Shrimp Boil Foil Packets {Grill or Oven}
You can cook these easy shrimp boil foil packets on the grill or in your oven if it rains during your cookout. Tender shrimp with seasoned potatoes and corn on the cob tastes even better at home!
Every summer we start to dream of our annual beach vacation and those delicious trips to the crab shacks where we can order a shrimp boil with seasoned butter.
Since some of my family doesn't prefer shrimp, making a classic shrimp boil in a big pot hasn't been something I've dared to try.
But making individual shrimp boil foil packets lets me add shrimp only to the servings for those who actually want to eat it! No shrimp juices getting all over the potatoes for the picky eater in our crew.
This dinner was so popular with every single person in my family, it is going to be on repeat this summer. No beach required!
Why This is the Best Recipe
I love cooking with frozen shrimp, but I think this is the best grilled shrimp boil recipe because:
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can prep the grill packets earlier in the day and store them in the fridge.
- Easy to Customize: Unlike regular shrimp boils, you can make sure that just one or two packets do not have shrimp if there is anyone who prefers an all-sausage packet.
- Better Than the Beach: I swear this tasted just as good, very possibly better, than the shrimp boils we order at our favorite beach town restaurants. Same vacation flavor, at-home budget.
Ingredients
These easy grill packets have all the same delicious ingredients as a classic shrimp boil:
- Shrimp: I used a bag of frozen raw shrimp. Be sure to buy peeled and deveined. You don't even need to thaw them!
- Andouille Sausage: I had a pack of frozen chicken andouille sausages from Costco on hand. You can use any kind you love.
- Red Potatoes: I used a bag of pre-washed potatoes to keep things simple.
- Corn on the Cob: Do not try to use regular frozen corn, you want the cob for the traditional approach to this recipe.
- Butter
- Lemon
- Old Bay Seasoning
- Minced Garlic
- White Wine: This is optional, but woah did it make everything taste amazing!
- Dried Parsley: Fresh is even better if you have an herb garden, but dried parsley keeps this nice and budget-friendly.
Prep the Fillings
Whole corn on the cob is too big to add to a foil packet without having them rip. You need to start by slicing the cobs of corn into 1-inch thick wheels.
Use a very sharp chef knife and watch your fingers! Set the corn aside.
Then dice the red potatoes and put them in a microwave safe bowl. Cook them in the microwave for 3 - 5 minutes on HIGH or until they just begin to soften.
This will help them to cook at the same quick time as the other ingredients in the foil packet.
Add the butter to the potatoes for the last 30 seconds - 1 minute of cooking time so it melts in.
Add the minced garlic, Old Bay seasoning, and salt and pepper to the potatoes and toss to coat.
Then add the corn wheels and fresh lemon zest and toss to coat.
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Slice the sausages on the diagonal so they look pretty. Set them aside. Now you're ready to fill the packets!
Assemble the Grill Packets
Lay 6 18-inch long pieces of aluminum foil on your kitchen counter.
Divide the corn equally. I was able to get 3 corn wheels per piece of foil.
Use a soup ladle to divide the potatoes evenly and scoop them over the corn.
You'll notice tons of seasoned butter at the bottom of your mixing bowl, you don't want any of that to go to waste.
Add the shrimp to the bowl (you can see mine was still quite frozen) and toss to coat. The melted butter and seasonings will cling to the frozen shrimp but if you're using thawed shrimp, you'll want to scrape out all the butter with a spatula.
Top the vegetables with the seasoned shrimp and sausages:
Fold the Packets
Gather the ingredients into a neat little pile in the center of the foil.
Pull the long sides in towards the ingredients to form a rimmed border. Measure 2 tablespoons of white wine and drizzle it over the veggies, the rimmed edge will keep it in place.
Then pull the short ends towards the center while holding the sides up with your fingers.
Fold the short ends together to close the packet and be sure the sides are nice and tucked in.
Make Ahead Tips
You can do this entire assembly process any time earlier on the day you plan to cook them.
Keep the assembled foil packets together neatly on a baking sheet so the foil doesn't accidentally tear during storage.
Keep them in the refrigerator until just before you plan to cook them, no longer than 12 - 14 hours.
Grilling Instructions
Preheat your grill to HIGH, about 450°F.
Place the packets in an even layer on the grill with space between each one.
Lower the lid and cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
Baking Instructions
If you don't want to grill the packets, you could bake them in the oven at 450°F for 15 - 20 minutes, too.
This is a handy fall-back in case it rains during your cookout.
Serving Suggestions
Just like a beach side shrimp boil, you will want to serve the shrimp packets with rolls of paper towels to use as napkins and tall glasses of lemonade or white wine.
Once you open the packet, the delicious seasoned butter and white wine will quickly get very drippy, so it is helpful to have plates on hand to keep your patio neat.
More Grill Recipes
Looking for more easy summer recipes to grill on the patio? If you're lucky enough to have a smoker, you may enjoy these smoked shrimp. Otherwise, here a few more of my favorite grilling options:
📖 Recipe
Shrimp Boil Foil Packets
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (about 6 medium) red potatoes diced
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter divided
- 4 ears fresh corn on the cob sliced into 1-inch thick slices
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning (alternatives?)
- Sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp fresh or frozen, no need to thaw
- 1 (12 oz) package of andouille sausages about 4 links, sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
- 1 lemon zested and cut into thick wedges
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
Instructions
- Place the diced potatoes in a microwave safe bowl and cook them in the microwave on HIGH for 3 - 5 minutes or until just softened. Add just five tablespoons of the butter to the bowl for the last 45 seconds of cooking time so that it melts.
- Add the corn pieces, minced garlic, dried seasonings to the bowl and gently stir to coat in the melted butter. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top.
- Place 6 18-inch long pieces of aluminum foil on your working space. Divide the potato mixture evenly among the foil pieces. Be careful to mound it all up in the center of the foil so it is easier to wrap.
- Add the shrimp to the now empty bowl the potatoes were seasoned in. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the top and season with a little more salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Divide the shrimp and sliced sausages evenly over the vegetable piles. Divide the lemon wedges among the foil pieces.
- Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of wine over each foil. Cut the remaining three tablespoons of butter into 6 pieces. Dot each foil pile with a bit of the butter. Sprinkle the parsley evenly over the top of each pile.
- To close the foil packets, pull the short ends of the foil towards the center and fold them together twice. Then fold in the sides to finish the packet.
- Preheat the grill to high heat, around 450°F. Once it is nice and hot, place the foil packets on the grill and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Let the foil packets sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Bake the Shrimp Boil Foil Packets in the Oven:
Can't grill tonight? You can bake these shrimp packets right in the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the prepared shrimp packets on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any buttery leaks. Bake them for 15 - 20 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.Save This Recipe to Your Recipe Box
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