Low Country Boil is a regular in our house, and I love this classic Southern supper with all my heart. Shrimp, corn, sausage, potatoes, all cooked up together – Major Scrumptiousness Alert.
Traditional Low Country Boil involves a fair amount of hands-on activity when you are eating it. You peel your own shrimp, you pick up chunks of corn on the cob – you might use a fork when it comes to the potatoes and the sausage but by the time you’ve peeled a few shrimp, it’s likely that the fork is not going to see much action.
And while I like getting my hands messy as much as the next girl, sometimes I want some awesome Low Country Boil flavor without the sticky hands – and that’s where this recipe comes in!
All the ingredients, but easier to eat! Let’s talk Low Country Boil Skillet.
What Is Low Country Boil?
This Southern deliciousness is a traditionally a pile of shrimp, corn on the cob and sausage cooked up together in a pot of water that has been seasoned with crab boil spices.
Sometimes you will find potatoes and crab in there too. It originated in the low country of South Carolina, and (fun fact!) is sometimes called Frogmore Stew.
Because of the town where it is said to have originated, not because there are any frogs involved.
Breathe easy, little guy.
My version alls some beer to the water, uses Old Bay seasoning, and does the hard work for you. The shrimp is peeled, the kernels are cut off the cob, and all you have to do is spoon it up!
How To Make Low Country Boil Skillet
Fill a large pot with about 8 cups of water and stir in half of a 12 ounce bottle of beer and 2 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning. Add a pound of baby potatoes and bring it all to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and let them cool for a few minutes, and when potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half (you can leave any teeny ones whole).
Put 2 tablespoons of butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat until melted. Add one peeled and chopped sweet onion and 12 ounces of your choice of cooked sliced sausage (anything from a mild kielbasa to a spicy chorizo will work!) and sauté until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the remaining beer and another teaspoon of Old Bay. Last but definitely not least, add a pound of peeled shrimp and the kernels from 4 ears of corn (about 2 cups) and stir until the shrimpies are cooked through, about three minutes. Stir in the potatoes until everything is nice and mixed together.
Divide among plates and serve it up!
More tips for making Low Country Boil Skillet!
Old Bay is a mixture of a variety of herbs and spices, including celery salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, and a whole lot more. It’s traditionally used for seafood boil flavoring. You can find it in the spice aisle of your supermarket, but if you want to make your own, my friends at Leite’s Culinaria have a great recipe for it!
Now, you don’t HAVE to take the vein (that dark line up the back of the shrimp) out, but lots of folks prefer their shrimpies that way. Pull off the shell by wiggling it apart at the bottom of the shrimp. Once the shell is off, cut a shallow line along the top of the shrimp where the vein is, pull it out with the tip of the knife and…you’re done! Put the shrimp shells in a zippered plastic bag when you toss them out, because if they sit in your trash can for more than a few hours…well, I’ll let you use your imagination.
It all depends on how spicy (or not) you like things. I like things to be mild, so I tend to use a nice gentle kielbasa. If you like things sassier, you can use andouille or chorizo. Whatever you choose, make sure it is a cooked sausage, because it’s staying in the pot just long enough to heat up.
This is not to say that I won’t enthusiastically eat any traditional Low Country Boil whenever the opportunity comes up, just to be clear.
Including the version I turned into kebabs, which involved a drill and is one of our favorite supper memories Of All Time.
But this time, I’m handing out the forks!
OTHER SOUTHERN RECIPES WE LOVE!
Low Country Boil Skillet
This no fuss recipe for Low Country Boil Skillet features all the ingredients of this Southern classic in an easy to eat way!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounce bottle of beer
- 3 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 pound baby potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 pound cooked sausage (kelibasa, andouille, chorizo, etc), cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Kernels from 4 ears of corn
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with about 8 cups of water and stir in half the bottle of beer and 2 teaspoons of the Old Bay seasoning. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool for a few minutes and when potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut in half.
- Put the butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat until melted. Add onion and sausage sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in the remaining beer and the rest of the Old Bay. Add the shrimp and corn kernels stir until the shrimp is cooked through, about three minutes. Stir in the cooked potatoes. IDivide among plates and serve!
Notes
Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)! Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!
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