Old Bay Shrimp Boil – A One Pot Meal With Loads Of Flavor!

This Old Bay Shrimp Boil recipe is a simple, one-pot meal that is packed full of flavor and ready to eat in about 35 minutes. It’s perfect for busy families that want a rich, filling meal without a ton of stress – or mess!

Our family loves a good one-pot meal, and especially one that is packed full of flavor! While the ingredients of potatoes, onion, smoked sausage, sweet corn, and shrimp are great on their own, the star of this dish really is the Old Bay Seasoning.

This seasoning is geared towards seafood dishes. However, it is excellent for adding flavor to about anything you can think of (eggs are one of my favorites). You can even find products like potato chips and Campbell’s soup seasoned with the iconic seafood flavoring.

Even though I am not a huge fan of spice and heat, this recipe has just enough kick to keep my lips tingling but without making me reach for a glass of milk to squelch the heat. If you prefer to have your lips on fire as you dine, then you can always add on a bit more Old Bay to liven things up even more!

Since this is a one-pot meal where all the ingredients are added one at a time, you have plenty of time to prepare the other ingredients before the next one needs to go into the pot. This makes it perfect for anyone who is busy and just wants a delicious dinner on the table in no time at all and with few dishes to do afterward.

How To Make Old Bay Shrimp Boil

*Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe, including exact measurements and amounts. You can also print out the instructions. I go into a bit more detail about the recipe here first, just in case you need it.

All of the ingredients in the Old Bay Shrimp Boil are cooked in a specific order. This is done on purpose to allow each individual item plenty of time to cook completely before it is ready to be served. You want to follow the order, but you can vary the time slightly if you feel it is needed.

You will be cooking all of the ingredients in one large stock pot, so you need a good-sized pot. The one I have is a 12-quart stock pot and it has more than enough room. I do suggest at least an 8-quart stockpot though.

Ingredients

• Water – I like to start with warm or hot water to help speed up the boiling process. Some people like to swap a bit of the water with a can of beer. We don’t usually have beer at the house, but you can always give that a try if you want to change the flavor up a bit.
• Old Bay Seasoning – There really isn’t anything you can substitute the seasoning for in this recipe. It’s what makes the broth so flavorful. I mean, it’s in the name of the recipe so it’s definitely a must-have ingredient! (Product Link: Old Bay Seasoning)
• Salt – Any table salt that you have on hand works well for this recipe. We like to use Redmond Real Salt. (Product Link: Redmond Real Salt)

• New Potatoes – You can use red or yellow baby potatoes for this recipe. We usually use red, but we had some Yukon Gold potatoes from the garden that I wanted to eat up so that’s what is in these photos.
• Onion – White or yellow onion both work well with this recipe.
• Smoked Sausage – We typically get beef smoked sausage for the recipe, but you can use whatever your favorite type is.
• Corn On The Cob – If fresh sweet corn is in season, then we go that route. Otherwise, I just use frozen sweet corn that has already been cut into chunks. The cooking time is really about the same.
• Shrimp – While you can use pre-cooked shrimp, raw really works best for this recipe. We get shrimp that are already devained for obvious reasons. I prefer to get shrimp with the shell off, but that isn’t always an option.

Instructions For Old Bay Shrimp Boil

Again, be sure to cook the ingredients in this order to allow the proper cooking time for each item. If not, you might end up with raw, uncooked potatoes or chewy, rubbery shrimp.

First, start by bringing your water, Old Bay seasoning, and salt to a rolling boil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. While you are waiting for that to boil, start to prepare your first ingredients to go into the pot.

Wash and scrub whatever type of new potatoes you are using. Cut each one up into 1 to 2-inch chunks. If the potatoes are little, you can leave them whole.

Also, cut up your onion. Remove the ends as well as the papery outer layers. Cut the onion into half and then into wedges. You don’t have to separate the layers if you don’t want to.

Add Your Ingredients

As soon as the water has started to boil, carefully dump in the potatoes and onions. Cover and boil on medium heat for 8 minutes. The onions and potatoes won’t be done after the 8 minutes but don’t worry; They will have several more minutes of cooking time as the other ingredients go in.

While those are cooking, start to prepare the sausages. Cut the meat into 2-inch-sized pieces. When the 8 minutes is up, add the sausages to the pot and stir. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Again, while those ingredients are in the pot, start to prepare your next ingredient – the corn. If you are using fresh sweet corn, remove the husks as well as the silks. Scrub the corn under running water. Depending on your ear size, cut the corn into half or thirds.

If using frozen corn, simply remove it from the package. There is no need to thaw the corn before adding it to the pot. Once the timer goes off from the sausages, add in the corn. Stir so that the corn is as submerged in the broth as possible. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes.

One More To Go

Once the timer goes off, you are ready to add the last ingredient, the shrimp. If you are using frozen shrimp, be sure to thaw it out properly before adding it to the pot. Otherwise, add the shrimp, stir, cover, and cook for 4 minutes or until the shrimp are nice and pink.

When the 4 minutes are up, you are ready to serve! Some people like to drain off the liquid and dump the contents all onto a large platter in the middle of the table.

We typically prefer to keep everything in the pot with the liquid and dish out what we need as we are ready. In our opinion, the broth is one of the best parts!

Just use a large slotted spoon and scoop out all of the goodies onto a rimmed plate. Then, take a soup ladle and add some broth. If desired, sprinkle on additional Old Bay Seasoning over top. (Product Link: OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Spider Scoop)

Store any leftover ingredients in a sealed container in your refrigerator and consume them within two days. Enjoy!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea

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