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Shrimp Boil Recipe

Ultimate Shrimp Boil with Spiced Garlic Butter

A crowd-pleasing Southern seafood feast with shrimp, crab, sausage, corn and potatoes simmered in aromatic broth and tossed in garlicky spiced butter.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cajun, Southern
Calories: 850

Ingredients
  

For the Boil
  • 5 quarts water
  • 2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 large onion quartered
  • 1 lemon halved
  • 1 tbsp shrimp and crab boil concentrate like Zatarain's
  • 4 ears corn cut into thirds
  • 2 lbs baby potatoes Yukon gold or red bliss
For the Spiced Butter Sauce
  • 2 lbs unsalted butter
  • 3 heads garlic minced (24-30 cloves)
  • 3 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
  • 1 tbsp cayenne pepper adjust to taste
  • 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 lemon juiced
For the Proteins
  • 5 lbs colossal shrimp shell-on (16/20 count)
  • 1 lb andouille sausage sliced 1-inch thick
  • 2 lbs crab legs king or snow crab

Equipment

  • 10-qt Stockpot
  • Outdoor Burner (optional)
  • Slotted Spoon

Method
 

  1. Make Boiling Liquid: In large stockpot, combine water, salt, onion, lemon halves, and shrimp boil concentrate. Bring to rolling boil.
  2. Cook Vegetables: Add corn, boil 10 minutes. Add potatoes, boil 15 minutes more until tender. Reserve 1.5 cups broth, then remove vegetables with slotted spoon.
  3. Brown Sausage: In skillet over medium-high, cook sausage slices 5 minutes until caramelized. Set aside.
  4. Make Butter Sauce: Melt butter in clean pot. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds. Stir in all spices, lemon juice, and reserved broth. Simmer 2 minutes.
  5. Cook Shrimp: Add shrimp to butter sauce, cook 3-4 minutes until pink and opaque.
  6. Heat Crab: Boil crab legs in original pot 4 minutes to heat through.
  7. Combine: Return all ingredients to pot with shrimp and butter sauce. Gently toss to coat everything in spiced butter.
  8. Serve: Dump onto newspaper-lined table or large platters. Provide lemon wedges, hot sauce, and plenty of napkins!

Notes

Serving Suggestions: Serve with crusty bread, coleslaw, and ice-cold drinks. Provide crab crackers and bibs!
Make-Ahead: Prep vegetables and sausage ahead. Cook seafood just before serving.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days. Reheat gently in skillet with extra butter.