimp have curled and turned pink and corn is tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove the  sheet from the oven, scatter the lemon wedges on top and broil for 1-2 minutes.
• The final step is to season and serve your delicious shrimp boil. Scatter everything on a nice big serving platter or paper, drizzling with melted garlic butter, lemon juice, Creole seasoning, black pepper, green onions and chopped parsley.

Tips and Tricks

• Be careful not to overcook your shrimp. Shrimp can go from tender and juicy to rubbery and chewy quite easily when subject to heat for too long.
• You can bulk this dish up by adding more seafood, or more vegetables. Classic green veggies, like beans, broccoli, asparagus, and brussels sprouts are a great addition. Okra and pearl onions do well in this recipe, too.
• You can also make your shrimp boil on the grill. Any heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven will heat up nicely on a grill so you can cook your shrimp boil outdoors. It definitely makes for a smokier dinner!

Frequently Asked Questions

More Shrimp Recipes

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Shrimp Yaki Udon

Air Fryer Bang Bang Shrimp

Shrimp Cakes

Creamy Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta

Shrimp Tempura Dipping Sauce

Shrimp Alfredo

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