Shrimp Boil

My first shrimp boil was just over 2 decades ago, using some random Old Bay shrimp boil recipe I’d seen online.

I’ve never been a fan of Old Bay Seasoning - I prefer to make my own seasoning mixes - so I quickly came up with my own take on the classic shrimp boil recipe.

My classic lowcountry boil involves a perfectly seasoned broth full of fresh and dried aromatics, along with all the main items you’d expect at shrimp boils - or crawfish boils, for that matter! Tender potatoes, well seasoned seafood, fresh corn... yum!

It’s the perfect thing to serve a crowd, which is why we’d originally planned to do a shrimp boil, when we got engaged!

The cooking process is the same, but most of the measuring and ingredient prep is done ahead of time, making for far less work at the campsite.

Also, I scaled it down to make a smaller batch - about 4 servings. This is not only because there’s only two of us (leftovers are great!), but because we only carry a limited selection of cooking implements with us, and a giant stock pot is not one of them!

I’m happy to say that this recipe generally fits within our regular Dutch oven!

(Well, we scoop out some of the aromatics before adding the final ingredients, just to allow for enough room!)

We finally photographed this recipe while camping at Mew Lake Campground in Algonquin Provincial Park last summer - so much fun!

Anyway, let’s look at what you’ll need for this easy camping meal!

Ingredients

While this shrimp boil recipe has a fairly long list of ingredients, most of them are basically pantry staples, and the rest are pretty simple ingredients.

You shouldn’t have any trouble finding what you need at pretty much any grocery store.

That said, if you’re planning this for a trip, I DEFINITELY recommend prepping and freezing your flavouring packet at home. A little baggie in a freezer or cooler takes a lot less space than all the spice jars and stuff you’ll need to assemble it!

Anyway - as always - I have some ingredient notes for you:

Raw Shrimp

Raw shrimp is key - I do not recommend using precooked shrimp.

Not only will it be likely to overcook, it won’t take on the flavour of the boil, like raw shrimp will.

You can use whichever size shrimp you like - we usually go for large shrimp or jumbo shrimp. Different sizes will have slightly different cooking times, that’s all.

I use frozen shrimp for convenience - for best results, let the shrimp thaw and drain before adding them to the pot.

Finally, I recommend using peeled, deveined shrimp when you’re doing this on the road. No one wants to fuss with disposing of shrimp shells, when camping!

Other Seafood (Optional)

Feel free to add other types of seafood if you like - clams, crab, mussels, etc. When doing this as a camping meal I usually stick to shrimp.

If you’re going to use other items, I recommend prepping them as much as possible before hitting the road.

Smoked Sausage

When I was still living in the USA, I’d use Andouille Sausage whenever I’d make low country boil... but it’s harder to come by, here!

So, go with whatever smoky sausage you like, and have access to. We’ll usually use Kielbasa Sausage, these days.

Fresh Produce

We use a few different types of fresh produce in our shrimp boil, both as main ingredients and as aromatics.

In terms of main ingredients, that’s red potatoes and sweet corn.

I like to use new red potatoes or baby potatoes, but you can use any of the waxy type potatoes (Red, Yukon Gold, etc). If you’re not using new/baby potatoes, just cut them into smaller pieces - aim for “large bite sized”.

In terms of the corn, I definitely recommend using fresh corn - I don’t like the texture of frozen corn, when cooked this way.

Your mileage may vary, of course!

As far as aromatics go, I use an onion, jalapeno peppers (or habanero peppers), a lemon, and some garlic cloves. This adds a fantastic complexity to the boil.

Also, they’re ingredients that are easily prepped and frozen, ahead of time!

Dried Herbs & Spices

I’m not a fan of Old Bay Seasoning, so I mix up my own homemade Cajun seasoning blend.

This involves Bay Leaves, Dried Parsley, Dried Sage, Ground Black Pepper, Mustard Powder, Salt, and Smoked Paprika.

Personally, I adjust the spice level of our seafood boil through the use of fresh hot peppers, but feel free to add some cayenne pepper, if that’s more your jam.

Chicken Broth

You can use homemade chicken broth or store bought, chicken stock, or even chicken bone broth.

We’ll usually use a tetra pack of chicken bone broth.

Beer (Optional)

We like to add a can or two of beer to the broth, for some added complexity. Aim for a relatively light tasting lager - we’ll usually use Molson Canadian.

The beer cooks long enough that there’s basically no alcohol in the final broth, much less the items cooked in it.

That said, if you don’t want to use beer at all, it’s all good. You can skip it entirely, or just toss an extra hit of chicken broth in, instead.

How to Make Venison Chili

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:

Optional Prep

Before a camping trip, I like to measure all of the dry seasonings into a snack-size Ziplock baggie.

Then I prepare the onion, lemon, peppers, and garlic and put those in a medium sized freezer baggie, along with the sealed spice packet. Then we freeze it until we’re ready to use it!

Cooking

Get a good campfire going, or get your charcoal on the go. (If you’re making this on a stove, use medium high heat and a nonstick pan.)

Have all of your ingredients prepped and at hand!

Add all of the Boil Ingredients to the pot, then add water until the pot is half full. Bring to a rolling boil, allow to boil for 5 minutes or so.

Note: If you have time on your hands - and control of the temperature - you can bring the heat down and allow it to simmer a while, to REALLY develop the broth flavour.

Add the corn, shrimp, and whatever other seafood you might be adding. The corn only needs to heat through, so let the shrimp cook until it’s done.

The amount of time will depend on the size of the shrimp, I like to check it at 2-3 minutes to see how it’s going. Shrimp should be firm and pink, clams and mussels fully open, etc.

Discard any mussels, clams, etc that do not open, if applicable.

Serving

Traditionally, you’re supposed to strain everything out, and dump it out on a newspaper-lined table for a wild free-for-all.

While this is perfect for a large cookout, we usually end up using a slotted spoon to transfer everything to an extra large serving platter or baking sheet.

In either case, serve it up with plenty of napkins and your choice of garnishes, dipping sauces, and sides.

We like to sprinkle the platter with finely chopped fresh parsley, and serve it with cocktail sauce, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, lemon wedges and French bread - all great options.

Butter sauce is another popular one - just go with what you like!

Leftovers

Leftovers can be cooled to room temperature and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Best served reheated.

On that note... we usually cook up extra potatoes. Once they’ve been chilled overnight, we cut them up and fry them in a bit of oil for the BEST hash browns ever!

More One-Pot Camping Recipes

Looking for more easy - but satisfying! - one pot meals to cook over your campfire? Here are some of my favourites!

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
Beef & Root Vegetable Stew
Big Mac Sloppy Joes
Cabbage Roll in a Bowl
Cajun Chicken Sloppy Joes
Campfire Chicken Curry
Campfire Chili
Chicken Marbella
Dutch Oven Jambalaya
Easy Chicken Curry
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Hearty Campfire Beef Stew
Indian Sloppy Joes
Korean Beef Sloppy Joes
Mexican Sloppy Joes
Peanut Chicken Stir Fry
Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Puttanesca Sloppy Joes
Sloppy Giuseppes
Southwest Chicken Chili
Thankgiving Sloppy Joes
Traditional Sloppy Joes
Venison Chili
Venison Stew

Be sure to check out our other Camping Recipes, including Camping Desserts, Camping Snacks, Make-Ahead Camping Mix Recipes, and a ton of delicious Camping Main Dish Recipes.

Also, we had SO much fun designing gourmet jerky recipes for our camping trips, we started a whole new blog for them! Check out Dried & Tasty for all kinds of fun recipes to make in your food dehydrator!