I love a shrimp boil when I'm gathering with my family. This one has shrimp, potatoes, corn, and smoked sausage, all covered in a rich, buttery garlic-herb sauce, and it all comes together in the oven.
You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!
I've always been a big fan of seafood. I've made shrimp boils for years, but then I had my Aunt Sib's version, and something about it made me want to make all my boils that way. Her version calls for parboiling the potatoes and corn, and making a stovetop garlic-buttery herb sauce. Then this all gets combined with shrimp, Old Bay seasoning, and sausage and baked in the oven.
This is what we make when we want a special night at home, and if we're having people over, I just double it. If you love seafood for a gathering as much as I do, my cold seafood salad is another one I bring out for a crowd.
Happy Cooking,
Tanya
Shrimp Boil at a Glance
- Best for: A special night at home, weeknight dinners, or feeding a crowd (it doubles easily).
- Total time: about 50 minutes
- Servings: 6
A Quick Look at the Ingredients
Here's what's worth knowing before you shop. Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
For the boil
- Jumbo shrimp, shell on. I like shell-on shrimp because the shells add a little more flavor to the sauce. You can use pre-peeled shrimp if that's easier. Either way, make sure they're deveined, and use raw shrimp, not pre-cooked.
- Baby red or Yukon gold potatoes. You want a potato that holds its shape in the boil. I avoid starchy russets, which break down and go mealy.
- Smoked sausage or andouille. If you can find a spicy smoked sausage, that's my favorite here. Any sausage you like works. Just slice it into half-inch rounds so it heats through.
- Corn on the cob. Cut into halves or thirds so the pieces cook quickly and fit the pan.
- Lemon. Sliced for the pan, plus wedges for squeezing at the table.
For the butter sauce
- Unsalted butter. I use unsalted so I can control the salt myself. Feel free to use salted if that's your preferred choice.
- Onion and garlic. Finely diced onion and minced garlic build the base of the sauce.
- Seafood boil seasoning and cayenne. I usually stick with Old Bay, plus cayenne for a little heat. Scale it up or down, or leave the cayenne out if you don't want any spice.
- Heavy cream. This is what gives the sauce that rich, buttery body.
- Fresh parsley. I prefer fresh over dried. It gives you a brighter flavor and a little color.
- Salt to taste. I add this at the end, once I can taste the finished sauce.
Equipment You'll Need
You only need a few things, but the pan matters here.
- A shrimp deveiner for removing the vein from the shrimp.
- A large pot for parboiling the potatoes and corn.
- A skillet for the butter sauce.
- A large baking dish or foil pan, about 15x10-inch (38x25 cm). A 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) dish works too, but with the full batch it gets crowded, so go bigger if you can. A deeper dish or foil pan is easier to cover than a flat sheet pan, and I cover mine while it bakes.
How to Make a Shrimp Boil
Full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below. Find the visual step-by-step instructions in this section.
Parboil the Potatoes and Corn
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook 10 to 12 minutes, until just fork-tender but not falling apart. Add the corn for the last 4 to 5 minutes.
Drain everything well and let it sit a minute so the extra moisture steams off. This head start is how the potatoes and corn finish cooking at the same time as the shrimp, instead of leaving you with crunchy potatoes and overdone shrimp.
Make the Garlic Butter Sauce
While the potatoes cook, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook about 4 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the Old Bay seasoning and cayenne, and cook for about 10 seconds, just until fragrant.
Whisk in the heavy cream and remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, then taste and adjust with more seasoning, cayenne, or salt.
Assemble and Bake
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). In your baking dish or foil pan, combine the drained potatoes, corn, sliced sausage, lemon slices, and raw shrimp. Pour the sauce over the top and stir gently until everything is coated.
Cover the pan with foil and bake 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp. You're looking for shrimp that are pink, opaque, and curled into a loose C shape. That curl is your cue; they're done.
Finish and Serve
Right out of the oven, give everything a stir so the potatoes, corn, and sausage catch the juices at the bottom of the pan. Salt to taste. Finish with more fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Tanya's Top Tips
- Use raw shrimp, not pre-cooked. Pre-cooked shrimp dry out and turn rubbery in the oven. Raw shrimp cook right in the sauce and stay juicy.
- Thaw frozen shrimp first. I almost always reach for frozen shrimp. Just thaw them fully (overnight in the fridge, or 10 to 15 minutes in a colander under cold water) and pat them dry before they go in the pan.
- Watch the shrimp, not the clock. Shrimp cook fast. Pull the pan as soon as they're pink and curled into a C, not a tight O. If they need more time in the oven, keep them in until they're cooked.
- Salt at the end. Between the sausage and the seasoning, there's already salt in play. Taste first, then adjust.
Variations - Make this Shrimp Boil Your Own Creation
- Make it Cajun. Swap in a Cajun or Creole blend, or add extra cayenne, for a spicier shrimp boil.
- Turn it into a seafood boil. Add a few crab legs or claws along with the potatoes, so they have time to heat through before the shrimp go in.
- Lighten it up. Use turkey sausage in place of smoked sausage.
- Skip the sausage. Leave it out and add a little more shrimp, potatoes, or corn to keep it filling.
What to Serve With Shrimp Boil
This is a full meal on its own, but a few simple sides round it out. A wedge of classic Southern cornbread is perfect for mopping up the garlic butter sauce. A crisp vinegar coleslaw cuts through the richness.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing
Storage: Cool any leftovers and refrigerate them in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. Shrimp is best eaten within 2 to 3 days.
Reheating: Warm gently so the shrimp don't toughen. Cover and reheat in a 425°F (220°C) oven until just heated through, or microwave at 50% power in short bursts. Stop as soon as the shrimp are warm. If you're reheating a big batch, pull the shrimp out early and just warm the potatoes and corn longer.
Freezing: I don't recommend freezing this one. The potatoes and shrimp tend to turn mealy and rubbery once thawed, so it's really best made fresh.
I hope you enjoy this shrimp boil as much as we do. If you've tried this recipe, we'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below 🙂
Shrimp Boil Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Bring a large pot of well‑salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 10–12 minutes, until just tender but not falling apart. Add the corn for the last 4–5 minutes. Drain very well and let sit a minute so excess moisture steams off.
- While the potatoes and corn cook, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the Old Bay seasoning and cayenne; cook about 10 seconds until fragrant.
- Whisk in the heavy cream and remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley.
- In a large foil pan (about 15x10-inch) or 9×13 baking dish, combine the drained potatoes, corn, sausage, lemon slices, and raw shrimp. Pour the butter sauce over the top.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and opaque and everything is hot and bubbling around the edges.
- Right out of the oven, stir everything once more so the potatoes, corn, sausage, and shrimp catch the juices at the bottom of the pan.
- Salt to taste. Finish with more parsley and serve with extra lemon wedges.
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