This Shrimp Boil in Foil literally only takes 20 minutes to bake in the oven. No big messy pots to clean up either. Just toss everything together in a foil packet and done! This makes clean up a total breeze!
I never had a seafood boil until I moved to Florida. It’s something I’ve always wanted to try, but honestly there’s not a lot of places in Minnesota that serve this.
Florida on the other hand has tons of restaurants that have some sort of seafood boil on the menu. When I tried this for the first time, I was in foodie heaven!
I mean what’s not to love? There’s seafood, corn on the cob, potatoes, andouille sausage, and delicious cajun seasoning over it all.
This is the kind of meal you probably don’t want to have on a first date, haha! Lets just say it can be a little messy to eat because you really only need your hands to eat this.
Alright, let’s dig in to this Shrimp Boil in Foil!
If you buy the shrimp when it’s on sale, this can be a relatively cheap meal that feeds a lot of people. I bought a bag of frozen shrimp for this. If you buy frozen shrimp, just make sure you thaw them completely before making this. To thaw the shrimp quickly, just put them in a bowl of cold water, changing the water out every 5-10 minutes. They should be thawed in 20-30 minutes. Or you can put the bag of frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Now whether or not you choose to get the shrimp with the tails on or off is your own personal preference. I chose ones with the tails on because it’s a little cheaper. I don’t mind peeling them as I eat.
Now tear off 4 large pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil around 12 inches for each and place 2 of them on each baking sheet. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.
Add your chopped potatoes, corn, sausage, and shrimp evenly among the 4 pieces of foil. Keep everything in a single layer in the middle of the foil. Drizzle some olive oil over it all and then add seasonings. The only seasonings I added to this was Old Bay Seasoning and a little bit of sea salt and pepper. Old Bay Seasoning is great with any kind of seafood.
What really gives this Shrimp Boil a southern feel is the Andouille Sausage. This sausage is used a lot in southern creole cooking as I’ve learned since moving to the south. It has a bit of a kick to it, and it’s so addicting! You can find this sausage in most grocery stores, usually in the same section as the kielbasa.
Next seal up the foil on all 4 sides and make sure everything is completely covered in the foil packs. Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.
Note: You can also grill this over high heat for about 15 minutes. Just place the foil packs directly on the grill.
This was seriously one of the easiest meals I’ve ever made. When this is done cooking carefully open each foil pack and dump everything in a large bowl. Or if you want to really be traditional, spread out some newspapers over a picnic table outside and just dump everything on there. Everyone just helps themselves sort of ‘family style’. This is a much funner way to eat. 🙂
If you try this recipe let me know what you think! Leave a comment, rate it, share it on social media, or take a picture and tag it #tastefulventure on Instagram! I LOVE seeing what you guys cook up. 🙂
Cheers!
PrintShrimp Boil in Foil
This Shrimp Boil in Foil literally only takes 20 minutes to bake in the oven. No big messy pots to clean up either. Just toss everything together in a foil packet and done! This makes clean up a total breeze!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Seafood
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium Shrimp shells on
- 1 lb Andouille Sausage sliced thin
- 28 oz mixed baby Potatoes quartered, I used a mix of red, yukon, and purple
- 2 ears Corn cut into 8 pieces
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 3 Tbs Old Bay Seasoning
- Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
- Parsley to garnish
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- *If you’re using frozen shrimp you can thaw them quickly by putting them in a bowl of cold water. Change the water every 5-10 minutes until shrimp are thawed.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Using 2 baking sheets, line each one with 2 – 12 inch sheets of aluminum foil.
- Spray each with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add potatoes, sausage, corn, and shrimp evenly to the center of each foil.
- Drizzle Olive Oil over each foil packet.
- Sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning evenly over each foil packet.
- Add Sea Salt and Pepper.
- Seal foil on all 4 sides.
- Bake 20 minutes.
- Garnish with Parsley.
- Enjoy!
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When we moved to Beaufort, South Carolina we were introduced to the Low Country boil which is what this is called in the Low Country of South Carolina. It’s wonderful!
Thanks Linda!
My husband is from Beaufort and yes they LOVE that low country.
Can u put it in a slow cooker
This is a hit. The easiest recipe I have followed so far. My family loved it and wanted 2nds. Thanks again.
Thanks Shirley, so glad you and your family loved it!
I grabbed cooked shrimp without realizing it. Looks like raw shrimp was used. How do I go about this you think lol?
Thanks
Hey Jordan, Yeah I used raw shrimp for this recipe. You can try cooking everything first and then adding the cooked shrimp during the last 5 minutes. The flavor may not be the same for the shrimp, but it’s worth a try. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Did I do something wrong? I cooked this recipe and watched the YouTube a couple of times (PS – the instructions re: the 4 different pieces of foil was a little confusing compared to what appears to happen in the YouTube video, but it could just be me). Anywhoo, my dish was NOT AT ALL done in 20 minutes. In fact, the shrimp wasn’t even cooked through. Am I supposed to put the foil pack directly in the oven WITHOUT the baking sheet or on the baking sheet or does it not matter? In any event, it’s all back in the oven. I’ve added another 40 minutes. Hopefully by then, the potatoes will soften and the shrimp and sausage will be cooked through.
Hey Lauren, I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve made this recipe several times and have never had an issue with anything being under cooked. You’re right the YouTube video does not show 4 different pieces of foil, to keep the video short it only shows 1 of the foil packets being made.
The amount of ingredients listed in this recipe is enough for 4 foil packets. It’s important to evenly distribute the ingredients in each pack and keep it all in a single layer. Putting each foil pack on a baking sheet is to protect your oven in case some of the oil leaks out of the foil pack.
Also just make sure you use shrimp that has been thawed, I put instructions on that in the recipe as well. I’m not sure what kind of sausage you used, or how small you cut the potatoes. I used baby potatoes and quartered them into small pieces, that way they are cooked all the way through in 20 minutes.
I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Thanks Sara. I just put added 30 minutes (total cook time: 50 mins) and it was PERFECT! Absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
This happened to me too! So was the total cook time 60 min for you? Thanks
Hi Renee, I cooked mine for 50 minutes total: 20 minutes per the recipe + an additional 30 minutes to cook all the way through. It was done with 50 minutes.
Mine wasn’t done after 30 minutes cooking at 450°F. Hopefully it will be done in 30 more minutes. I laid my packets straight on the oven rack.
I been cooking mine for an hour.
I’m just now trying this dish I just placed in the oven at 6:00 so I can’t wait to see how it turns out
Same thing with me , there’s no way raw potatoes are done in 20 min . I’m taking my done shrimp out and putting the whole thing back into oven for another 40 min
I cooked it tonite using frozen corn on cob cut into about 2-3 inches. Only change was i used regular baking potatoes and cut them small as if making home fries and made sure my oven was really hot at 425° and cooked for 35 minutes. Shrimp was tender and so was the potatoes, delish!
I have made this several times and each time my potatoes were not done no matter how small. I use the mix as well. Everything else is perfect so i started popping the potatoes in the microwave for a few minutes to give them a head start THEN i make up my foil packets and cook for 20-30 min.
Sara, I’m going to try this tonight and I have also purchased snow crab legs to add to the mix. Any instructions on cooking it all on the grill in foil or should I use a large aluminum pan and tightly cover with foil? I’m from the Lowcountry of SC and just don’t want to cook it the traditional way in water.
Hi Diana, You can grill this over high heat. Grilling can be a little more tricky, depending on how hot your grill is, so just check the doneness of the potatoes. It takes about the same amount of time to cook and no you do not need a baking sheet for the grill. Just put the foil packs right on the grill. Snow Crab Legs sound good! I may have to try that next time:) Let me know how it turns out!
Can corn be frozen or should be fresh?? Do you cook corn before placing it in packets?
I actually bought frozen corn that came already cut up and then thawed it out before baking this.
Hi Sara, thank you for sharing the recipe. It looks delicious. Is the nutrition label information based on 4 or 6 servings per recipe? You give a range of 4-6. A complete meal for me has to be between 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates. Even after subtracting the fiber I would have to distribute the corn from my serving to the others and steal some shrimp and sausage to add to my portion….. Hmmm that sounds like a win for me!!!
Miles
Hey Miles, The nutrition label is for 6 servings. Yeah more shrimp and sausage sounds like a win-win to me! 🙂
At what temperature should the oven be set for this Srimp Boil?
Hey Rodolfo, Bake at 425 degrees. All of the cooking instructions are posted in the recipe as well:)
I am going on a boy scout trip the recipe cooKS for how many people
Hey Zack, 4-6 people depending on how hearty their appetite is:)
Did you mean four ears of corn, each cut in half to make eight pieces, total? Trying this tonight!
Hey Julie, I used 2 ears of corn cut into 8 pieces. If you cut them in half that will work too!
Big hit with my family! I precooked the potatoes and corn just a bit to cut down on the oven time. I think I’m going to add a variety of veggies next time to cut down a bit on the calories (onion, peppers, broccoli, whatever else looks good at the market). Thanks so much for sharing it!
Awesome Barbara glad you and your family liked it!
Thank you so much for this quick n easy recipe. My kids n I enjoyed this meal n it was super easy to cook n clean. I did Lemon Pepper season for my daughter n she loved it. I will be making this shrimp boil all the time.
That’s great to hear Michelle!
This bake was not done in 20 minutes so i just added 20 more minutes to it. If its still not done i will add another 10 like the others for a total of 50. I hope this turns out great because im really looking forward to it and i invited my friend over to eat.
Oops. I did not watch the video and did not put my stuff in a single layer. I only made two packets. I guess I will need to cook it for a total of 40 minutes? I might increase the heat a little as well. I’m open to suggestions if anyone sees this in the very near future. Thanks!
I found this and it is so yummy just made up one to try and it was a hit with my hubby! We found a new favorite meal!
That is awesome Lornna, so glad you enjoyed it!
Tried it, and came out amazing! Delicious!
That’s great to hear Brenda! 🙂
If I was to make this in an aluminum pan
Instead of individual packets would I need to
Change anything other then the cooking time?
Hey Megan, I haven’t tried making this on an aluminum pan without the foil so I’m not sure if the temp and timing would be different. This is another good idea though, you’ve got me thinking… 🙂
Hey I tried it in an aluminum pan, I should have probably boiled my potatoes first, its been over an hour and they are still not tender
Do you de-vein the shrimp in shell prior to cooking?
Hey Denise, it’s really your preference. I cooked them with the shell on, and just peeled them as I ate. However you can peel and de-vein them prior to cooking.
I would LOVE to make this recipe. Sounds like it steams right in the packet! We city folks know that when you buy (packaged) shrimp from the grocery store (tail-on, large, extra large or jumbo) they come deveined. Rule of thumb: Cooked shrimp come pink while raw ones are gray.
I made to large pans of this last night and it was amazing. Used Bay seasoning on one, Cajun on the other. This was so simple and delicious.
Thanks Jared! I’ll have to try it next time with Cajun Seasoning!
When you used the big pans did you precook the potatoes or corn or just throw everything in and cook for a longer total time?
Can you use any sausage, where do u get that kind of sausage at doing to try Labor Day weekend having friends over
Andouille Sausage is the best in my opinion because it has a spicy kick to it! BUT you can use any kind of sausage you want. 🙂
Ok just don’t want it to be to much for grandkids will get a different kind but if I can’t fine the audoulle what would the best to replace it with I live in a small town and they don’t carry this but the do have smoke sausages
Ah yes, if you want it less spicy for the kids you can use regular smoked sausage. I’ve used the Hillshire Farm smoked sausage that comes in a ring shape before. You could also use chicken sausage as well, or whatever your favorite is. 🙂
Looking for the old bay season and not finding it is this some season u get at a other store r can u use something rlse
Old Bay Seasoning should be in every grocery store. I did a google search and found some of the ingredients used in this seasoning: paprika, cayenne pepper, celery salt, dry mustard, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, red pepper flakes, cloves, salt, and pepper. You could start with a pinch of each, taste test and go from there.
I found the old bay after looking for a hour in the store and even the clrek didn’t even know so I check in the seafood and there it was cooking it today will let you know later how they like it
How would polish/keilbasa work in this recipe. We tried it with Andouille but it was too spicy for us.
Hi Marlene, Yes you could use any type of sausage you prefer to make it less spicy.
Im useing chicken to along with crab leg and shrimp some don’t like shrimp so using it 2 ways will let u know
I made this today it was great!! The seasonings were spot on. I did a trial run for just myself to make sure that it would be good to share with friends. My wife who doesn’t like this type of thing loved the potatoes. The only thing I would do is adjust some of the cooking time and temp. I cooked at 500 for about 50 minutes. I also added a little Punch Your Daddy Creole Seasoning. Thanks for this great recipe! I will be making it soon for a larger group.
That’s awesome Bryan! I’ve never tried Punch Your Daddy Creole Seasoning… I’ll give this a try next time:)
Like a lot of people said this was not nearly done in 20 min. Potatoes, no matter how small, will NEVER be done in 20 min. More like 50-60 min total….I lost count of all the times I put it back in the oven. That said, it WAS delicious. Just wish I had known how long it was really going to take before i started!
This is exactly what happened to me. It turned out good, but I eventually had to pick out the all of the potatoes (which were the small ones) and microwave for about 4 to 5 minutes. Then I mixed them back with the rest of the stuff. I will definitely cook the potatoes first next time.
Oh my word… I am from Detroit, so it’s pretty difficult to find a good shrimp boil. This recipe has me quite emotional, really. The flavors (we used Cajun seasoning) were so perfect. Not too spicy or salty, but with a definite kick. My husband has requested that we have it “as often as spaghetti”, which is high praise 😉 only thing I will change from now on is boil the potatoes a bit beforehand. Everything else was perfect at 20 min.
Abby, that just made my day! 🙂
I made this today and it was awesome. It was ready after 15 minutes on the grill on high heat.
That’s great to hear Stan! It’s one of my favs:)
Can I use a large roaster instead of the oven? I want to make for about 50 people.
Hey Beth, That should work, everything cooks better when it’s in a single layer.
This was one of the easiest and most delicious recipes I have made in a long time. You have got to try it.
Followed instructions exactly.. unfortunately the potatos were raw and the rest of the food was so salty my family wouldn’t eat it.
Just made this for my family. It was delicious. We used a different kind of sausage but it was still amazing. Everyone was complimenting it like crazy. Highly recommend.
So glad you all liked it Alex! 🙂
Can u grill this instead of baking
Hey Thomas, Yes you can grill this as well. Place the foil packet over indirect heat, cooking times may vary depending on the heat of your grill.
Me and my BF decided to make this for a date night and ours turned out amazing! It did take longer than 20 minutes cooking time (more like an hour and 15 minutes) and i think that’s because we added crawfish and crab legs. They were a great addition and we also added an extra spice which was cayenne pepper (BF loves spicy) and it was also a great addition! Thanks for the recipe we will be making again very soon!
ALISHA, did you do anything differently with the crab legs. I want to try this and add crab legs. THanks
I need to make this this for 60 people. Has anyone or you tried to cook it in the chafing dish? Or can I cook it for a certain time in the oven first and then move it to the Chad ting dish. How far ahead can I make the foil wraps. Day before?
This was wonderful! I used shrimp only without the sausage. For the vegetables, I used corn, red potatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper, yellow squash and onion. Seasonings used were old bay seasoning, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and lemon pepper. Of course, I drizzled it with olive oil too! I cooked it in the oven for 45 minutes. My family loved it. It is definitely a keeper.
Awesome Cheryl, I like this variation too! 🙂
My husband and I just made this last night and we loved it! We have leftovers and we want to eat them tonight, how do we go about reheating it?
So glad you liked it Brittany! You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave, but note that Shrimp does not taste as well reheated. It tends to get rubbery in texture.
Great starter recipe. Used 4 20” long pieces of heavy duty foil on counter and placed 4 pieces same size over completed package ingredients and rolled up all 4 sides and placed 2 on each sheet pan. Cooked mine 425 for an hour.
For each package used:
1/2 sliced pobalono pepper
1 small ear corn cut in 3 pieces
1/4 lb.sliced smoked sausage
1/2 small can new potatoes (approx 4 each)
2 small green onions trimmed and sliced lengthwise
5 thawed and shelled tails on super colossal shrimp
1/2 thawed small lobster tail back shell left on but lossened from shell (placed on top of all)
Generous olive oil over all
Low salt Old Bay over all
Pat of butter on top of each lobster piece and two thin slices of lemon over to hold butter on lobster
Served on big oval shaped Chinet Heavy duty disposable platters, with nothing but beer and wine.
Double recipe for 8 people, but make sure oven is big enough for 4 large sheet pans, mine is but need to put pans sideways two on each rack.
Cameras came out, even my son who thinks it is stupid when people photograph their food. No clean-up so straight to game night.
5 thawed super colossal shrimp
I changed it up a little. I added a bit more seasonings such as Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning, a little tiny bit or garlic (and I mean tiny bit) and Cayenne pepper. I also quartered an onion and threw that into the mix. We are a family of five so to make things more affordable and easy, I bought cooked shrimp, red potatoes and threw everything onto a large baking pan, put the foil on top and baked it. This recipe is a HIT! My son is in love with this meal! I’m making it as I write this. Thank you soooo much for sharing! ?
That’s so great to hear Angel! 🙂
So easy to fix very tasty and filling
So glad you liked it Jeff!
OMG these people are dumb. I can’t read anymore of these comments.