There is something uniquely joyful about a meal that requires you to roll up your sleeves and get a little messy. For me, that meal is an Old Bay Shrimp Boil. The moment the aroma of the simmering spices fills the kitchen, it signals a relaxed, sociable time ahead. My kids absolutely devour this every time I make it, their faces lighting up when I tip the colourful contents onto a big platter in the middle of the table. It’s a feast for the eyes as much as the palate, with vibrant pink shrimp, sunny yellow corn, and ruby-red sausage all glistening under a sheen of spiced butter.

This isn’t just about throwing ingredients in a pot; it’s a method of layering flavours. The water transforms into a deeply savoury and aromatic broth, infusing every single component with the iconic taste of Old Bay seasoning. The potatoes become tender and creamy, the corn cobs soak up the spice, and the shrimp cook to sweet, succulent perfection in the final moments. It’s the kind of meal that brings everyone together, encouraging chatter and laughter as you all dig in.

Whether you’re planning a weekend gathering in the garden or just want to treat the family to a truly memorable dinner, this Old Bay Shrimp Boil recipe is a guaranteed winner. It’s a complete meal in one pot, which means more time enjoying the food and less time washing up. It always gets compliments, and I’m excited to share my tried-and-tested version with you.

Recipe Overview

This recipe guides you through creating a classic American-style shrimp boil, a one-pot meal where every ingredient shines. The flavour profile is savoury, slightly spicy, and deeply aromatic from the Old Bay Seasoning, with a bright, zesty finish from fresh lemon. After testing this many times, I found that adding the shrimp right at the end for a very short cooking time is the secret to keeping them juicy and tender, not rubbery.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Servings: 4-6 people
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Old Bay Shrimp Boil Recipe

• Genuine Flavour: The broth is the heart of this dish. The combination of smoky sausage, sweet onion, pungent garlic, and the complex spice blend creates a liquid that makes everything it touches taste incredible. The final drizzle of garlic-lemon butter just takes it over the top.
• Ready in Under 45 Minutes: From start to finish, this impressive meal comes together in about 40 minutes, making it achievable even on a weeknight when you want something special without the fuss.
• Flexible Recipe: Feel free to make this your own! You can add a handful of clams or mussels along with the shrimp. Swap the smoked sausage for a spicy chorizo if you like more heat, or even throw in some green beans for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Great for Gatherings: This works beautifully for a casual dinner with friends or a family celebration. The communal, hands-on nature of eating it straight from a central platter makes it a fun and engaging experience.
• Family Tested: This is a firm favourite in my house. Everyone seems to love the interactive element of it, and there are never any leftovers! It’s a fantastic way to get everyone around the same table.

Old Bay Shrimp Boil Recipe

⏱️ 15 min prep  •  🍳 30 min cook  •  👥 4 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

The beauty of a shrimp boil lies in its simple, wholesome ingredients. For the most authentic flavour, I always use the original McCormick’s Old Bay Seasoning in the classic yellow and blue tin. When it comes to the shrimp, using large, shell-on prawns will give your broth an even deeper seafood flavour, but shell-off works well too.

• 4 litres of water (or a mix of water and light vegetable stock)
• 60g Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 large lemons, one halved, one cut into wedges for serving
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 whole head of garlic, sliced in half horizontally
• 2 bay leaves
• 700g new potatoes (like Charlotte), scrubbed and larger ones halved
• 400g smoked sausage (like Andouille or Kielbasa), cut into 5cm chunks
• 4 cobs of sweetcorn, husked and cut into thirds
• 900g large raw king prawns, shell-on or peeled
• 115g unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• A small handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Sara’s Tip: Don’t throw away the squeezed lemon halves! Tossing them directly into the pot as the broth simmers infuses the water with a wonderful, fragrant citrus oil from the peel.

How to Make This Old Bay Shrimp Boil Recipe

The process for this recipe is straightforward and follows a simple layering of ingredients based on their cooking time. Your main tool will be a very large stockpot – you need plenty of room for the ingredients to move around and cook evenly.

1. Create the Aromatic Broth: In a large stockpot (at least 8-10 litres), combine the 4 litres of water, 60g of Old Bay Seasoning, the quartered onion, the halved head of garlic, and the bay leaves. Squeeze the juice from the halved lemon into the pot, then add the squeezed halves as well. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat.
2. Cook the Potatoes: Once boiling, add the new potatoes to the pot. Reduce the heat slightly to maintain a steady, strong simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are just beginning to become tender when pierced with a knife.
3. Add the Sausage: Add the sausage chunks to the pot. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. The sausage will release its smoky flavour into the broth, adding another delicious layer.
4. Add the Corn: Gently place the corn pieces into the pot. Let them cook for 4-5 minutes. The kernels should be bright yellow and tender.
5. Cook the Shrimp: This is the final and fastest step. Add the raw prawns to the pot and stir gently. Cook for just 2-3 minutes. What works best for me is watching them closely; as soon as they turn pink, opaque, and curl into a ‘C’ shape, they are perfectly cooked. Do not overcook them.
6. Drain and Prepare to Serve: Immediately turn off the heat. Using a large slotted spoon or spider strainer, carefully remove all the solids (potatoes, sausage, corn, shrimp) and transfer them to a very large serving platter or a newspaper-lined table. Discard the onion, garlic head, bay leaves, and lemon halves from the pot.
7. Make the Butter Drizzle: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted unsalted butter, minced garlic, and a tablespoon of the remaining cooking liquid from the pot.
8. Garnish and Serve: Drizzle the garlic butter all over the shrimp boil on the platter. Garnish generously with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately with the fresh lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature Control: Once the potatoes are in, avoid a frantic, hard boil. A strong, rolling simmer is all you need. This cooks everything perfectly without causing the potatoes to break apart and turn mushy.
• The Secret Step: I learned that reserving a tablespoon or two of the hot, spicy broth to mix into the melted butter makes the final drizzle even more flavourful. It helps the butter coat everything more evenly and ties all the flavours together.
• Make-Ahead: You can prepare the flavour broth (step 1) up to a day in advance. Let it cool and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to cook, simply bring it back to a boil and continue with the recipe from step 2. This is a great time-saver for entertaining.
• Storage: While best eaten immediately, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water or in the microwave.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcooking the Shrimp: This is the most common pitfall. Shrimp cook incredibly fast. We’re talking 2-3 minutes max. If you cook them for too long, they will become tough and rubbery. Pull them from the pot the moment they turn pink. They will continue to cook slightly from the residual heat.
• Overcrowding the Pot: You must use a large stockpot. If the ingredients are too tightly packed, the temperature of the water will drop significantly each time you add something new. This causes the ingredients to steam rather than boil, leading to uneven cooking and a watery result.
• Not Salting Enough (If Needed): Old Bay contains a good amount of salt, but the potatoes and corn absorb a lot of it. Taste the broth before you add the shrimp. If it doesn’t taste well-seasoned, add a bit more salt. It’s harder to season everything effectively at the end.

What to Serve With This Old Bay Shrimp Boil Recipe

This is a true one-pot meal, so you don’t need much on the side. However, a few accompaniments can round out the feast perfectly. While this is a departure from my usual weeknight Lemon Garlic Chicken, the sides that go well with it are just as straightforward.

• Crusty Bread: A fresh baguette or a loaf of sourdough is essential for mopping up every last drop of the spiced butter and flavourful juices left on your plate.
• A Simple Coleslaw: A creamy, tangy coleslaw provides a cool and crunchy contrast to the warm, spicy flavours of the boil.
• Drink Pairings: A cold, crisp lager or a pilsner is the classic choice. For wine lovers, a zesty Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Pinot Grigio cuts through the richness beautifully. A pitcher of iced tea with lemon is a fantastic non-alcoholic option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Old Bay Shrimp Boil Recipe

A classic one-pot American feast featuring tender shrimp, smoky sausage, corn, and potatoes, all simmered in a zesty Old Bay broth and finished with a rich garlic butter drizzle.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 955

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 litres of water or a mix of water and light vegetable stock
• 60 g Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 large lemons one halved, one cut into wedges for serving
• 1 large onion peeled and quartered
• 1 whole head of garlic sliced in half horizontally
• 2 bay leaves
• 700 g new potatoes like Charlotte, scrubbed and larger ones halved
• 400 g smoked sausage like Andouille or Kielbasa, cut into 5cm chunks
• 4 cobs of sweetcorn husked and cut into thirds
• 900 g large raw king prawns shell-on or peeled
• 115 g unsalted butter melted
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• A small handful of fresh parsley chopped

Method

 

1. Create the Aromatic Broth: In a large stockpot (at least 8-10 litres), combine the 4 litres of water, 60g of Old Bay Seasoning, the quartered onion, the halved head of garlic, and the bay leaves. Squeeze the juice from the halved lemon into the pot, then add the squeezed halves as well. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat.
2. Cook the Potatoes: Once boiling, add the new potatoes to the pot. Reduce the heat slightly to maintain a steady, strong simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are just beginning to become tender when pierced with a knife.
3. Add the Sausage: Add the sausage chunks to the pot. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. The sausage will release its smoky flavour into the broth, adding another delicious layer.
4. Add the Corn: Gently place the corn pieces into the pot. Let them cook for 4-5 minutes. The kernels should be bright yellow and tender.
5. Cook the Shrimp: This is the final and fastest step. Add the raw prawns to the pot and stir gently. Cook for just 2-3 minutes. What works best for me is watching them closely; as soon as they turn pink, opaque, and curl into a 'C' shape, they are perfectly cooked. Do not overcook them.
6. Drain and Prepare to Serve: Immediately turn off the heat. Using a large slotted spoon or spider strainer, carefully remove all the solids (potatoes, sausage, corn, shrimp) and transfer them to a very large serving platter or a newspaper-lined table. Discard the onion, garlic head, bay leaves, and lemon halves from the pot.
7. Make the Butter Drizzle: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted unsalted butter, minced garlic, and a tablespoon of the remaining cooking liquid from the pot.
8. Garnish and Serve: Drizzle the garlic butter all over the shrimp boil on the platter. Garnish generously with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately with the fresh lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.

Notes

Traditionally served piled high on a newspaper-lined table for a fun, communal meal. Have crusty bread on hand for dipping in the garlic butter.

There’s nothing quite like the shared experience of an Old Bay Shrimp Boil. It’s a wonderfully messy, flavour-packed meal that’s all about enjoyment and togetherness. If you love this kind of communal, one-pot dish, you might also enjoy my easy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe. I hope you give this recipe a try for your next get-together. I’d love to hear how it turns out for you, so please leave a comment below!
Happy cooking,
Sara