Shrimp Boil

Shrimp Boil is a classic Southern summer favorite! With tender shrimp, baby red potatoes, andouille sausage, and corn on the cob, it’s a delicious meal for your next pool party.

Summer is meant for outdoor dinners and simple seafood dishes. Shrimp Boils are so easy to make but look so impressive and complex! This one-pot recipe is perfect for parties and brimming with a blend of spices.

Between the light and delicious shrimp, beautifully spiced smoked andouille sausage, sweet corn on the cob, and fork tender red potatoes, everyone can find something they love. It’s great for leftovers and meal prep too — if you have any left, that is!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

1. Fast and filling. This shrimp boil recipe is ready in just 20 minutes with minimal prep work. 
2. Perfect for parties. When you’re looking to feed a crowd this summer but don’t wanna be stuck in the kitchen, this is the best recipe! Just throw everything in the pot and let the seasonings do the work.
3. Kids love it, too! I hate making different dishes for kids and adults. Luckily, everyone will love these shrimp with smoked sausage, red potatoes, and baby corn on the cob. 

Ingredients Used

Shrimp: This is truly my favorite seafood because it’s easy to cook and ready in just minutes! You can add other seafood to the mix, too, like crab legs. I used large shrimp here, but in general, you’d want to use large or jumbo shrimp for a shrimp boil. Check out my how to poach shrimp post to learn more about shrimp sizes.

Andouille sausage: This delicious Cajun sausage adds some extra spices to the mix. Some are spicier than others, so it’s easy to vary the heat in your shrimp boil recipe. 

Baby red potatoes: It’s not a shrimp boil without potatoes! I like baby red potatoes because they hold up well when boiled, but you can use baby yellow potatoes, too. Or regular red potatoes that you’ll have to chop up.

Corn: I chop the ears of sweet corn into smaller cobs for easy serving and fast cooking.

Old Bay seasoning: I sometimes buy this classic seasoning, but it’s so easy to make at home, too! I bet you have everything you need in your spice cabinet already. Find my recipe for old bay seasoning here!

Lemons: Fresh lemon juice adds brightness to this shrimp boil recipe. I use them in the boil liquid and a spritz again before serving. Yum!

Butter: For the most decadent shrimp boil, add some melted butter to the shrimp, sausage, potatoes, and corn at the end. It really takes it from good to great.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make a Shrimp Boil

Follow these steps for the best shrimp boil recipe at home:

1. Boil potatoes. First, add the water, lemon wedges, onion, garlic, and Old Bay seasoning to a big pot or Dutch oven. I sometimes add bay leaves, too. Stir it up and bring it to a boil before adding the potatoes. Cook the baby red potatoes until they’re nearly fork-tender but not completely cooked.
2. Add corn and sausage. Then, add the corn on the cob and sliced andouille sausage to the Dutch oven and cook a few minutes more. Remove the dutch oven from heat.
3. Cook shrimp. Now, add the raw shrimp to the pot and cook just until they are pink and opaque. Be careful not to overcook, or the shrimp will be rubbery! Drain the liquid immediately, but keep a little for serving.
4. Season and serve. Finally, scatter everything on a serving platter or sheet pan and drizzle with melted butter, a little broth, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, black pepper, and chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

This is one of my favorite summer dishes! You’ll impress your guests with these tricks to make the best shrimp boil for a crowd:

• Don’t overcook the shrimp. There’s nothing worse than a chewy, rubbery shrimp. Be sure to watch the pot once you boil the shrimp so they’re not overdone.
• Cook everything in phases. The potatoes take the longest to cook, so always add those to the mix first. Luckily, the sausage and ears of corn cook at about the same time, so they can be added together. The shrimp are always added last when it’s almost time to eat.
• Add more seafood. You can also add other seafood such as clams, crab, or lobster.
• Add more vegetables. Feel free to add more veggies such as green beans, broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, okra, or even pearl onions.
• Serve with cocktail sauce. This shrimp boil recipe is packed with flavor and can be served as is! However, there’s something magical about perfectly succulent shrimp and homemade cocktail sauce. I always serve mine with cocktail sauce even if only I eat it. 
• Make it on the grill. Throwing a pool party or cookout? Make this on the grill! You can use any heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven and follow the same steps. It adds a little smokiness to the mix.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Easy Summer Recipes I Love

Grilled Shrimp Kabobs

Beer Can Chicken

Cherry Pie

Creamy Grape Salad

Perfect Grilled Steak

Fruit Pizza

Ramen Noodle Salad

Cocktail Sauce

More Summer Faves ➜

Now that you’re a pro at making this shrimp boil, you’ll impress all your guests at the cookout! This recipe is easy to double or triple to feed a crowd a great meal with minimal work. Make sure to Pin this recipe so more people can enjoy it too!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 7 votes

(Click stars to rate!)

Shrimp Boil

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Author: Diana

• Pin It

Print Rate Recipe Email Recipe

Shrimp Boil is a Southern summer favorite! With shrimp, red potatoes, andouille sausage, and sweet corn, it’s a meal for your next pool party.

6 servings

Shrimp Boil is a Southern summer favorite! With shrimp, red potatoes, andouille sausage, and sweet corn, it’s a meal for your next pool party.

Equipment

• 6-quart Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• ▢ 16 cups water
• ▢ 2 lemons divided
• ▢ 1 red onion peeled and cut into 4 wedges
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning click for recipe!
• ▢ 1 ½ lb red baby potatoes halved, sliced lengthwise (or medium potatoes quartered)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon salt
• ▢ 4 ears corn each cut into 4-5 pieces
• ▢ 1 14-16 oz smoked andoullie sausage sliced into 1 inch slices
• ▢ 1 ½ lb raw large shrimp peeled and deveined, tails left on
• ▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
• ▢ ground black pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons parsley chopped

Instructions

• To a large pot or dutch oven, add water, lemon wedges (one lemon), onion, garlic, old bay seasoning. Give the mixture a quick stir, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and add the potatoes. Season with salt and cook the potatoes for 10-12 minutes or until they’re almost done.
• Add the corn ears and sausage, and cook for 4-5 more minutes. Remove the dutch oven from heat.
• Add the raw shrimp, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until it’s opaque. Be very careful not too overcook the shrimp. Drain the mixture immediately (reserving ½ cup of the broth for serving).
• Place all of the ingredients on a platter or sheet pan, drizzle with melted butter (and some of the reserved broth if desired), lemon juice, sprinkle with additional Old Bay seasoning, ground black pepper, and garnish with chopped parsley.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 576kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 366mg, Sodium: 2743mg, Potassium: 1076mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 524IU, Vitamin C: 42mg, Calcium: 234mg, Iron: 5mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen