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Christine Gallary
Christine GallaryFood Editor-at-Large
Christine graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram.
published Jun 2, 2024
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Ditch the big pot and cook everything quickly in a skillet instead.
Serves3 to 4Prep10 minutesCook25 minutes to 35 minutesJump to Recipe
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Shrimp and seafood boils are some of the most fun meals to share with others, as they’re so interactive. You dig in with your hands and get busy peeling shrimp and cracking open lobster or crab. It’s a little messy, but it’s worth it to savor every hard-earned bite. But to make a proper shrimp boil, you need a very large pot and a variety of seafood; things you probably don’t want to deal with when you want a quick meal.
This shrimp boil skillet gives you sweet shrimp, smoky sausage, potatoes, and corn perfumed in a broth fragrant with Old Bay, garlic, and lemon, but it cooks all in one pan in less than 30 minutes (for an even more hands-off shrimp boil, try this slow cooker version instead). All the tasty sauce is perfect sopped up with crusty bread, buttery cornbread, garlic toast, or rice pilaf to round out the meal.
Why You’ll Love It
- You don’t need a big pot. Everything cooks in one skillet, giving you all the signature flavors of a shrimp boil with smoky sausage, sweet shrimp, potatoes, and corn.
- It’s easier to eat. The recipe calls for using peeled and deveined shrimp and for shucking the kernels off the cob first (or using frozen corn if you like). This way, the messy work is taken care of before it’s time to eat.
Key Ingredients in Shrimp Boil Skillet
- Shrimp: You’ll need 1 pound raw large shrimp. Peel and devein the shrimp, but you can leave the tails on if you’d like.
- Sausage: Use 1/2 package smoked sausage like andouille or kielbasa. Andouille is spicier, while kielbasa is milder.
- Potatoes: Red potatoes simmer up tender and absorb flavor without getting mushy and falling apart.
- Corn: Instead of corn on the cob, use fresh or frozen corn kernels for sweet, crisp bits of flavor.
How to Make Shrimp Boil Skillet
- Cook the onion and sausage. Sauté onion and sausage together.
- Cook the potatoes. Add sliced potatoes, broth, lemon wedges, and Old Bay seasoning. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
- Add the shrimp and corn. Simmer shrimp and corn kernels until cooked through. Finish with a bit of butter to enrich the sauce.
Helpful Swaps
- Waxier potatoes like Yukon gold or yellow potatoes can be substituted for red potatoes. Save russet potatoes for mashing.
- Seafood or vegetable stock can be substituted for the chicken broth.
Shrimp Boil Skillet Recipe
Ditch the big pot and cook everything quickly in a skillet instead.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes to 35 minutes
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients
- 1
medium lemon
- 8 ounces
red potatoes
- 1/2
(about 12-ounce) package andouille or kielbasa sausage
- 1/2
medium yellow onion
- 2
cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons
unsalted butter, divided
- 2 teaspoons
Old Bay seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups
low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 to 2
ears fresh corn, or 1 cup frozen corn kernels (do not thaw)
- 1 pound
raw large peeled and deveined shrimp (21 to 30 per pound), thawed if frozen
Coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)
Hot sauce and crusty bread, such as baguette, for serving
Instructions
Cut 1 medium lemon into 6 wedges and remove any seeds. Halve 8 ounces red potatoes (quarter lengthwise if large), then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Cut 1/2 package andouille or kielbasa sausage crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Dice 1/2 medium yellow onion (about 3/4 cup). Mince 2 garlic cloves.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter in a large cast iron or high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the garlic and 2 teaspoons Old Bay, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the potatoes, 2 of the lemon wedges, and 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth. Bring to a full simmer. Cover and cook, reducing the heat as needed and stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are knife tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, if using fresh corn, shuck and cut the kernels off 1 to 2 ears of corn until you have about 1 cup. Pat 1 pound raw large peeled and deveined shrimp dry with paper towels.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the shrimp and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until almost cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the corn and cook until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 1 minute more. Turn off the heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and stir until melted.
Remove and discard the cooked lemon wedges. Garnish with coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves if desired. Serve with the remaining lemon wedges, hot sauce, and crusty bread for dipping into the sauce.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Filed in:
Dairy-Free
Meat
seafood
Main Dish
stovetop
dinner
