Yearly throughout our seashore journey, my household makes an enormous shrimp boil—although my dad and mom have all the time known as it a Low Nation Boil. We unfold it out on a newspaper-covered desk, collect spherical, and dig in with our arms. It’s messy, enjoyable, and downright scrumptious! This Shrimp Boil recipe is my tackle that household favourite. It’s a full meal in a single pot with juicy shrimp, smoky sausage, tender potatoes, candy corn, a punch of zesty Previous Bay, and a Cajun-spiced butter to tie all of it collectively. And regardless of how spectacular it appears (and tastes), this straightforward recipe is surprisingly budget-friendly at simply $2.76 per serving!
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Simple One-Pot Shrimp Boil
A shrimp boil is the last word all-in-one meal for feeding a crowd! Potatoes, contemporary corn, smoked sausage, and shrimp simmer collectively in a broth produced from Previous Bay seasoning, lemon, pink onion, and a complete head of garlic till every part is cooked excellent. It’s really easy to throw collectively, however the trick is ensuring every ingredient will get the time it wants. Shrimp cook dinner in minutes, potatoes take longer, and corn lands someplace in between. I’ve examined the cooking order all the way down to the minute, which implies you possibly can take pleasure in this traditional summer time meal with out stress! And don’t fear if it’s not corn season whenever you make it; frozen cobs work simply as nicely. 😋
Shrimp Boil
Shrimp Boil
3 quarts water ($0.00)⅓ cup Previous Bay Seasoning ($0.92)2 cups pink onion (reduce in wedges, (285g) $0.57)1 head of garlic (halved horizontally, $0.64)2 lemons (quartered, (divided) $0.98)1½ lb. pink potatoes (quartered, $1.37)1 tsp salt ($0.04)3 corn cobs (halved, $0.99*)12 oz. smoked sausage (reduce in 1” slices, $2.97**)1 lb. additional massive shrimp (shell on and deveined (26-30 per lb.) $6.99***)
Seasoned Butter
1 stick unsalted butter (8 Tbsp, $0.99)2 tsp Cajun seasoning ($0.03)1 Tbsp contemporary parsley (minced, $0.05)
Collect and put together all substances.
In a big stockpot, convey 3 quarts of water to a rolling boil with Previous Bay seasoning, pink onion, garlic, and one quartered lemon.
Add the potatoes and salt. Cook dinner 8–10 minutes till simply fork-tender.
Add the corn and sausage. Cook dinner for 3 minutes.
Add the shrimp and cook dinner for two minutes, till they’re pink and opaque.***
Drain the water and switch the shrimp combination to a big platter or sheet pan.
Warmth the butter in a small bowl within the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or till melted.**** Stir in Cajun seasoning and parsley.
Serve instantly with lemon wedges and the seasoned butter for dipping.
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Inventory Pot
Sheet Pan or Platter
Small Bowl
**Any pre-cooked smoked sausage will work, so go together with your favourite! Andouille or kielbasa are two common selections.
***I exploit extra-large shrimp (26-30 per lb.) which might be deveined however nonetheless have the shell and tail on. You should use peeled shrimp, however I discover that shell-on shrimp provides the broth higher taste. Tail-on shrimp additionally make it simpler to dip them into the seasoned butter sauce. In case you are utilizing frozen shrimp, allow them to thaw within the fridge in a single day or run them below chilly water in a colander till totally thawed. By no means thaw shrimp at room temperature, with sizzling water, or within the microwave.
***Shrimp cook dinner shortly; keep away from overcooking to maintain them tender!
****Butter sauce will be warmed gently on the range if most popular, as a substitute of the microwave.
Serving: 1servingEnergy: 524kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 22gFats: 32gSodium: 1354mgFiber: 5g
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find out how to make Shrimp Boil step-by-step pictures
Collect your whole substances.
Season the water: Add 3 quarts of water to a big inventory pot and produce to a rolling boil. Add ⅓ cup Previous Bay seasoning, 2 cups pink onion (reduce into wedges), 1 head of garlic (halved horizontally), and 1 quartered lemon.
Add the potatoes: Now add 1½ lb. quartered pink potatoes and 1 tsp salt. Cook dinner the potatoes for 8-10 minutes, or till they’re fork-tender.
Add the corn and sausage: As soon as the potatoes are fork tender, add 3 halved corn cobs and 12 oz. smoked sausage (reduce into 1” slices) and cook dinner for 3 minutes.
Add the shrimp: Lastly, add 1 lb. additional massive shrimp (26-30 per lb.) and cook dinner for two minutes till pink and opaque. Shrimp cook dinner very quick, so watch out to not overcook them! They’re prepared the second they curl barely and lose their grey, translucent coloration and switch pink.
Drain the water and pour the shrimp boil combination onto a big platter or sheet pan.
Make the seasoned butter: Add 1 stick of unsalted butter to a small bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or till melted. Then, stir in 2 tsp Cajun seasoning and 1 Tbsp contemporary minced parsley till mixed. You may also gently soften the butter on the stovetop if you happen to want to not use the microwave.
Serve: Serve with the remaining lemon wedges and the seasoned butter on the facet of your do-it-yourself shrimp boil for dipping. Get pleasure from!
It solely takes about 2 minutes to boil extra-large shrimp. Smaller shrimp will cook dinner faster, whereas jumbo shrimp may take barely longer. The easiest way to know they’re prepared is by sight: shrimp are completely cooked after they curl barely and switch pink and opaque with no grey or translucent spots left.
Examine the potatoes for doneness. Boil them simply till they’re fork-tender. They may proceed cooking a bit after you add the sausage, corn, and shrimp, so stopping at “simply tender” helps keep away from mushy potatoes.
Cook dinner in the correct order. Every ingredient wants a unique period of time. Begin with the potatoes, then add the corn and sausage, and end with the shrimp so every part cooks by means of with out overcooking.
Use Previous Bay seasoning. This can be a recipe for an Previous Bay shrimp boil, which might be one of many best boils you may make! You solely want this one seasoning to make the tremendous flavorful broth, which is ideal is you don’t have a well-stocked pantry! Previous Bay seasoning is a mixture of celery salt, paprika, mustard powder, pepper, cayenne, cloves, nutmeg, and some different spices. You could possibly swap it for one more seafood seasoning of your selection, however simply be aware the flavour could also be totally different!
If Cajun seasoning just isn’t your factor, make garlic butter for dipping as a substitute. I might make an identical sauce to the one in our garlic butter shrimp recipe by melting 1 stick of unsalted butter and stirring in loads of contemporary minced garlic to style.
Must feed a crowd? My straightforward shrimp boil recipe makes sufficient to feed 6 individuals, however you possibly can simply scale it up. Simply seize a bigger inventory pot or break up the substances between two pots to verify every part has sufficient room to cook dinner evenly.
Serving Recommendations
A shrimp boil BEGS to be shared, so pile it excessive and serve it with lemon wedges on the facet for squeezing. A bit of additional sprinkle of Previous Bay on high by no means hurts both! This dish is certainly hearty sufficient to function a full meal, however for an even bigger unfold, attempt including hush puppies and cornbread or a bowl of tacky grits. I additionally suppose a traditional three bean salad would spherical out the desk properly.
Storage & Reheating
Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge inside two hours of cooking (or one hour if it’s a sizzling day with temperatures above 90°F). I prefer to retailer the boiled shrimp, sausage, potatoes, and corn collectively to assist protect their taste. Benefit from the leftovers inside 2 days for the perfect style. To reheat, heat every part gently in a skillet or within the microwave on low warmth. You may also reheat the shrimp individually to maintain them tender, then add them again in simply earlier than serving.
