Onion Boil Cajun Shrimp Sausage (Print)

Juicy shrimp and spicy sausage boil with potatoes, corn, onions, and bold Cajun spices for a festive southern dish.

# Components:

→ Seafood

01 - 2 lbs large raw shrimp, shell-on, deveined

→ Meats

02 - 1 lb andouille sausage or smoked sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 large yellow onions, quartered
04 - 4 ears corn, cut into thirds
05 - 1.5 lbs small red potatoes, halved

→ Seasoning & Aromatics

06 - 4 cloves garlic, smashed
07 - 1 lemon, halved
08 - 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning
09 - 2 bay leaves
10 - 1 tbsp kosher salt
11 - 1 tsp black peppercorns

→ To Serve

12 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
13 - Fresh parsley, chopped
14 - Lemon wedges

# Directions:

01 - Fill a large stockpot with 4 quarts of water. Add quartered onions, smashed garlic, lemon halves, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, kosher salt, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat.
02 - Add halved potatoes to the boiling broth and cook for 15 minutes until just beginning to soften.
03 - Add corn pieces and sliced sausage to the pot. Continue boiling for 10 more minutes.
04 - Add shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are pink and cooked through.
05 - Drain the entire mixture through a large colander, discarding bay leaves and lemon halves. Transfer to a newspaper-lined table or large serving platter.
06 - Drizzle melted butter over the boil and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pot, which means minimal cleanup and maximum flavor mingling.
  • It looks impressive spread out on a table but takes just 50 minutes from start to finish.
  • You can adjust the heat level to match your crowd without fussing with separate seasonings.
  • There's built-in theater to it—people genuinely get excited watching a boil come together.
02 -
  • Don't overthink the timing with the shrimp—3 to 4 minutes is genuinely enough, and overcooked shrimp taste like rubber no matter how good your seasoning is.
  • The newspaper table presentation isn't just cute; it actually keeps everything warm longer and makes the whole experience feel more like a celebration than a regular dinner.
03 -
  • Always taste the broth before you add the shrimp—this is your last chance to adjust the seasoning, and it's way easier to add salt or Cajun spice to water than to fix it after everything's cooked.
  • Keep that melted butter warm in a small pot while you're boiling everything; serving lukewarm butter is the one thing that can actually disappoint people at a boil.
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