Old Bay Shrimp Boil
When it comes to summer meals that are fun, flavorful, and feed a crowd, nothing beats a classic shrimp boil. This one-pot dish brings together juicy shrimp, baby potatoes, sweet corn, and smoky andouille sausage, all seasoned with Old Bay and finished with a quick lemon butter — and the whole thing comes together in about 40 minutes. It’s gluten-free, totally casual, and works just as well for a weeknight dinner as it does for a backyard party.
🍤🌽🥔 No Fuss, Just Fun!
Made with simple ingredients and plenty of Old Bay flavor, this easy shrimp boil recipe is a summer favorite. Serve with melted butter, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a cold beverage, and plenty of napkins!
When my kids were younger, I would put small portions of each component on their plates, instead of serving it all together in a pile. Sometimes they’ve only picked out certain parts, but each year they eat more and more of it. It’s…
🍺 Totally foolproof: Everything — shrimp, corn, potatoes, sausage — cooks in the same pot with almost no cleanup.
🌽 Bold & layered: Old Bay, beer, lemon, and garlic build real depth of flavor without any complicated technique.
🧈 Perfectly finished: That lemon butter sauce at the end takes it from good to genuinely great.
👨👩👧 Crowd-friendly: Scales easily and looks impressive on a big platter — great for parties or just Tuesday night.
⏱️ Ready in 40 minutes: Everything moves fast once you’re set up, so dinner isn’t far off.
If you love shrimp, Old Bay steamed shrimp is just as easy and makes a great appetizer. For something you can throw on the grill, shrimp kabobs are a natural next step. And if you want to use up any leftover shrimp, shrimp ceviche comes together in minutes.
I make this all the time now! It is so easy to make and the flavor is amazing! It has become a fan favorite with family and guests! – Sarah
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this shrimp boil to the table: light beer, Old Bay seasoning, lemons, onion, corn, red potatoes, shrimp, Andouille sausage, butter, and hot sauce if desired.
- Shrimp – Large shrimp or jumbo shrimp are best. Look for peeled and deveined shrimp with the tail on. You can use fresh or frozen, just buy the best you can. I prefer the flavor of wild-caught shrimp and think the extra cost is worth it.
- Andouille sausage – Look for andouille smoked sausage that is already cooked and just requires reheating. Buy the best quality you can.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: Mise en place matters here. Once you start dropping ingredients into the boiling liquid, things move quickly — potatoes, then sausage, then corn, then shrimp, in timed intervals. Have everything prepped and ready before you start. If you get behind, cover the pot and turn off the heat until you’re caught up.
- Feeding kids without pressure: Let kids decide what items they would like, it took us a few years to eat a variety, for many years when my kids were young, one would eat corn and shrimp and one would eat corn and potatoes. 🙂
- Serving variations: While shrimp boils are traditionally served outside on a large table on newspaper, that does not appeal to me! But, you should serve it your way. Dump it on a parchment-lined table for fun, or keep it tidy with a big platter and lemon wedges. Add melted garlic butter for dipping if you’re feeling fancy.
- Additions: Feel free to add in extra seafood! Crab legs, mini lobster tails, and clams would all be delicious – just adjust timing so nothing overcooks.
Old Bay Shrimp Boil Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy Old Bay shrimp boil is a one-pot summer dinner loaded with shrimp, corn, potatoes, and sausage — seasoned to perfection.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. light beer or NA beer
- 8 cups water
- 2 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning + more for serving
- 2 lemons
- 1 white onion, peeled and quartered
- 4 ears corn, peeled and cut in half
- 1 lb. baby red potatoes, washed and cut in half
- 1 lb. raw shrimp, thawed (tail-on shrimp peeled and deveined )
- 12 oz. smoked andouille sausage, cut in 2″ pieces
- 1/4 cup butter
Instructions
- Fill a large stock pot with beer, water, and 2 tablespoons Old Bay. Slice one lemon in half and squeeze both sides into the pot. Place lemon halves in the pot after you squeeze them. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add potatoes and cook for about 4 minutes.
- Add sausage and onion, cook for 5 minutes.
- Add corn and cook for another 5 minutes, or until corn and potatoes are tender.
- Add shrimp and cook for about 1-3 minutes, until it turns pink and is cooked through.
- While shrimp boil is cooking, melt together butter and juice from remaining lemon. Season lemon butter with a sprinkle of old bay.
- Drain shrimp boil over a colander and transfer to a large platter. Serve with lemon butter sauce and additional Old Bay for sprinkling.
Notes
Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently — shrimp gets tough if it goes too long over heat. The potatoes and sausage reheat better than the shrimp, so keep that in mind.
Ingredients: Large or jumbo shrimp work best here — smaller shrimp cook too fast and get lost in the pot. Look for peeled and deveined with the tail on. Wild-caught is worth the extra cost for flavor. For the sausage, look for andouille that’s already fully cooked and just needs reheating.
Prep ahead: Prep all your ingredients before you start — cut the corn, halve the potatoes, slice the sausage, and have the shrimp thawed and ready. The cooking goes fast; the prep is where the time goes.
Tools: A large stock pot (8-quart or bigger) is essential — you need room for all the ingredients and enough liquid for everything to cook properly. A colander for draining and a large platter for serving are the other two things worth having ready before you start.
Serving Suggestions
This is a meal-in-a-pot, so sides aren’t really necessary. If you’re stretching it out for a crowd or serving it at a party, this napa cabbage slaw is a crisp, easy complement. For something heartier, a Greek orzo pasta salad rounds out the spread nicely. A summer tomato salad keeps things seasonal and comes together in minutes.
FAQs
Because this is also made with potatoes, corn, and sausage, you don’t need as much shrimp as you might if it were the only main protein. I would generally recommend 1/4 pound of shrimp per person.
Yes, you can really use any type of crustaceans for shrimp fests! Crab legs, clams, crawfish, and lobster also work well, but cooking time may need to be adjusted.
Traditionally, low country shrimp boils are served outside on a picnic table topped with newspaper or paper bags. If that feels like a lot for a weeknight dinner (hi, me too) you can serve it on plates – inside or out.
Yes, while it works great for outdoor burners or kitchens, it’s doable inside as well. If you’re cooking for a large crowd, you may want to cook in separate pots, just to keep things easy!
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer and founder of My Everyday Table, where she helps busy families take the stress out of weeknight dinners. With a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and almost 20 years of experience, Emily specializes in simple, nourishing recipes and weekly meal plans that actually work for everyday life. She’s a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who believes delicious food and good nutrition go hand in hand.
Get started: Weeknight Dinners Guide | Weekly Meal Plans | About Emily
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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Everyone finds things they like in this meal!
I make this a few times in the summer, so good!
A summer classic! 🙂
This was such a fun meal and delish! We’ll definitely make it again.
I followed the recipe exactly and it came out incredibly bland.. It tasted like normal corn, potatoes, sausage, and shrimp with no seasoning. I had to put SEVERAL more tablespoons of seasoning on top at the end to add some sort of flavor. My potatoes also got too mushy and were nearly falling apart. 🙁
So sorry it turned out that way for you, Ally. I adjusted the cooking time to ensure the potatoes aren’t over-cooked. I do recommend serving it with the lemon butter and extra Old Bay to taste.
I make this all the time now! It is so easy to make and the flavor is amazing! It has become a fan favorite with family and guests!
Thank you, Sarah! So glad you and your fam love it! <3
We love this meal in the summer!
It is my favorite in the summer too! When the sweet corn is perfect 🙂