On summer, fall and spring nights we are about enjoying delicious food & drinks outside. We love a good Shrimp Boil also known as a Low Country Boil or Frogmore Stew. It's a tasty & fun way to serve a crowd! Here's how you can make it at home.
An Outdoor Shrimp Boil is a fantastic (and easy) way to entertain a crowd. I mean, you have everything in one pot! Other than maybe a app or two ahead of time, ice cold beer and cocktails...You don't need anything else. AND you get to do it all outside with minimal effort!
We have a 30 quart outdoor propane steamer pot / turkey fryer we purchased well over a decade ago, for crab nights, outdoor shrimp boils, etc. It has its own cooking stand and hooks up to a propane tank.
However depending on the quality of your propane grill and its side burner/burners you may be able to simply put the pot on that and make your Low Country Boil there.
You focus on making the Shrimp Boil and have your guests bring a side dish, crusty bread, ice cold beer / cocktails or dessert and you are in for a great time!
Table of Contents
Why make a Shrimp Boil?
- Your kitchen stays clean. You get to stay outside while you cook with your family and friends and... SHRIMP!!!
- Its memorable fun and gets everyone talking! Plus it's delicious!
Ingredients
- water & shrimp boil seasoning, creole seasoning
- fresh lemons & one large onion
- 1 small head of garlic or 5 large garlic cloves
- potatoes (I like red for this but whatever you have)
- andouille sausage (or kielbasa or chicken andouille)
- corn on the cob
- raw shrimp (21-25 size or larger is best IMO)
Customize your seasonings to the crowd or even better, do two batches. One for the spice lovers (like my husband and I) and one for the mild at heart.
How to serve a Shrimp Boil
- Serve on large or multiple platters, just pile it on.
- Serve in aluminum trays for easy clean up.
- Or for a dramatic effect, line a folding table or picnic table with layers of brown kraft paper or layers of plastic table cloth and just dup it all down the middle as pictured below. When you are finished just scoop it all up and toss it in the trash. Easy cleanup!
- Have multiple trash cans nearby for easy cleanup and disposal of shells, cobs etc.
Can I make this inside?
Absolutely! Just make it in multiple pots or the largest pot you have. No strainer basket? No problem, just cook in the seasoned water and then carefully strain it via a large colander or strainer pot once its finished cooking.
Variations
- If you don't have an outdoor seafood pot, use a large pot (or two) inside and make it that way. Even if you don't have a basket to putt up, you can carefully pour it out via a colander to serve or use a spider strainer or large slotted spoon to remove the cooked shrimp, corn, potatoes etc.
- Of course you can add extra seafood to the shrimp boil. Add crab legs, crabs, lobster tails, crawfish, clams etc.
- Depending on who you are serving this to and their tolerance for spicy, you can kick this up and add more seasoning as you cook it or after you pull it out and are ready to enjoy.
- Part of the charm of a Shrimp Boil is its simplicity, however you can certainly level up with flavor by making an additional dipping sauce, drizzle or add extra seasoning after. See the notes section of the recipe card below for an easy and tasty spicy garlic butter sauce.
Tips
- Be careful using the outdoor pot, when you lift the lid off the steam is hot, use either a wooden seafood boil paddle or sturdy BBQ gloves. Make sure no little kids go near the pot as well.
- Cook the ingredients based off of the length of time it takes them to cook. For example, potatoes take the longest so they go in first.
- It is best to thaw your shrimp before adding, adding frozen shrimp will immediately drop the temperature of the liquid.
- Leaving the shells on the shrimp adds extra flavor, however for ease of eating you can remove them first. If you do leave shells on, I like to devein the shrimp by running a knife down their backs first. That also make for easy favor penetration and peeling.
- Taste and adjust. Not just for flavor and spiciness but for doneness. Potato sizes differ, shrimp size differs etc.
- This is best served just after you make it.
- Have fun with this recipe, it's super loose. Add the ingredients you feel you'll enjoy.
As for how much to make? Just think about the guests coming and how much they may eat as well as if you are serving other dishes. I figure on 6 shrimp per person (more if using smaller shrimp), 1 whole potato or 2 smaller potatoes, 1 ears of corn and a few chunks of sausage per person. Some will eat less and some more. It will balance out.
If you are having a bunch of big burly men, make more! You know your people. This recipe is easy to double, quadruple etc.
If you want to see how I do our crab legs, check out one of my very first posts on this website. These are SO delicious! Snow Crab Legs in Garlic Butter Beer Sauce. I really need to update the old photo, but you will still see how slammin' they are!
Hope you enjoy this fun and flavorful Low Country Boil! Grab some napkins and ice cold beer!! XO Colleen
Originally posted September, 2016. Updated June, 2025.
Colleen Kennedy is the author of 3 cookbooks and has appeared on QVC and other shows inspiring home cooks of all levels. She has a popular TikTok channel @ColleensCooking with hundreds of short recipe videos. Colleen lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and kids, she started the food blog, Soufflé Bombay in 2009. Read more about her here.
Seafood Recipes You Will LOVE!
Shrimp Boil
Equipment
- outdoor seafood pot and basket or turkey fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 4 big cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 onion, halved
- Zatarian's shrimp boil seasoning or similar Creole seasoning they also make a concentrate, which you can also add to your pot.
- 8 large potatoes or 16 smaller potatoes I like using red potatoes or russet potatoes
- 3 pounds andouille sausage
- 8 corn on the cob cut into halves or ¼ pieces
- 2 pounds raw shrimp in shells or cleaned
- Optional dipping sauce, see notes section below for recipe.
- Optional additional seasoning like Old Bay to sprinkle overtop after you place on platter.
Instructions
- Fill your pot with water according to manufacturers instructions (it depends on how much you are making). Halfway full is a good starting point. You can always add more.
- Stir in your shrimp boil seasoning (according to package for how much you are making)
- Add potatoes and turn on the burner to high. If the potatoes are small you can add whole. If they are larger, cut into halves.
- Once pot is boiling and potatoes are halfway cooked, Carefully pull up the basket and add in your andouille pieces. You want them to plump up some.
- Shortly after carefully pull up the basket and add add in corn pieces.
- Once you know your potatoes are where you want them, carefully pull up the basket and add in shrimp (and any other shellfish you may be using).
- When ready to serve, place on platter(s) or brown paper lined table, Sprinkle with additional seasoning, melted butter (if you wish) or the dipping sauce suggested in the notes below and enjoy!
Jane Daffron says
keep getting ERROR message when I try to go to the receipe
Server Error in '/' Application.
Colleen says
Sorry, they changed their website and links seem to be broken...I just fixed it on my end with the new link - http://www.sabergrills.com/better-barbecue-blog/shrimp-boil-grill/ Enjoy!