Recipes and tons of tips are given in a tell all on how to host the perfect Low Country Boil complete with cajun shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes and allll of the melted butter to dip it in! A Southern classic and staple come to life!
What even is a Low Country Boil?
Have y’all ever heard of a Low Country Boil? I’m pretty sure it’s a strictly Southern concept. Some people even refer to it as Frogmore Stew. Don’t worry – no frogs are harmed in the making of this recipe. Instead, it’s a way to get together all of your family and friends over a big ‘ol pot of boiling goodness and cook some delicious food in cajun seasoning! Yes – ONE POT!
No plates involved, either. Once everything is cooked, you spread newspaper over a picnic table outside and you literally just plop everything out onto the newspaper. No forks, either. I bet y’all think us folks from the South are just wild, huh? Ha! There are bowls of melted butter all around to dip all of the delicious meats and veggies in and of course, paper towels everywhere to make sure you wipe the butter off your chin!
It’s a super fun time. My sister-in-law and I threw one a couple of weeks ago when we were on vacation in the mountains with our family. It was easily the best meal that we ate while we were there and I knew that I wanted to recreate it for the blog! It was so fun working alongside my sister-in-law, Elisa! She went to culinary school so she really knows her stuff. So let’s get into what you need for this classic Southern style shindig!
Basic Components of a Low Country Boil:
- a large pot (I used an 8 QT pot)
- your favorite store bought cajun seasoning (I love the Zatarain’s crab boil seasoning bags, as pictured above!)
- newspaper
- lots of paper towels
- salted butter
- raw de-veined shrimp (I left the tail on, feel free to buy the ones with it already off)
- smoked sausage (like a kielbasa style)
- red potatoes
- corn on the cob
- baguette (optional but i love to have a bread option – especially to dip in the butter!)
How to Make a Low Country Boil:
Go ahead and cut your smoked sausage into about 1 inch slices. I also ended up slicing my red potatoes in half because they were so large. This was a personal preference though! I also had about 4 large peeled corn cobs. I sliced each cob into thirds to make them smaller. Another personal preference (but also helps them cook faster!)
In a large pot (I used an 8 QT), add about 6 quarts of water. Make sure to not fill it up ALL the way because once you add your ingredients, your water will rise! I ended up having to take some water out of mine because it got so tall!
Anyway….so, to the water, add the entire packet of cajun seasoning and bring the water to a rolling boil. To this, add the potatoes. Let it come back up to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. I find this works best when you set a timer! Next, add in the sausage slices and cook for another 5 or so minutes, making sure the water is boiling! Lastly, add in the corn cobs and cook for another 7-10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
Once all of that is ready to go, add in your little shrimpies! They will cook SUPER fast! Like, 1-2 minutes fast. Keep an eye on them! Once they’re perfectly pink they are officially cooked. You don’t HAVE to buy them with the tails on but I think it adds to the experience to be able to take them apart before you eat them.
If desired (and plus this makes for a great filler food), toast a baguette in the oven! Slice it into 2 inch pieces. Melt several small bowls of butter.
I used a handheld strainer to get the ingredients out of the pot into a large baking deep baking dish.
If desired, spread out newspapers, paper towels or napkins down and just literally pour all of the ingredients out on it! Have the bowls of melted butter spread throughout as well as salt and pepper available! I find that it’s the most fun to eat with NO plates, no forks….just your hands and of course, plenty of napkins!
Keys for a Successful Low Country Boil:
Set timers for cook times! Since this is all made in one pot and things cook at different times, it will really help alleviate the stress if you set timers as you go!
Use salted butter (duh!)
But overall, the main point is to HAVE FUN! This is all about family and good food. Everyone breaking bread (or shrimp) together, getting their hands dirty, laughing, making memories and having a great time. Don’t stress!
Hope y’all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it! Happy late Summer! XO
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few more you might like:
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
Southern Low Country Boil Recipe
Recipes and tons of tips are given in a tell all on how to host the perfect Low Country Boil complete with cajun shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes and allll of the melted butter to dip it in! A Southern classic and staple come to life!
Ingredients
- 14 oz smoked sausage, sliced into 1 inch rounds
- 1 lb raw, de-veined shrimp with tail on (can use no tail either)
- 1 3 oz. package of cajun seasoning (Zatarain's brand!)
- 1.5-2 lbs red potatoes, sliced in half
- 1 stick salted butter, melted
- 1 toasted baguette (optional)
- 4 cobs of corn, sliced into thirds
- salt, pepper and cajun seasoning for garnish
Instructions
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Slice your smoked sausage into 1 inch slices. If desired, slice the red potatoes in half. Also if desired, slice the corn cobs into thirds.
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Add about 6 quarts of water to an 8 quart pot. Add the packet of cajun seasoning and bring the water and seasoning to a rolling boil.
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Once boiling, add the potatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes (highly recommend setting a timer!) Next, add the sausage. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, with the water still boiling. Lastly, add in the corn and cook for about 7-10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. While the corn is cooking, if desired, toast your baguette and then slice it up!
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Last step is to add the shrimp directly in! Cook for 1-2 minutes until the shrimp are pink. Keep a watchful eye on them as they cook fast!
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Using a handheld strainer, grab the ingredients out of the pot and put into a large baking dish OR just put them directly onto newspaper and paper towels! Have plenty of bowls of melted butter and salt available. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Make sure you don't add enough water to fully fill the pot. It will rise as you add more ingredients to it If needed, you might have to drain a little bit of water as you continue to add ingredients into the pot.
The toasted baguette is optional - I just loved an extra carby option to act as a filler food and to also dip in the butter!
Make sure you have salt, pepper and cajun seasoning available to add more seasoning! I think it's always better to do less cajun spice when you're cooking for a lot of people. But if you have it readily available, everyone can be happy with their own spice levels!
This particular recipe served about 4-5 people. If you want to serve more, I suggest doubling it!
Have fun! I love not using any forks or plates and just eating with your hands.
This looks so fun and delicious Haylie! Makes me want to host a late summer get together just to try out a low country boil!
Thank you so much, Leanne! It’s a BLAST! 🙂
Love how informal this is and how everything is thrown on the paper. How freakin’ fun too!! Plus, everything looks SO delicious, especially with that seasoning 🙂
Thank you so much, Dawn! It’s always SUCH a fun time! 🙂
We had one in the summertime with 20 people. Line up the picnic tables and the paper. We sat around over two hours picking away at this delicious dinner.
Gabrielle, this makes me SO happy to read 🙂 What a joyful time with family! So glad everyone enjoyed. Thanks for making the recipe! -Haylie
This looks delicious!! Reminds me of living in Louisiana!!! YUM!~~Angela
What a compliment, Angela! Thank you SO much!! Xo
Love it, Love it, so like my family make it in Coastal Georgia
Thank you so much, B! 🙂 So glad you loved it!
I added lemon zest then just threw the whole lemon in and made it for my single self and low country lunch it is this week 😉 HARD to get tired of it!
Lara, love that idea!! Sounds amazing! Now I’m hungry for it 😉 haha! Thank you for making and enjoying the recipe!!
My family has made these for hubby & daughters bday for the seven of us for last 4-5 years!! We love it…..it has to be one of the easiest, best tasting meals to have for a crowd! The first time our grand daughters thought it was crazy fun to eat with
their fingers. Afterwards …put leftovers away then just wrap everything up
in throw away paper and wait on dessert…key lime pie!😊
Linda, love this so much 🙂 Thank you for sharing your experience! I want a slice of that key lime pie 😉
I wanted to do one foe my daughter birthday can you use crab legs also
Hi Ella! I’ve never personally made crab legs so I’m not sure. I have heard of seafood boils with crab legs though..so I would just be sure to do my research and add/cook accordingly 🙂 Thanks! -Haylie
Cook for the same amount of time as the shrimp. Remember, the crab are precooked you’re just warming them up.
Ella , I do , so yes you absolutely can!
I fix this frequently because it’s such a fun favorite of my family and guests too! It’s so delicious and playful…get to be a kid again and eat with our fingers! I’ve introduced it to family that have never heard of Low Country Boil and they are hooked!!😊
I love this so much, Judy! Thank you!!! So glad you and your family love it!
I have never tried or made a low country boil, sounds delicious! I do have a question though. It says To this, add the potatoes and so forth. Let it come back up to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Do I remove the potatoes and so forth from the pot after the 5 minutes or corn after 7-10 minutes and then after everything is cook add everything back in? You lost me there because if you’re not removing the potatoes, sauage and corn from pot they are still cooking as you add each of the items. Just saying….
Hi Elena, thanks for your comment! Totally understand why it might be confusing – so sorry about that! So, for me, I keep everything in the pot. So once the potatoes have been cooking for 5 minutes, add in the sausage. Cook both potatoes and sausage another 5 minutes. Then the corn. Cook potatoes, sausage and corn 7-10 minutes OR UNTIL the potatoes are fork tender. It really could depend on if you keep your potatoes whole or cut them in half in regards to how fast they cook. If you find that, for instance, the potatoes are fork tender by the time you put the corn in, you can absolutely just remove them onto a plate so they don’t turn to mush and then add them back in when you add in the shrimp to warm them back up. I’ve personally never had to do that, but it could definitely work 🙂 hope that clears it up! Let me know if you try out the recipe! 🙂 Best – Haylie
Thank you so much. I’m planning on doing this recipe this weekend. Wish me luck!
Yay! Good luck to you 🙂
Haylie,
Thank you so much for this recipe. I just have one question. I’ve made low country boils before and sometimes I get it spot on and others I have been known to get it so spicy that my grandkids and most of my entire family struggled to eat it. I’ve always used the Old Bay….so if I used all of the Zatarain’s seasoning is that going to make it too spicy? I certainly don’t want all of us sitting at the table sweating bullets trying to eat it again. LOL! I found quickly that my family loves the seasoning but if it has a lot of heat that just doesn’t work for us.
Thank you!
Hi Robin! Thanks so much for commenting and coming to my site! 🙂 I personally don’t think the Zatarain’s is too spicy. I made it this Summer for my family and my 2 toddler nieces were able to eat it just fine. I would say, if you’re worried about it, you could always try to use just HALF of the spice packet and then put the other half in small bowls around the table and if people want a little more spice, they could add it 🙂 That makes it more personalized! I hope that helps and I hope that you LOVE this recipe! -Haylie
Does the ink leech out of the newspaper into the food? Maybe you have different inks in the US but here in Australia we stopped using newspaper for fish and chips many years ago due to toxic inks.
Hi Jess! That’s never happened to me before, actually! I did a quick search and nowadays in the US, the ink is safe since they no longer use lead based ink. However, you can definitely use paper towels for this recipe OR just place it on a plate when you’re ready to eat 🙂
My grandfather from SC used to make this all the time and I think he’d approve of this recipe after I made it. Added some scallops because they’re my wife’s fave, too. 10/10
Carl, YAY! This review made me so happy. Love the addition of the scallops, YUM! 🙂
I like to cut chicken breast up and put in as well. Just a personal preference 🙂
Love that idea!
Had this for dinner and my husband loved it can’t wait to do it again
Yay! This makes me so happy 🙂 Thank you, Pat!
I’m going to give this a shot, but one thing I was curious about…how does cutting corn into thirds make it cook faster in a boiling pot? I’ve been sitting here thinking about it for at least a minute, and I can’t understand the logic there. The only thing that would cook faster would be the interior, but you don’t eat the interior.
Hey Zippy! I guess I made the recipe to be cut into thirds to fit into the pot better. However, if you don’t want to cut them yourself, you can buy actually buy frozen corn cobs that are pre-cut. I think they’re called nibblers? I’ve found them in the freezer section in my grocery store and they work well too! Hope that helps 🙂 I hope you enjoy the recipe too!! -Haylie
Excellent, but I added muscles as well.
Excellent, but I added muscles as well. I poured melted garlic lemon butter over a bowl that my husband and I shared.
Love this, Wendy! Thank you so much for making it – so glad you enjoyed!!
A great turkey fryer pot, burner (I like 4 legs for more stability) and a tank of propane. It’s really hard to screw up UNLESS YOU OVERCOOK THE SHRIMP. Once they return to the surface and already beginning to turn pink … Another minute should be enough. The great benefit to most turkey fryers is that they using come with a strainer basket that fits in the pot. USE IT – then with a pair gloves on lift the heavy contents out of the water and allow it to drain thoroughly…I sometimes swing the basket back and forth to accelerate the process … A one handed process allowing the chef to never be far from their beverage of choice … Mine is beer❣️
I love this comment so much! Give me a beer 100%! Cheers, Don! -Haylie
I am going to make this for my daughter’s birthday, could I use frozen corn on the cob or does it have to be fresh?
Hi Tina! Apologies for the delay in response but yes, I have used frozen corn many times and it works beautifully! Just be sure to cook it until fork tender 🙂 happy birthday to your daughter! -Haylie
Delicious 🧡
Thank you so much!! So glad you enjoyed 🙂 one of my all time favorite recipes!