This sheet pan Shrimp Boil bursts with deliciously plump shrimp, juicy corn, perfectly cooked potatoes, and savory sausage without all the fuss. It’s the easiest shrimp boil you’ll ever make, and it’s so incredibly tasty!
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We love the ease of a sheet pan dinner like our Salmon and Asparagus or Spatchcock Chicken. It’s easy to prep, simple directions, and fast clean up. Our shrimp boil recipe is quick and easy, but the flavors of butter, old bay seasoning, and lemon juice are unmistakably authentic.
Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil Recipe
Our shrimp boil recipe keeps true to the fun experience without the hassle of cooking, cleaning, and serving. We parboil the potatoes and corn, then cover everything in an irresistible coating of Old Bay, lemon juice, and butter to bake to perfection in the oven.
The best part comes after the cooking. Take it out and serve dinner right off the sheet pan! No plates, and no serving utensils, so it’s the perfect summer meal and fun experience in one!
What is a Shrimp Boil?
As the name suggests, a seafood boil is a dish made by boiling the ingredients in a large pot of seasoned liquid. The cook adds each ingredient at the precise time for even cooking, but with our old bay shrimp boil recipe, we’ve cut out the time it takes to babysit the boiling pot without sacrificing flavor.
A classic shrimp boil is a southern meal and experience all wrapped into one. Ingredients vary slightly by region, but they always include shrimp or seafood, potatoes, corn, sausage and Old Bay seasoning.
In the Southeast, it’s called a Low Country Boil and it features local fresh-caught shrimp, crab, or crawfish. On the other hand, Cajun shrimp boil uses andouille sausage for a spicy kick and sometimes a bit of Zatarain’s.
Ingredients
Some seafood boil ingredients may vary slightly by region, but our recipe stays true to the classic mixture of hearty seafood, sausage, and vegetables. It’s a simple list of ingredients, but it delivers big flavor.
- Baby Potatoes – cut into equal-sized chunks so the potatoes cook evenly. Yukon Gold potatoes or red potatoes work well cut into equal pieces.
- Corn – cut into 2” slices. You can also use frozen corn as it will cook at about the same time as fresh cobs
- Unsalted Butter – coats the ingredients to help the seasoning stick
- Garlic – fresh is best, but pre-minced works, too
- Old Bay seasoning – this seasoning is a must. It’s what makes the shrimp boil authentic! You can find it at most local grocery stores or even online.
- Smoked Andouille sausage – cut into pieces. Any cajun-style sausage will work, but you can use Polish kielbasa for less heat.
- Large shrimp – Tail-on, large, or jumbo shrimp work best. If you can get your hands on tiger shrimp, do it!
- Lemons – cut into wedges to serve on the side
Pro Tip
If you don’t have time to thaw your shrimp in the refrigerator overnight, thaw it quickly by placing it in a colander in your sink. Run cool water over the frozen shrimp for 7-8 minutes until the ice dissolves then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Seafood Boil Variations
This basic shrimp boil recipe features the classic ingredients, but you can always make some simple swaps to fit your tastes. Try these variations:
- Add a can of beer to the water when boiling the potatoes and corn
- Include other seafood, like clams, crawfish, crab, or lobster
- Add vegetables to the mixture: asparagus, red or yellow onion, or okra
- Try including other spices, like bay leaf, red pepper flakes, or parsley
- Serve with a garnish of fresh parsley, lemon wedges, cornbread, and some hot sauce
How to Make a Shrimp Boil
Follow these easy steps to nail this sheet pan shrimp boil. Bon appetite!
- Boil – potatoes in a large pot of salted water for 10 minutes. Add corn to the boiling pot and cook until the potatoes are nearly tender, about 5 more minutes.
- Drain – the corn and potatoes and place into a large bowl.
- Prepare – the shrimp by cleaning and patting them dry (we keep the tails on). Add the shrimp and sausage to the potato and corn bowl.
- Combine – butter, garlic, and Old Bay seasoning in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the meat and vegetables. Toss to coat.
- Arrange – the mixture onto a large baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked. Serve with lemon wedges.
Pro Tip
You’ll know when the Boiled Potatoes are done when you can easily pierce them with a fork. The shrimp is done when it is opaque and the tail curls to form a “C” shape.
How to Serve a Shrimp Boil
Traditionally, the seafood, sausage, and vegetables are boiled over an open flame outside in a large stock pot. When the cooking is done, the food is drained and served spread out across a large picnic table that’s been covered in newspaper. Guests gather around a heaping pile of boiled goodies and then chow down using their hands and an occasional napkin.
What to Serve with a Shrimp Boil
A shrimp boil is a hands-down crowd-pleaser and a meal in itself, but just add a few of these sides to the mix, and you’ve got a feast on your hands.
Common Questions
Old Bay seasoning is classically used for seafood boils. It’s a mix of many spices including celery seed, paprika, pepper, mustard, and red pepper. You could substitute cajun seasoning, but it won’t have exactly the same flavor.
Shrimp is the traditional ingredient, but you can use crab, lobster, or clams as well. You can also omit the shrimp and double the smoked sausages, kielbasa, or andouille sausages.
Potatoes and corn take longer to cook than shrimp. We quickly boil the veggies before mixing everything together to ensure they are cooked when the shrimp are finished. Don’t skip this step!
More Easy Seafood Recipes
After you try this Shrimp Boil recipe, check out these other seafood favorites:
- Grilled Salmon
- Baked Salmon with Garlic and Dijon
- Fish Tacos
- Easy Baked Cod Recipe
- Garlic Butter Air Fryer Salmon
- Pan-Seared Cod in White Wine Tomato Sauce
Shrimp Boil Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb baby potatoes, cut into equal pieces
- 3 ears of corn, each cut into 5 pieces
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 16 oz smoked andouille sausage, cut into pieces
- 1 lb large shrimp, raw, tail on
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes for 10 minutes. Then, add the corn to the boiling water with the potatoes. Boil until the potatoes are finished, about 5 more minutes.
- Drain corn and potatoes, and place them into a large bowl.
- Clean and pat dry shrimp, and add them to the bowl. Also, add sausage to the bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine butter with minced garlic and Old Bay seasoning. Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp boil ingredients and toss it all together.
- Transfer everything to a large baking sheet and bake at 400 °F for about 15 minutes or until the shrimp is fully cooked. Serve with lemon wedges.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
Can you add crab legs to this? If so, do they just go in with the shrimp, sausage and all that?
Yes, you can include other seafood, like clams, crawfish, crab, or lobster
Quick, tasty, and easy! I’ve lost track of how many times I made this. Good stuff
Hi Mark! So happy you loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Mark, You took the words right out of my mouth.
Very quickly prepared, excellent flavors, and very quick clean up. Delicious
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Betty!
Can you boil the potatoes and corn ahead of time? Do they have to be refrigerated if you can do this step ahead of time?
Hi Lynn, how far ahead are you thinking? If it’s just a few hours ahead then it should be fine if you don’t refrigerate it.
OK my first go at making this and woah! This was absolutely delicious. Easy to make and when I tell you everyone was licking their fingers. Doubled the ingredients and it still was almost all gone. Served it with some homemade jalapeño cheddar cornbread. Can’t wait to make this again!! P.S. for anyone reading this living in the UK, the IOld Bay seasoning is sold at Tesco
This shrimp boil was absolutely delicious and gone. Easy prepping and mess free cooking. Loved it, also had to make seconds. Yummy recipe, Thank you Natasha ☺️
I’m so happy to hear that, Angela!
They couldn’t get enough!! Huge hit with the family. Tha k you for your recipes
That’s wonderful to hear, Holly!
This was so good, but i had a lot left, What is the best way to store leftovers?
Hi there, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days.
How do you cut the corn into 2 inch pieces? I always find it difficult. Also, I want to add lobster and crab. How do you suggest I do this?
Hi Jillian, We recommend a very quality, sharp knife. It makes all the difference. I have my favorites in my Amazon (Affiliate) Shop. Adding lobster and crab will work great! I would add them to ensure they have enough time to cook thoroughly. Typically, they come with cook time instructions on the packaging depending on the size of the crab and lobster. I hope this is helpful.
I made it for my family tonight and they LOVED it! I don’t eat seafood so I don’t know for sure but their plates/bowls were empty!
That’s great to hear, Michelle!