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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.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cajun, Southern
Calories: 850
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

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.