Easy Shrimp Boil

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on

29 Comments

4.67 from 6 votes
6 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Easy Shrimp Boil is a classic recipe made just ONE POT with andouille sausage, corn, potatoes, and shrimp boiled in a seasoned broth, ready in under 45 minutes!
A seafood boil is the perfect dish for a summer gathering, and if you love this you’ll also love my BBQ Cajun Shrimp, Shrimp and Grits, Shrimp Scampi, Baked Shrimp Scampi and Pesto Shrimp!
Shrimp BoilEASY SHRIMP BOIL
Easy Shrimp Boil is the PERFECT recipe made with fresh shrimp, andouille sausage, potatoes, and corn still on the cob. We’re using a homemade seasoning instead of Old Bay seasoning here because it’s quick and easy. You can add crab or crayfish to this shrimp boil recipe if you want to, and I always serve this with plenty of lemon wedges!

WHAT CAN YOU SERVE WITH EASY SHRIMP BOIL?

  • Cole Slaw
  • Macaroni Salad
  • Pasta Salad
  • Potato Salad
  • Baked Beans
  • Baked Mac and Cheese

WHAT IS IN SHRIMP BOIL SEASONING

Shrimp Boil Seasoning can be homemade, or you can use Old Bay Seasoning. Honestly, I like to make the homemade version because I feel like I already have all of these seasonings in my house, and it’s one less thing to buy. For this seasoning you’ll need these spices.
  • Salt
  • Coriander
  • Mustard seeds
  • Dill
  • Allspice
  • Black peppercorns
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Crushed red pepper flakes

HOW DO I PREP FRESH SHRIMP FOR A BOIL?

For this shrimp boil recipe, we’re leaving the shrimp unpeeled while it cooks. This helps lock in a lot of the juices and flavor, along with the seasoned broth, and makes the shrimp incredibly tender and juicy. You can ask for the shrimp to be deveined when you buy it, too.

HOW LONG SHOULD I BOIL SHRIMP FOR?

Shrimp cooks very quickly, and we’re only boiling it for 3 minutes before adding ice to the broth. If you add the shrimp too soon it will turn out overcooked and rubbery.

TIPS FOR MAKING EASY SHRIMP BOIL

  • Drain the boil, then you can either pour it out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or onto a table covered with newspaper.
  • I’ve made this using other ingredients like crab, whole garlic instead of just cloves, and quartered russet potatoes instead of red potatoes. You can also use kielbasa instead of andouille sausage.
  • I don’t recommend using frozen shrimp for this recipe because the cooking time will be different and it won’t be as flavorful as fresh shrimp. But if that’s what you have, make sure to defrost the shrimp completely before boiling.
  • Top with fresh parsley when serving.

Easy Shrimp Boil

Pin this recipe now to remember it later

Pin Recipe
Dinner, then Dessert

Easy Shrimp Boil

Easy Shrimp Boil is a classic recipe made just ONE POT with andouille sausage, corn, potatoes, and shrimp boiled in a seasoned broth, ready in under 45 minutes! 
Yield 6 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Easy Shrimp Boil
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 1 lemon cut in half
  • 1 large yellow onion , cut into 8 wedges
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 8 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 4 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
  • 2 teaspoons dill seeds
  • 2 teaspoons whole allspice
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 pound red potatoes , cut into quarters
  • 4 ears corn , cut into three inch sections
  • 1 1/4 pounds large shrimp , unpeeled
  • 1 pound cooked andouille sausage , sliced
  • 4 cups of ice cubes
  • 3 lemons , cut in half for serving
  • Parsley for garnish , optional
  • hot sauce , optional

Instructions

  • Combine first 12 ingredients (through cayenne pepper) and 8 cups water in a large pot (preferably with a strainer insert).
  • Bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add the potatoes, and corn and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Remove them, along with the onions to a pan and add in the shrimp and sausage until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes.
  • Turn off heat, add 4 cups ice cubes, and let the pot sit for 5 minutes.
  • Remove shrimp and sausage and combine with the corn and potatoes and onions on a baking sheet.
  • Serve with hot sauce on the side (optional) and halved lemons.

Notes

This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.

Nutrition

Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 302mg | Sodium: 3769mg | Potassium: 1001mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 332IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 5mg

Want to save this recipe? Create a free account to easily save your favorite recipes

Shrimp and Sausage Boil with Corn and Potatoes

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hefty.

Easy Shrimp Boil recipe with andouille sausage, corn and potatoes is the perfect summer recipe to enjoy the last few weeks of summer before life goes back to normal and most meals aren't served on giant trays and newspaper.
Easy Shrimp Boil recipe with andouille sausage, corn and potatoes is the perfect summer recipe to enjoy the last few weeks of summer before life goes back to normal and most meals aren't served on giant trays and newspaper.

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

Categories

Leave a comment & rating

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Hi! If we are making this with Old Bay seasoning instead of homemade (I don’t have a lot of ingredients listed), how much is needed for this recipe? Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    1. I’ve never testd it but I would think you would need about 1/4 cup of Old Bay to substitute the seasonings. Remember, you can always add more to your liking. Enjoy!

      Reply

  6. We were invited to a shrimp boil last weekend and it was incredible! I can’t wait to make do this on my own!

    Reply

    1. I’ve not tested it but I’m sure there’s a recipe online with similar ingredients that you could follow as a guideline to help. Good luck!

      Reply

  8. Sabrina I’d love to make this recipe but my husband is allergic to Fish…..Is there anything else I could use instead of Shrimp?

    Reply

  9. Meanwhile, slice along the back of each shrimp through the shells; remove the veins and rinse the shrimp. Add to the pot, cover and cook until the shrimp curl and are just opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.

    Reply

  11. Thanks for the advice about how to do a shrimp boil AND how to clean up afterwards!

    Reply

  13. This shrimp boil of yours is also known in the Carolina’s and Southern East Coast as Frogmore stew, or “a low country South Carolina dish”. In Virginia it’s known as a Low-Country Boil and some areas of the south refer to it as Beaufordt Stew.
    Now I have had this “Boil” in many parts of the country including CA and found the technique in making it when to add spices and how much is a matter of technique. Sorry to say but I have never had a “Boil” in CA that had much taste or flavor. I found the best “Boil” to be in central South Carolina.

    Reply

  17. I don’t cook seafood very often, but when I do I love meals like this one! So quick and easy!

    Reply

  19. It seems easy and quick meal to make. Scrumptious as usual …and thx for slime recipe as well, my kid would be very happy with it 🙂

    Reply