Low Country Shrimp Boil ~ this iconic Southern feast is the ultimate one pot meal ~ Vidalia onions, potatoes, corn, Andouille sausage, and shrimp get layered into a large stock pot with Cajun spices ~ just add friends and lots of ice cold beer!
*I’m thrilled to be partnering today with the historic Italian company Lagostina and their gorgeous line of pans.
a shrimp boil is the ultimate one pot meal!
I’m bursting with excitement today because I’m sharing one of the most iconic summer meals, the classic shrimp boil. It’s a feast for all the senses with vibrant ingredients, enticing aromas, and flavors that can’t be topped. This easy meal is summer all piled up in a pan!
what’s in a low country shrimp boil?
Lol it’s almost easier to list what’s not in it!
- corn ~ cut fresh corn on the cob into manageable pieces
- sausage ~ Cajun Andouille smoked sausages are traditional
- shrimp ~ leave the shells on, that makes them more fun to eat!
- onion ~ sweet Vidalia, of course
- beer ~ whatever you like to drink
- Old Bay seasoning ~ a must
- garlic
- lemon
- salt
TIP: I’ve made this with fresh shrimp and I’ve made it with a bag of frozen, shell-on shrimp, and both worked beautifully. No need to thaw the frozen shrimp, just allow a little extra cooking time.
Everything cooks together in this seafood boil, with each ingredient going into the pot at different times, depending on how quickly they cook.
The Lagostina large 6 quart stock pot with its drain basket is perfect for a good old fashioned shrimp boil. It’s large enough to hold all the ingredients as you layer them in, one at a time, depending on how long they need to cook.
how to cook a shrimp boil
It starts with making the simple stock. Water, beer, seasonings, garlic, and lemon bubble away for a few minutes before adding the onions and potatoes to the pot.
The sausage and corn are next into the pot, and finally the shrimp go in for the last few minutes.
After that it’s just a matter of lifting the basket, dumping out the delicious contents, and ringing the dinner bell! Traditionally a seafood boil is turned out onto newspaper right on a picnic table, with lots of hot sauce, and mayo dip handy. For a more elegant presentation bring it to the table in a skillet, bowl, or other large pan.
A final dusting of Old Bay, some fresh parsley, and lemon wedges finishes it off.
what to serve with shrimp boil?
This festive meal is perfect for summer gatherings, and it’s pretty much a meal in itself, but if you want to add side dishes, I suggest…
- Boston Market Style Cornbread Recipe
- Creamy Buttermilk Coleslaw
- Mediterranean Bean Salad
- Corn and Cucumber Salad
- French Potato Salad
more classic summer meals
- Easy Pasta Alla Checca
- Great Island Curried Chicken Salad Plate
- Grilled Chicken with Peach Jalapeño Salsa
- Salmon Cobb Salad
- New England Shrimp Rolls
Low Country Shrimp Boil
Ingredients
- 4 quarts water
- 12 ounces of your favorite beer
- 1/3 cup Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 lemon
- 1 head garlic
- 1 large Vidalia onion, peeled and cut in 4 wedges
- 1 lb baby red potatoes, left whole, or halved if large
- 4 ears yellow corn, cut in 2 inch slices
- 12 ounces Cajun Andouille smoked sausages
- 1 lb shrimp, shell on
Sriracha mayo dip
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Sriracha or other hot chili sauce, to taste
Instructions
- Put the water, beer, Old Bay, and salt in a large stock pot. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the pot, and drop the squeezed halves in too. Slice the top off the head of garlic to expose the cloves, and add it to the pot, along with the onion wedges. Bring the pot up to a boil and let it bubble away for 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes to the pot and let them cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the sausage and corn and let boil gently for another 5 minutes.
- Add the shrimp to the pot, cover, and let cook for a few minutes more, just until they are cooked through.
- Drain the pot and serve the boil with a sprinkling of Old Bay, fresh parsley, lemon wedges, hot sauce, and the Sriracha mayo dip.
- Make the Sriracha mayo by stirring the chili sauce into the mayo to taste, start with 3 tablespoons and go from there.
I had something like this when I was in New Orleans and I have wanted to recreate it ever since. Such delicious comfort food.
It is one of those recipes that you don’t see much outside of the deep south ~ hope you try it Dannii!
I know leaving the shell on while cooking gives more flavor to the dish but peeling hot shrimp on the plate isn’t something I would like to do. How well does the recipe work with peeled shrimp?
It works just fine with peeled shrimp Lee, I’ve seen it done that way often.
this is great thanks
Lucky you! A relative of mine has some of these pans. I’ve always coveted them. There’s something about how they’re weighted and especially the weighting and design of the pan handles that just feels perfect.
Great looking boil, too. Happy 4th!
Yes ~ the handles are so luxurious ~ I was struggling for the right words to describe them!
Thnk you for the giveaway! I have been wanting one forever but somehow something else has always taken priority! Happy 4th in advance!
Ooh I’ve only had a shrimp boil once but this recipe (like most of those you post) looks so inviting I’m going to run to my market & make this tonight (even though a ragtag assortment of pots and pans is an apt description of my crammed cupboards as well). Fingers crossed for the lovely Lagostina Luminosa set.
It’s such a great feeling to clean out those cupboards ~ hope you win Gabrielle!
This looks very DELICIOUS! And I love that stock pot with its drain basket!
I love that pan too Angie ~ sooooo useful 🙂
This meal looks sooo good! And I’m sure my husband would love it. And I love the look of the pans!
I think guys love this kind of casual no-plate no-fork meal, for sure 🙂
I’d love to put those beautiful pots to use.
We cook the vast majority of our meals on the stove top. I always favored the black coated pans because I thought they were easier to maintain, but they scratch too easily. Now we use stainless exclusively. With the right scrub pads, they will look like the day you bought them, no matter how much you use them.
I only have one coated pan, and that’s for my eggs 😉
Tim, what scrub pads do you use on your stainless that don’t scratch/mar them, especially the exterior surfaces? Thank you for replying to me.
Lagostina says this, Lois: After each use, wash your pan with hot water, liquid detergent and a sponge. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
• Do not use metal scouring pads, abrasive wire wool or harsh scouring powder.
• Never put cold water into a hot pan. Sudden changes of temperature may cause metal to warp, resulting in an uneven base.
• If you burn food in your pan, fill it with warm water and washing up liquid and leave to soak for about an hour. Afterwards wash it with washing-up liquid and a sponge. If soaking is not enough, scrub with a non-metallic scouring pad suitable for the purpose. If you have a non-stick utensil, wipe it again with a piece of cotton moistened with oil to maintain all of its non-stick properties.