Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil | Diethood

Super-easy and perfect for a busy weeknight, this Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil is a quick oven-baked version of the Southern classic! Jumbo shrimp, andouille sausage, potatoes, and corn are coated with a buttery garlic spice mixture and baked to a juicy perfection.

A Hearty Seafood Dinner, Baked Instead of Boiled!

Are you a seafood lover? I am! If you are, there’s no doubt you most likely adore shrimp boil; a Southern specialty made with fresh corn, new potatoes, sausage, and shrimp, all boiled in the same pot with a generous shake of seafood seasoning.

In a traditional seafood boil, the ingredients are dropped in one at a time to boil just long enough to be perfectly cooked, and then the whole pot is drained and dumped out on a newspaper-lined table. Everyone eats the steaming seafood boil with their fingers – no need for plates or cutlery, thus virtually no cleanup!. ? This amazing party food is not only famous for its taste, but as an unforgettable dining experience!

This easy sheet pan dinner channels the flavors of a down-home shrimp boil, without the need for a huge steaming pot of water, or a giant, newspaper-lined table! Everything is scaled to make this a hearty, but very doable, weeknight meal. And it comes together on one pan in the oven – it doesn’t get easier than that!

What Are the Different Types of Seafood Boils?

There are all kinds of names for this dish, and dishes very similar, across the South. You could describe this as a Low Country Boil, or Frogmore Stew, both names hailing from regions of South Carolina. There are also specific seafood boils using crab (crab boil, of course), crawfish (crawfish boil, also called Louisiana crawfish boil), and more!

All of these recipes overlap heavily in terms of ingredients and flavor. Some add ingredients like onions or hard-boiled eggs, while others leave out ingredients such as the sausage. But, nearly all of them rely on the same main ingredients: seafood, potatoes, and corn.

If you want to see even more ways to cook up this irresistible set of ingredients, check out my Seafood Boil with Garlic Butter Sauce or this Grilled Shrimp Boil in Foil Packets. ?

Key Ingredients

So just what ingredients go into this easy weeknight dinner? Let’s look at the list, because you are going to love how wholesome and simple this is! All you need are a few tasty items and a little bit of time.

• New Potatoes: Wash the potatoes well, and cut them in half.
• Corn: Cut each ear into 6 round sections.
• Sausage: You can use whatever smoked sausage links you like. To keep the Southern theme of this dinner, I went with spicy andouille sausage. Cut the links into ½-inch slices.
• Shrimp: To get the cooking times right, you need to use jumbo shrimp. Smaller shrimp can be used, but they need to be seasoned separately from the sausage and go in at the very end of the cooking time, to avoid overcooking them. The shrimp need to be cleaned, but you can leave the tails on.
• Butter: Melted.
• Garlic: Minced.
• Seasonings: A tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning and a little bit of Cajun seasoning make this one incredible meal!
• Parsley: Chopped fresh parsley makes a refreshing and attractive optional garnish.
• Lemon Wedges: For serving.

How to Make Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil

Okay, so let’s get down to business. Just how do you make a shrimp boil in the oven? Clearly, it’s kind of a play on words – we are not actually boiling anything, just re-creating that shrimp boil taste. Here’s how it’s done (so easy!).

1. Prep the Oven and Separate the Ingredients. As always, start by preheating your oven. Set it to 425˚F, and then get started with the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the potatoes and the rounds of corn. In another big mixing bowl, combine the sausage pieces and the shrimp.
2. Season and Bake the Potatoes and Corn. Melt your butter, and then stir in the garlic, Old Bay seasoning, and Cajun seasoning. Stir well. Add half of this to the potatoes and corn, toss to coat, and then dump the potatoes and corn onto a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 18 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
3. Season and Bake the Shrimp and Sausage. In the meantime, pour the other half of the butter mixture into the bowl of sausage and shrimp, and toss to coat. When 20 minutes is up, pull the baking sheet out of the oven, and arrange the sausage and shrimp around the potatoes and corn. Bake for 8 more minutes, or until shrimp are opaque and the corn is tender. 
4. Enjoy! Take your sheet pan shrimp boil out of the oven, garnish it with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.

Can I Cook Frozen Shrimp Without Thawing?

Sure! Frozen shrimp can go straight into the oven. In this recipe, the shrimp will be sitting out while the potatoes and corn pre-cook, so they may thaw out by the time they go in the oven anyway. In any case, always keep a close eye on your shrimp and be sure to take them out of the oven as soon as they are done, in order to avoid overcooking.

Tips for Success

Making this dinner is so easy, you’ll want to serve it every week! In the summer, I kinda do! And, it gets even easier once you know these helpful tips and tricks. Read on, and enjoy!

• Don’t Overcook the Shrimp: Probably the most important thing to know! Overcooked potatoes will be a little too soft, overcooked corn won’t be as succulent… but those are minor issues. Overcooked shrimp, on the other hand, is rubbery and unappealing! So make sure to only bake for the correct amount of time.
• Cook the Potatoes Separately: Potatoes can take longer than expected to become tender, so if you’re worried about them not cooking through in time, feel free to bake them separately and mix them in at the end. 
• Mix-Ins: You can definitely load up your sheet pan with extra veggies and goodies, if you like! From fresh green beans or zucchini to a little crushed red pepper for heat, make this one your own.

What Goes with Shrimp Boil?

Sheet pan shrimp boil makes a hearty meal, so you really may not need any sides! Still, there are definitely all kinds of great side dishes to choose from if need be. Here are just a few!

• Salad: You can’t go wrong with a big, crisp green salad, or maybe some refreshingly creamy coleslaw! Classic Southern Coleslaw is a perfect choice.
• Bread: Plain bread and butter would be wonderful, or you could whip up some easy Garlic and Cheddar Drop Biscuits. Mmm. ?
• Cornbread: Another favorite across the  South, simple cornbread goes perfectly with shrimp boil. Try this Light Skillet Cornbread – it’s heavenly! 

Storing and Reheating Leftover Shrimp Boil

• To store leftover sheet pan shrimp boil, cook it down and place in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 2 days.
• To reheat I recommend using the microwave. Heat your leftovers on a microwave-safe plate for 15-second intervals, until heated through.

ENJOY!

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