This flavor-packed cajun shrimp boil will change your life! Plump shrimp, smoked sausage, and veggies soak up a deliciously spicy broth and are finished with an irresistible Cajun butter sauce for the ultimate seafood feast.
Growing up in Mississippi, crawfish and seafood boils are a major part of the culture and the fellowship is just as important as the food. This cajun seafood boil brings that feeling and deliciousness to the comfort of your home. Gather the family and get ready for some incredible flavors and good times!
For more cajun-inspired recipes, try our cajun shrimp and grits and cajun crawfish etouffee next!
Table of Contents
Important Ingredient and Substitution Notes
The detailed ingredient list with measurements is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Shrimp Boil
- Onion and garlic. Thinly sliced sweet onions and chopped fresh garlic add delicious flavor to the broth. Add more flavorful veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, green beans, or carrots.
- Orange and lemon slices. The citrusy flavor pairs incredibly well with the shrimp. Add lime slices for even more citrus flavor.
- Baby potatoes. Baby red or Yukon gold potatoes soak up the broth and taste great with the shrimp and potatoes. You can substitute cubed russet or sweet potatoes.
- Smoked sausage. Feel free to use your favorite smoked sausage. I love apple chicken sausage but you can use andouille, beef, or turkey sausage.
- Seasonings. Old Bay seasoning is essential in any seafood boil in my opinion. My other recommended spices and herbs are smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves. Add even more flavor with spices like celery salt, ground mustard, coriander, or allspice.
- Shrimp. You want good-quality large or extra-large shrimp for a shrimp boil. I recommend head-off, shell-on shrimp but you can also use peeled and deveined shrimp. I go for shell-on because the shells add more flavor to the broth. Shrimp lovers, try our New Orleans BBQ shrimp next!
- Corn. I love to use frozen mini ears of corn but feel free to use fresh corn.
- Boiled eggs. Totally optional ingredient but I HIGHLY recommend adding boiled eggs to a shrimp boil!
Cajun Butter Sauce
- Butter. Necessary ingredient for this sauce. Use salted or unsalted.
- Reserved shrimp boil broth. For flavor baby!
- Lemon juice. Don't leave it out - trust me!
- Worcestershire sauce. Adds delicious savory, umami flavor.
- Honey. Totally optional but I love the hint of sweetness it adds.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1. Fill a large stock pot or Dutch oven ⅔ full with water. Add the chopped onion, garlic, potatoes, sausage, lemons, oranges, and spices and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 12 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender but mushy.
Step 2. Add the shrimp and corn and continue cooking for 5 to 7 minutes until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
Step 3. Reserve ½ cup of the shrimp boil broth and drain the shrimp in a large colander in the sink.
Step 4. Meanwhile, melt the butter for the cajun butter sauce over medium heat then add the garlic, broth, and remaining sauce ingredients.
Step 5. Stir the sauce ingredients to combine and bring them to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Step 6. Transfer the shrimp to a large platter and pour the cajun butter sauce all over. Dig in!
Variations
I adore seafood boils because they're like a blank canvas you can make into whatever you want! Swap out the seafood, vegetables, spices, and more to create something entirely unique. Try some of these fun variations:
- Try substituting or adding crawfish, clams, lobster, or crab legs.
- Dress up your shrimp boil with veggies like celery, mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus, or cabbage.
- Add extra flavor with chili powder, cumin, curry powder, cinnamon, cloves, or cardamom.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend using an 8-quart stock pot or Dutch oven for this shrimp boil.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat in the microwave or oven. Add extra seafood, chicken, or vegetable stock when reheating if needed.
Shrimp are done when they are pink and opaque and curl into a "c" shape. They should be firm but not tough and rubbery.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Shrimp Boil
- Use a large enough pot. For this recipe, you will need at least an 8-quart pot to allow the ingredients to cook properly and not overcrowd the pot.
- Add the ingredients in stages. The potatoes take much longer to cook than the shrimp and corn so do not add everything at once.
- Don't be afraid of seasoning! I don't recommend cutting back on the seasoning for the best flavor. You may even want to add more to suit your tastes. The seafood and potatoes need plenty of seasoning to soak up the flavor.
- Do not overcook the shrimp. Overcooked shrimp become tough and rubbery so remove them from the pot as soon as they are pink and opaque.
What to Serve with a Shrimp Boil
- Bread. Serve up some bread alongside this delicious shrimp boil like southern hushpuppies, buttermilk cornbread, or southern buttermilk biscuits.
- Salad or slaw. Southern coleslaw pairs beautifully with a seafood boil. Another favorite pairing of mine is egg or potato salad. Try it with our Cajun potato salad!
- Dipping sauce. Add an extra layer of flavor with a tasty dipping sauce like remoulade or comeback sauce!
More Cajun Recipes You Will Love!
If you tried this Cajun Shrimp Boil recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Cajun Shrimp Boil
Ingredients
Shrimp Boil
- 1 medium yellow onion - thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 lemon - sliced
- 1 small navel orange - sliced
- 1 pound baby potatoes - red or Yukon gold
- 12 ounces smoked sausage - pork, beef, chicken, or turkey
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound extra large shrimp - head-off, peel-on or peeled
- 6 mini ears corn
- 6 soft-boiled eggs
Cajun Butter Sauce
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup reserved shrimp boil broth
- 1 garlic clove - minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Fill an 8-quart stock pot ⅔ full with water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the sliced onion, garlic, lemon slices, orange slices, potatoes, smoked sausage, Old Bay seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper and boil for 12 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not mushy.
- Add the shrimp and corn and boil for 5 to 7 minutes until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
- Reserve ½ cup of broth, and drain the shrimp boil through a large colander in the sink.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, lemon juice, honey, worcestershire sauce, salt, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano, and reserved shrimp boil broth.
- Stir the ingredients to combine, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Transfer the shrimp boil to a large serving platter along with the boiled eggs. Pour the garlic butter sauce all over the shrimp boil. Dig in!
Notes
- Use a large enough pot. For this recipe, you will need at least an 8-quart pot to allow the ingredients to cook properly and not overcrowd the pot.
- Add the ingredients in stages. The potatoes take much longer to cook than the shrimp and corn so do not add everything at once.
- Don't be afraid of seasoning! I don't recommend cutting back on the seasoning for the best flavor. You may even want to add more to suit your tastes. The seafood and potatoes need plenty of seasoning to soak up the flavor.
- Do not overcook the shrimp. Overcooked shrimp become tough and rubbery so remove them from the pot as soon as they are pink and opaque.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat in the microwave or oven. Add extra seafood, chicken, or vegetable stock when reheating if needed.
Ab
whoa! this was good! so much flavor and I love the addition of the boiled eggs. Thanks for a great recipe!