I love to make Shrimp Boil Foil Packets that boast all the great flavors of a traditional low country boil with shrimp, smoked sausage, potatoes, and corn that can be customized in individual foil packets. This easy summer-time dinner comes together in about 45 minutes time.
Do you love a good shrimp boil? It’s very rare that I make my large batch shrimp and crab boil for my family. Unless, I’m hosting extra people. Instead, I’ll treat my family to Shrimp Boil Foil Packets. I love that you get all the great flavors of a shrimp boil, but in an individual aluminum foil packet. This means very little mess to clean up, and it’s great for customizing dinner for individuals without doing additional work.
If you love the flavors of a shrimp and sausage boil I think you’ll love these shrimp boil packets. Best of all you can make them on the grill or in the oven. They come out the same either method of cooking.
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Why this Recipe Works
Convenience: This recipe is perfect for anyone who loves seafood but doesn’t have the time to cook an elaborate meal. The foil packets can be prepared in advance and cooked on the grill, making it an ideal option for busy weeknights or for entertaining guests.
Flavorful: Shrimp boil seasoning is the star of this recipe, infusing each ingredient with its signature flavor. The combination of shrimp, potatoes, corn, and sausage creates a delicious and satisfying meal that will leave your taste buds begging for more.
Versatile: The beauty of this recipe is that you can customize it to your liking. Swap out the sausage for chicken, or add additional vegetables like onions or peppers. You can even use different seafood like crawfish or crab legs. The possibilities are endless, making it a recipe that you’ll want to come back to time and time again.
Ingredients
- Shrimp – I like to use large to extra-large shrimp for my foil packets. You can use peeled or unpeeled packets. Totally up to you on what you prefer.
- Sausage – I like to use smoked kielbasa for my low country boils.
- Potatoes – You can use yukon gold or red potatoes. I advise using the mini potatoes and cutting them in quarters so they cook not only evenly but quickly!
- Corn – I love to use fresh corn on the cob. I’ll cut one cob of corn in 4 so each packets gets a whole ear of corn!
- Lemon – I like to put a few slices of lemon in each packet. It adds additional natural salt and brightens up the dish!
- Seasoning – I love to toss everything with Old Bay Seasoning for the ultimate shrimp boil flavors.
- Butter – Lots of butter goes into this delicious shrimp and sausage boil packet!
Directions
Prep the kielbasa, corn on the cob, shrimp, lemon wedges, parsley, and potatoes prior to starting the assembly of pouches.
Place a 16-18-inch piece of aluminum foil on the countertop. Fold each edge ½-inch in two times. Then place a quarter of the quartered potatoes on top of the foil. Followed by the sliced kielbasa and shrimp on top of the potatoes. Place four pieces of corn (which equals one whole ear) on each of the corners of the potato/sausage/kielbasa pile.
Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Old Bay Seasoning along with a teaspoon of diced fresh parsley on top. Place 2 tablespoons of butter on top of the shrimp and 2 lemon wedges.
Bring the long end of the foil to the other side and begin to fold edges. Fold all three edges so that no steam can escape from the foil packet.
Repeat, three more times until you have four foil packets made and all ingredients are used.
Shrimp Boil Packets on the Grill
- Preheat a gas grill to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Reduce the heat to low. Then place the four foil packets on to the grill. Grill for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
- Once the foil packet dinner is done, carefully transfer off the grill and on to a sheet pan. Place foil packets in large shallow bowls, carefully life foil open and enjoy!
Shrimp Boil in Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place two foil packets on a baking sheet, and the other two packets on another baking sheet. Place foil packets in large shallow bowls, carefully lift foil open and enjoy straight from the foil or dump into a bowl.
- Carefully remove the baking sheets from the oven. Place foil packets in large shallow bowls, carefully lift foil open and enjoy straight from the foil or dump into a bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions
These shrimp boil packets make enough to feed 4 adults. However, you can easily make more foil packets by adding additional ingredients to make more.
Some of my favorite sides to serve with a shrimp boil are coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad, leafy green salad, and crusty bread.
I like to serve ⅓ to ½ pound of shrimp per person. For these foil packets I go with ⅓ pound of large shrimp. If you have people who love shrimp definitely go with ½ pound per person.
Yes, it definitely has a nice kick to it. Old bay has both black and red pepper in the seasoning blend which gives it a little kick. Enough to where my kids complain “it’s too spicy” but adults don’t really complain at all!
Tips & Tricks
Here are all my favorite expert tips and tricks when making shrimp boil foil packets.
- Baby Potatoes – 1 pound of baby potatoes is about 18 potatoes. Divide them evenly among the foil packets.
- Prep Ahead of Assembly – It is key that you prep all the ingredients prior to starting to assemble. I slice the kielbasa and remove shrimp shells and tails first. I’ll dice parsley and slice lemon wedges next. I’ll cut a stick of butter into 8 equal pieces and then cut the entire stick lengthwise so you have 4 smaller pieces of butter. The very last thing I’ll do is quarter the potatoes as these will start to brown and oxidize.
- Less Heat – If someone in your home does not like spicy food reduce the amount of Old Bay Seasoning in their packet to at most 1 teaspoon. My kids find it too spicy the way this recipe is written. For their foil packet I will use minimal amount of spices tossing just a little bit on the shrimp, potatoes and sausage and none on the corn.
- Unsalted Butter – It’s important to use unsalted butter for this recipe. The Old Bay Seasoning and kielbasa all contain a lot of salt. Plus lemon brings additional salt like flavors to the dish. If you use salted butter you will have a very salty dinner.
- Transferring – Whenever I transfer the foil packets to and from the grill I use a sheet pan. I find it’s the easiest way to ensure the foil packs don’t rip. Plus once they are done they will be super hot and juice could leak out.
Cooked Shrimp Recipes
Here are a few more of my favorite cooked shrimp recipes that make for an easy lunch or dinner.
Love foil packet meals? Try these other recipes…
- Grilled Mexican Chicken and Rice Foil Packets
- Chicken Cacciatore Foil Packets
- Grilled Kielbasa and Potato Foil Packets
- Grilled Asparagus in Foil
If you make this shrimp boil packet recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a ⭐ star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Shrimp Boil Packets
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
- Grill
Ingredients
- 1 pound Baby Yukon potatoes divided
- 12 ounce Beef Polska Kielbasa cut in 2-3 inch chunks
- 1.5 pound Large shrimp divided
- 4 Corn on the cob cut in quarters
- 8 teaspoons Old bay seasoning divided
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley diced
- ½ cup Unsalted butter divided
- 1 Lemon
Instructions
- Prep the kielbasa, corn on the cob, shrimp, lemon wedges, parsley, and potatoes prior to starting the assembly of pouches.
- Place a 16-18-inch piece of aluminum foil on the countertop. Fold each edge ½-inch in two times. Then place a quarter of the quartered potatoes on top of the foil. Followed by the sliced kielbasa and shrimp on top of the potatoes. Place four pieces of corn (which equals one whole ear) on each of the corners of the potato/sausage/kielbasa pile.
- Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Old Bay Seasoning along with a teaspoon of diced fresh parsley on top. Place 2 tablespoons of butter on top of the shrimp and 2 lemon wedges.
- Bring the long end of the foil to the other side and begin to fold edges. Fold all three edges so that no steam can escape from the foil packet.
- Repeat, three more times until you have four foil packets made and all ingredients are used.
On the Grill
- Preheat a gas grill to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Reduce the heat to low. Then place the four foil packets on to the grill. Grill for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
- Once the foil packet dinner is done, carefully transfer off the grill and on to a sheet pan. Place foil packets in large shallow bowls, carefully life foil open and enjoy!
Baking in Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place two foil packets on a baking sheet, and the other two packets on another baking sheet. Place foil packets in large shallow bowls, carefully lift foil open and enjoy straight from the foil or dump into a bowl.
- Carefully remove the baking sheets from the oven. Place foil packets in large shallow bowls, carefully lift foil open and enjoy straight from the foil or dump into a bowl.
Video
Notes
- Baby Potatoes – 1 pound of baby potatoes is about 18 potatoes. Divide them evenly among the foil packets.
- Prep Ahead of Assembly – It is key that you prep all the ingredients prior to starting to assemble. I slice the kielbasa and remove shrimp shells and tails first. I’ll dice parsley and slice lemon wedges next. I’ll cut a stick of butter into 8 equal pieces and then cut the entire stick lengthwise so you have 4 smaller pieces of butter. The very last thing I’ll do is quarter the potatoes as these will start to brown and oxidize.
- Less Heat – If someone in your home does not like spicy food reduce the amount of Old Bay Seasoning in their packet to at most 1 teaspoon. My kids find it too spicy the way this recipe is written. For their foil packet I will use minimal amount of spices tossing just a little bit on the shrimp, potatoes and sausage and none on the corn.
- Unsalted Butter – It’s important to use unsalted butter for this recipe. The Old Bay Seasoning and kielbasa all contain a lot of salt. Plus lemon brings additional salt like flavors to the dish. If you use salted butter you will have a very salty dinner.
- Transferring – Whenever I transfer the foil packets to and from the grill I use a sheet pan. I find it’s the easiest way to ensure the foil packs don’t rip. Plus once they are done they will be super hot and juice could leak out.
Nutmeg Nanny
Oh, I love getting to use the grill. This looks wonderful 🙂
Katie
Thanks Brandy! I’m so grateful I can grill just about year round!
JulieD
This looks amazing!!! I want some right now!
Katie
Thanks Julie! Seriously–the best way to entertain! And they sell beef kielbasa… so you could totally eat this! 🙂
addie | culicurious
Great idea, Katie! I love this 🙂
Katie
Thanks Addie!
Crystal @ Simply Playful Fare
This looks like so much fun! I love how you put everything directly on the grill. 🙂 I don’t think our weather is going to be that great either, so no grilling for me this weekend.
Katie
Thanks Crystal! I hope you finally get to try this recipe! So simple and so delicious!
Samantha
I’ve never had a shrimp boil but I’ve been seeing it around lately so I better get on that, huh? I love that all of the food bloggers are nodding as they read about you rushing home to get the best light. See you soon, Roomie!
Katerina
These shrimps look fantastic!
Katie
Thanks Katerina!
Shaina
lol it cracks me up how we, as food bloggers, care more about taking pictures of the food than actually cooking and eating it. this sounds great though, perfect MDW food:)
Katie
Oh I think I care equally about it all! It has to taste as good as it looks on film! 😉
Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain
OMG!! I love this dish! And, I can’t wait to see you in a few weeks!
Katie
Thanks Lauren! I know… I can’t believe BHF is right around the corner!!! Eeeep!
danielle
We do a lot of shrimp boils over the spring/summer. I love the idea of grilling everything.
Katie
Oh how fun Danielle! Yes, throw it all on the grill… no-fuss entertaining!
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel
I’m completely craving bbq food now (totally blaming you ha) and of course we’re going to have a chillier than normal weekend – boo. What a bad weather weekend for memorial day celebrations.
Katie
Boo that stinks. Well as soon as it warms up fire-up the grill and make your family this recipe! It was great seeing you last weekend! 🙂