Low Country Boil
by Sommer Collier — on Jan 26, 2026 My easy low country boil recipe will transport you to the Carolinas, without ever leaving the house! It includes classic Southern ingredients like Old Bay seasoning, plump shrimp, smoked sausage, potatoes, and corn, all added to one big ‘ol pot, in stages to develop just the right flavor. Everything cooks together in under 20 minutes, then the shrimp boil is dumped across a table covered with paper for a fast-casual community dining experience.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of making a trip to the deep Southeastern side of America, you might not be too familiar with all of the incredible food we’ve got going on down here. But if you’ve found your way to A Spicy Perspective, then know I’ve got you covered, dear reader… Because I am more than happy to bring the south to your mouth, regardless of where you call home! IÂ have an easy recipe on the site for to make low country boil in the oven, with full crab legs and shrimp. However, today I wanted to show you the traditional method of low-country boil that most folks in the Carolinas make. Of course, each household has its own slight variation, but if you want a simple dinner that tastes like south, this traditional sausage and shrimp boil is the way to do it.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Southern Food at its Finest – This is what lowcountry cuisine is all about, people. My South Carolina-style shrimp boil with Old Bay seasoning and all the fixins’ tastes like a day on the water, minus the sunburn. The shrimp and sausage pieces are plump and juicy, the sweet corn and potatoes are perfectly tender, and you get lots of spice-ful (not spicy!) smoky, warm, and earthy flavors in every bite.
Made to Share – Here’s a meal to feed the whole family, and then some. We often host a seafood boil for summertime parties and cookouts. But this recipe really is great for whenever I want to make a lot of food for 8-12 people, with minimal prep, effort, or cleanup. Bonus, it’s ready to serve to all of those hungry party people in under an hour.
Dump, Go, and Dump –Â This might seem impressive (which it is, flavor-wise), but a low country boil is a very simple recipe to make. Think of it like a crockpot recipe, without all the waiting around. You simply add vegetables, sausage, and seafood in stages to a large pot of boiling water, then drain off the liquid, and dump it out on a newspaper-covered table for serving.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Raw shrimp – I use fresh shrimp whenever possible, but previously frozen and thawed ones are fine as well. You have the option of either peeling and deveining them first, which is my preference, or you can also add the whole shrimp in shells if you like. I must admit, this does protect from overcooking, adds extra flavor, and enhances the whole peel-and-eat experience.
- Kielbasa sausage – Andouille sausage is traditional for Louisiana-style shrimp boils, but this does tend to have some spice. While I love a good bit of heat in my food, I use a mild kielbasa sausage when I’m cooking for a crowd.
- Small potatoes – I use traditional red potatoes that are either already small, golf ball size, or about the same size when cut in half. Baby yellow potatoes are another option, but they tend to cook faster and will have a softer bite after boiling.
- Corn cobs – Definitely use fresh corn if it’s in season. But if not, frozen half pieces of corn also work great! No need to thaw them first, they’ll go right into the boiling water from frozen.
- Garlic and onion – I do a rustic chop and cut the onion into wedges. Then just peel and smash the garlic, no need to mince.
- Old Bay seasoning – I seriously don’t know if you can consider it an American southern boil if there isn’t Old Bay involved. This classic seasoning includes over a dozen different spices like pepper, paprika, and bay leaves. However, if you have a favorite Cajun or Creole seasoning, you can use that as well.
- Lager beer – I’m adding a pale lager for extra flavor in the cooking liquid. It adds a nice note to the overall taste. But you can omit the beer if you like.
- Parsley – The fresh herby-ness of parsley balances all of those savory and sweet flavors, so they aren’t quite as heavy.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep and Start – I use a large 12-quart cooking pot, which can easily hold 12 servings. If you only have a 6-8 quart pot, simply halve the ingredients or use two pots.
I place the pot on the stove top over medium-high heat and pour in the water. Then I add the onion, garlic, and potatoes. If the potatoes are small, about the size of the shrimp, I leave them whole. But if they are on the larger side, I cut them in half right before adding them to the pot.
Then I slice the smoked sausage into large 1 to 2-inch pieces.
Add the Seasoning and Sausage – Next, I add the Old Bay seasoning, kielbasa pieces, and beer into the pot. Then I bring the heat to a gentle but steady boil, and cook for 10-12 minutes.
If I haven’t done it yet, now’s a great time to prep and cover the table with layers of newspaper or brown packing paper. Oh, and get plenty of napkins ready!
Add the Corn – I first check a potato to be sure it’s fork-tender. When it’s good to go, I carefully add the corn cob halves to the boiling water, give everything a stir, and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
Add the Shrimp – As soon as the corn has boiled for 5 minutes, it’s time to add the shrimp. Quick! Stir them into the broth, and cook the shrimp for only another 2-3 minutes. Then immediately turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner.
Final Touch – Lastly, I stir in a few tablespoons of chopped parsley. It’s not necessary, technically, but is a nice fresh balance to the other savory and sweet flavors.
Drain and Dump – I personally find this recipe super fun to make, and now it’s time for my favorite part… Dump and eat! Do this quickly so the shrimp don’t overcook. I pour everything into a colander to drain off the liquid, then carefully dump the shrimp, sausage, potatoes, and corn across the paper-covered table.
*Alternatively, you can use a skimmer to scoop out the ingredients from the pot and transfer them to the table or a serving platter.
Expert Tip
As with many favorite Southern seafood dishes (like my Cajun shrimp jambalaya recipe and authentic New Orleans seafood gumbo recipe), the key to getting every element in this recipe just right is to add the ingredients at different times. In order to make sure that everything tastes good, you need to add the seasoning upfront along with the onions, garlic, sausage, and potatoes that take the longest to cook.
Then in goes the corn, and at the very end, you add the shrimp or any other seafood you’d like to throw in. Make sure the potatoes are almost fork-tender before you add the corn. Don’t be tempted to throw the corn in early, as it actually gets tougher the longer it cooks. We want it to have perfectly sweet, warm, tender kernels that pop when you bite in!
Serving Suggestions
Here in the Carolinas, we usually serve a seafood boil with crusty bread, hot sauce, a few wedges of lemon, clarified butter, and homemade cocktail sauce for dipping. I highly suggest you do the same!
Heaps of shrimp, corn, and potatoes are a full meal as-is. But I’m a “the more the merrier” hostess, both with the number of people gathered and the amount of food I’m sharing, so I love to have a few favorite southern dishes on the side, too. Here are a few down-home recipes that pair well with a boil spread:
- Southern Fried Okra
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Spicy Collard Greens
- Homemade Mac and Cheese
- Stewed Okra and Tomatoes
- Cheese Grits
- Marinated Vegetable Salad
- Jalapeno Hush Puppies
Storing and Reheating
Leftovers (unheard of, really) can be stored in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing, as the shrimp can become rubbery and the potatoes grainy, and nobody wants that.
You can reheat the shrimp boil on the stovetop over low to medium heat, or in a covered dish in the oven at 300°F with a splash of water or broth, until just warmed through (10-15 minutes). You can also microwave in short intervals, stirring between each. But keep an eye out and avoid overheating so the shrimp stays tender and doesn’t get tough!
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on their size, whether you are using medium or large shrimp, but each person should get about 8-10 shrimp. Weight-wise, this is roughly 1/2 a pound per person.
I’ve done this a million times, so trust me when I say I know the tried-and-true method for easily cleaning raw shrimp. First, twist and pull off the shrimp head. Then use your fingers to gather as many legs as you can in one grab, and yank off the legs in a quick motion. Discard them to the side, then place both thumbs on the now leg-free underside of the shrimp, and gently push up and away to remove the shell. Even though I remove the main shell, I like to keep the tails on for easy grabbing.
Once the shell is off, use your fingers or a pairing knife to remove the black vein along the back of the shrimp. (Also known as deveining the shrimp.) That’s the shrimp’s digestive tract – and yes, it’s exactly what you think it is.
We are using an enormous sauce pot for this recipe, however feel free to use two large 6-8 quart pots. You will also need a good-sized colander to strain, or a large skimmer or slotted spoon to scoop the shrimp, potatoes, and corn out of the pot.
Sure, you can throw in just about any seafood you can find! Try the recipe with blue crabs, crab claws or legs, mussels, clams, oysters, lobster claws or knuckles, or crawfish.
Anything with a thick shell, like crab legs or mussels, add with the corn. Anything with a thin shell or no shell, like crawfish, add with the shrimp.
More Seafood Recipes
Low Country Boil
Video
Ingredients
- 16 cups water
- 3 pounds baby potatoes red skin is traditional
- 1 large onion peeled and cut into wedges
- 6-8 cloves garlic smashed
- 4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning or your favorite Cajun seasoning
- 2 pounds kielbasa sausage cut into 1-2 inch segments
- 12 ounce lager beer optional!
- 6 corn cobs halved
- 2 pounds raw jumbo shrimp peeled
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- Optional garnishes: crusty bread clarified butter, cocktail sauce , lemons, hot sauce
Instructions
- Set a large 12-quart pot over medium-high heat. (If you don't have a pot this size, set two 6 to 8-quart pots over medium-high heat, then add half the ingredients to each pot.)
- Pour the water into the pot. Add the onion wedges and garlic cloves. If the potatoes are the size of the shrimp or smaller, place them in the pot whole. If they're larger than the shrimp, cut them in half before adding to the pot.
- Next add the Old Bay seasoning, kielbasa sausage links, and beer.
- Bring to a boil. Once boiling, allow the mixture to cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Check a potato by inserting a fork in the center. If it’s almost fork-tender, it’s time to add the corn. Gently lower the corn cob halves into the liquid. Stir and continue to boil another 5 minutes.
- Finally add the shrimp. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.
- When ready to serve, carefully pour the entire contents of the pot into a large colander to drain off the liquid. Then dump the colander out onto a paper lined table Alternately, you can use a large sieve or skimmer to remove all of the contents of the pot from the cooking liquid and place on the table.
- Serve as-is, or garnish with extra Old Bay, lemon wedges, crusty bread, clarified butter, hot sauce, and/or cocktail sauce.
