A shrimp boil party is one of my favorite kinds of parties – feed a crowd with no dirty dishes! This is also a completely portable party. My easy shrimp boil recipe makes for an instant success no matter where you are! Read on to pull off the ultimate shrimp boil.
Looking for a great party beverage that can be made in a picture? How about my margaritas. So easy and delicious. You will be all set for a fun and memorable party.
Shrimp Boil
My favorite spot is on the beach, but a classic shrimp boil is a meal that’s perfect for outdoors anywhere. Between the fresh shrimp, lemon wedges, the ears of corn and sausage, this meal is a sure summertime hit.
The following recipe uses 1 large 34 quart turkey fryer with a strainer basket that goes almost to the top of the pot. One pot serves about 10-12 people. When we have a large crowd, we borrow an extra turkey fryer or two.
Ready to get started? First, cover your entire table with freezer paper, shiny side up. Now let the cooking begin!
Shrimp Boil Shopping List
Here is everything you need to host a shrimp boil:
- 2 Zatarain’s Crab “n” Shrimp Boil in Bags
- 1/2 bottle Zatarain’s Crab “n” Shrimp Boil oil
- 1 Cup salt
- 3-4 large onions (peeled and quartered)
- 2 lemons cut in half
- 6-10 whole ears of corn, cut in half, or 12-24 frozen small corn on the cob
- 3 lbs Kielbasa cut into 2 inch pieces
- 3 pounds large raw shrimp in shells (about 25 per lb)
- 2 whole bulbs garlic, unpeeled with top sliced off
- 18-24 small red potatoes
- Freezer paper
- Squeezable butter, spicy mustard and cocktail sauce
- 2 baguettes sliced into 1 inch slices
- 1 34 quart turkey fryer with strainer basket that goes almost to the top of the pot
Download this handy Printable Shopping List and Instructions to help you gather all your supplies!
How to Host a Shrimp Boil
First, fill the turkey fryer about 2/3 full of water. Bring to a boil and add your shrimp boil seasoning. My recipe calls for 2 packages of Zatarain’s Crawfish, Shrimp and Crab Boil in a Bag
, 1/4 – 1/2 bottle Zatarain’s Shrimp and Crab oil, and 1 cup of salt and garlic. Boil for 15 minutes.
Next, add your potatoes, and boil for 7-8 minutes.
Corn goes in next for 5 minutes. If your corn is frozen, you might need to turn up the heat for a minute to get your water boiling again.
Now add kielbasa, cut into two-inch pieces. Cook for 8 minutes.
Add onions. Squeeze lemon juice into pot, and then toss the lemons into the water, boil 3- 4 minutes (oops picture is wrong – add the garlic at the beginning!)
Now add shrimp, and cook 5 minutes or just until shrimp turns pink. Remember not to overcook the shrimp!
Turn off the heat, and immediately pull basket from the water and let drain.
Shrimp Boil Recipe
Download the recipe card below or print the shopping list above.
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Shrimp Boil
Equipment
- 1 34 quart turkey fryer with strainer basket that goes almost to the top of the pot
Ingredients
- 2 Zatarain’s Crab “n” Shrimp Boil in Bags
- 1/2 bottle Zatarain’s Crab “n” Shrimp Boil oil
- 1 Cup salt
- 3-4 large onions peeled and quartered
- 2 lemons cut in half
- 6-10 whole ears of corn cut in half or 12-24 frozen small corn n the cob
- 3 lbs Kielbasa cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 pounds large raw shrimp in shells about 25 per lb
- 2 whole bulbs garlic unpeeled with top sliced o
- 18-24 small red potatoes
- Freezer paper
- Squeezable butter
- spicy mustard
- cocktail sauce
- 2 baguettes sliced into 1-inch slices
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a covered pot with large strainer basket (ll pot 2/3 full)
- Add garlic, Zatarain’s spice bags, Zatarain’s oil and salt – boil for 15 minutes
- Add potatoes – boil for 7 – 8 minutes
- Add corn – boil for 5 minutes (if corn is frozen you may need to turn up the heat to get the water boiling again)
- Add kielbasa – boil 8 minutes
- Squeeze lemons into pot and then throw them in along with the onions – boil 3 – 4 minutes
- Add Shrimp – boil for about 5 minutes or just until shrimp turns pink –don’t overcook.
- If you don’t want to eat right away, turn off heat, pour a bag of ice into the pot and let sit 15 minutes,
- drain and pour onto table covered in freezer paper.
- OR
- Turn off heat lift basket out of pot, allow to drain and then immediately pour onto your table covered with freezer paper (shiny side up).
- Sprinkle sliced baguette down the table. Serve with squeezable butter, mustard and cocktail sauce–squeezed directly on the table. Encourage guests to squeeze cloves of garlic onto corn and potatoes.
Nutrition
Ready to serve your shrimp boil? Pour contents of basket onto your freezer paper-covered table.
Serve with sliced baguette sprinkled down the table and bottles of squeeze butter, cocktail sauce, and spicy mustard.
Remember NO knives, forks, spoons or plates allowed! This is all finger food and condiments are squeezed directly onto the table! When finished just roll up the paper and give everyone a finger wipe!
Put on some Cajun Zydeco (zi-dee-coe) music and have a great time!
A big thanks to our dear friends Jeff and Cathy for showing us how to have the best party ever!
Shrimp Boil Tips
- I use shell-on shrimp and prefer the larger sizes. If you use shelled shrimp, cook for only 3 minutes!
- Shrimp cook very fast. If they start to curl into a circle, you’re overcooking them.
- If you don’t want to eat right away, turn off the heat, pour a bag of ice into the pot and let sit 15 minutes, drain and pour onto the table.
- OR Turn off heat, lift the basket out of the pot, allow to drain and then immediately pour onto your table covered with freezer paper (shiny side up).
- Serve with extra lemon wedges and garlic at the table.
- Serve with hot sauce if you’ve got some spice fans at your party.
- If you’re having a bigger dinner, there’s plenty of food that goes great with a shrimp boil. Coleslaw, mac and cheese, and pasta salads are all easy cookout staples.
- Some recipes call for adding crab or crayfish into the shrimp boil. It’s all good!
How do you devein a shrimp?
Raw shrimp are sometimes deveined, but not always. The “mud vein,” the black line on the back of a shrimp, is its digestive tract. It won’t hurt you to eat, but many people find it kind of gross when it’s filled with grit.
If you want to devein your shrimp before your shrimp boil, just use a sharp paring knife to make a cut along the top of the back. Then take the tip of the knife and slip it under the mud vein. It comes out of big shrimp pretty easily.
Remember to wash your hands well after handling the shrimp!
How do you make a boil? Got any shrimp boil recipe variations or serving tips? Leave a comment!
Need to feed a crowd? Try this Ham Buns Recipe. For more fun ideas… try these summer hacks.
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Dennis, I have only ever seen the small bottle. I think it would be about 4 ounces. The last two times we made it I couldn’t find it and didn’t leave time to order so I omitted it. I do think the oil helps the spices stick to the food better. So next time if I can’t find it I will add a couple of tablespoons of oil
Hello Mindi, we have added real crab legs before, however, I can’t remember how long they take to cook and what point we put them in. I worry imitation crab might disintegrate in the pot.
We have some imitation crab that we were going to add to this. Anyone tried though? When do we add it and how long should it cook? Thank you!
Recipe calls for half a bottle of Zatarains
crab n shrimp boil oil. What size bottle are we talking here? How many ounce bottle?
Can you let me know the cook times if I want to and lobster tail and crab to the boil
If that much shrimp will fit in your pot I think you will be fine with the spices. I worry if you add more spice the corn might get too much. It seems to take on the most flavor.
Hi there,
I am making two of these pots with 5 pounds of shrimp in each pot. My question is…..Do I increase the spices to adjust for the increase in shrimp? or not? Thanks, Beth
My family really loved it! So good and delicious!
You have inspired me! My family loves shrimp and this is so fun!
This was a fun dinner with friends!!! So tasty and can’t wait to do it again 🙂
This is an amazing recipe and so simple to make! We love it!!
Hi Karen, really it is not too spicy. For some reason, the corn seems to take on a lot of the spice…. but not too spicy.
Does the boil seasoning bags make everything spicy?
Yes! Frederica, but make sure you have a big enough pot. For me my pot is too tall to fit on my stove without hitting my vent hood.
Ken, we agree! Use that garlic. It is the best so creamy and such a nice mild garlic flavor. We leave it right on the table and encourage guests to squeeze it right on the bread.