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
- 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.
- Add the sausage and corn and cook.
- Stir in the shrimp and cook until opaque and pink.
- Drain the shrimp mixture into a large colander, reserving ¾ 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.
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.
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!
