Foil Packet Dinner: Shrimp Boil Packets

Shrimp boils are such a restaurant experience type meal, even if you just think about ordering it from a restaurant on the Gulf Coast, it’s a meal worth thinking about. These shrimp boil foil packets allow you to experience Gulf Coast style meals right at home for a Tuesday dinner. Within 40 minutes you can have shrimp, andouille sausage, corn, and tender red potatoes, and they all cook in individual steaming pockets.

Whether you use an oven or grill, these can be made ahead of time, and prep can be done and kept in the fridge until ready to cook, and the ease in cooking makes it a keeper in your recipe rotation. You have to make the brown butter dipping sauce. Do not skip it.

For the Packets (makes 4)

• 10 red potatoes (average size, about 3 lbs total) — red potatoes hold their shape better than russets; they don’t turn mealy after the par-boil and the second round of cooking in the packet
• 1 ear of corn, cut into thirds, then each third cut in half — fresh corn is best, but frozen corn on the cob rounds work in a pinch
• ½ ring of andouille sausage, sliced into ½-inch pieces — this is what gives the whole packet a backbone of smoky, savory flavor
• 24–30 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined — medium to large (31/40 or 21/25 count) work best; too small and they overcook fast
• ½ lemon, squeezed over everything before sealing
• 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning — this is the flavor anchor; don’t reduce it
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons melted butter, drizzled into the packets before sealing

For the Brown Butter Dipping Sauce

• 4 tablespoons butter — cook low and slow in a small saucepan; it goes from melted to golden-brown to burnt faster than you think, so don’t walk away

Old Bay does most of the heavy lifting here — it’s a combination of celery salt, paprika, black pepper, cayenne, and a few other seafood-specific spices. If you don’t have it, a mixture of smoked paprika, celery salt, and a slight pinch of cayenne will get you somewhat close, but Old Bay is worth having in your pantry.

How to Make Shrimp Boil Foil Packets

Step 1: Par-Cook the Potatoes and Corn

Boil some water in a big pot and add your diced potatoes and pieces of corn. Let them cook for about 10 minutes Don’t cook them completely, just get things started. Drain the water and set them aside. They’ll finish cooking inside of the foil packets.

Step 2: Combine Everything in One Bowl

In a big bowl, start with shrimp, then add in the potatoes, corn, and cut up sausage. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on top of everything. Then add the Old Bay, garlic, salt, pepper, and butter. Mix it all together so that every shrimp and potato gets seasoning.

Step 3: Assemble the Foil Packets

Tear off about four sheets of heavy duty foil, approximately 12×12 inches. Then, evenly divide the mixture into the four sheets- this is about a quarter of everything per packet. For wrapping, bring the long sides up and fold them toward the center, and then roll the ends up tightly so no steam can get out. Make sure these are sealed really well.

If you want to avoid folding, Reynolds makes pre-sized foil packets for this. If you do foil packet meals often, it’s worth buying these — they seal more cleanly, and hold up better on the grill than homemade packets.

Step 4: Cook the Packets

On the grill: Place packets on a preheated grill over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Carefully flip (use tongs grabbing both ends) and cook for an additional 5–6 minutes. The shrimp should be opaque and pink while the potatoes are fork-tender.

In the oven: Put the packets on an oven-safe dish and bake for 20 minutes on 400 degrees. There’s no need to flip them. You can look at one packet around 18 minutes. If the shrimp are no longer translucent, you can remove them. Even after you remove the packets from the oven, the shrimp will continue to cook from the heat inside the packet, so try not to let them get overdone.

Step 5: Make the Brown Butter Sauce

Cooking the packets? In another saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Keep an eye on it and lower the heat if you need to. The butter will foam, and then the foam will settle, and then you’ll see brown/golden bits starting to form. The milk solids are caramelizing, which is where the flavor is. Take it off heat while the butter is still smells nutty and is a light, amber color. You can pour it into a small bowl for dipping.

This is plain browned butter, not clarified butter. The bits are meant to stay in. It takes roughly 4–5 minutes in total and is honestly one of the best dipping sauces for shrimp you’ll ever make.

Step 6: Serve

Be cautious while opening the packets, as they are hot and steam will escape. You can serve them in the foil (fewer dishes) or pour the contents onto plates. Leave the brown butter and some napkins, and that’s dinner.

Tips for Getting These Right

Don’t skip the par-boil

One step people miss, and then ask why their potatoes are still firm after 20 minutes? Because the foil packets generate steam, but not enough to cook through a dense potato in the time it takes to cook the shrimp. Parboiling for 10 minutes solves this entirely.

Don’t overcook the shrimp

Shrimp cooks quickly. With that being said, when cooking shrimp in the oven at 400 degrees, and being sealed in a foil packet, it is possible for the shrimp to go from raw to done, to rubbery in only a few extra minutes. The shrimp are done when they look pink, and are slightly curled. But, if they are in a C shape, well then, they’re overcooked. If you’re unsure, check at the 18 minute mark.

Use heavy duty foil

When you flip the packets on the grill, regular foil tears. Heavy duty foil or doubled regular foil does the job. Reynolds Ready Cut foil packets are available. They are pre-sized, and for the grill, they are better than anything you fold yourself.

Size your shrimp appropriately

Since tiny shrimp (61/70 count) will become rubbery before the potatoes are ready, go for medium-large, around 21/25 to 31/40 size range. They can withstand extra cooking time while retaining their texture.

Make-ahead tip

At most, you can prepare and chill the packets (par-boil included) for up to four hours prior to cooking. This can be a game changer for the weeknight dinner hustle. If you can do the packaging during naptime (or after school pickup), all you have to do is toss it on the grill (or slide it into the oven) come dinnertime. If the packets went into the fridge, you will need to add about 3-4 minutes to the cooking time.

Variations and Substitutions

Swap the sausage

Andouille adds fun Cajun heat and smokiness which is great here. If you want it less spicy, swap in smoked kielbasa – same smoky depth, milder flavor. Chorizo is also an option but will change the seasoning profile significantly.

Add vegetables

To avoid getting mushy, onions and bell peppers work great in the foil packet. Just slice them and include them with the other ingredients. No need to pre-boil. Zucchini is fine to include as well, just be aware that it softens quickly, so consider cutting it into larger pieces if you add it.

Adjust the heat

Old Bay offers a certain level of heat but it is not spicy by any means. For something a bit spicier, add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne when you season the bowl. If you’re cooking for kids, they might not be able to handle the heat. In this case, reduce the andouille, or replace it with something else entirely, and cut the Old Bay by half.

No corn on the cob?

Frozen corn on the cob pieces are perfect too. If you are in a hurry, you can use a can of whole kernel corn, just drain it. The texture won’t be like corn off the cob, but it saves you from par-boiling since it absorbs the seasonings nicely.

Serving Ideas

Each packet contains an entire meal. It has protein, a starch, and a vegetable. If you’re feeding a group or want to add something extra:

• Crusty bread or dinner rolls — the browned butter is excellent for dipping bread too
• A simple green salad with a vinaigrette to cut through the richness
• Extra lemon wedges on the table — a fresh squeeze right before eating makes a difference
• Cold beer or a light lemonade — this is summer cookout food

Storage and Leftovers

To keep leftovers fresh, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and eat them within two days. Shrimp does not reheat well as it becomes rubbery. If shrimp is leftover, consider eating it cold in a salad or hot rice. Two of the leftovers, potatoes and sausage, reheat easily. Just put a bit of butter in a skillet and heat it up.

I wouldn’t recommend freezing them. Once the shrimp is frozen and then reheated the texture is off and the potatoes become watery.

If you’re going to have leftovers, leave some shrimp a little undercooked by about 2 minutes. They will finish cooking when you reheat them in a pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes, you can use frozen shrimp. To thaw them, run them under cold water. Be sure to pat them dry with some paper towels before putting them in the bowl. If you put wet shrimp in the packet, any extra moisture will dilute the seasoning and make the sauce way too runny. Dry shrimp will absorb the flavors much better.

Can I make these in the oven instead of the grill?

Of course — 400 degrees for 20 minutes is just as good! The grill will only add a slight char to the foil, but that won’t alter anything going on inside the packet. In Iowa, the oven version is used about half the year due to the weather not cooperating.

How do I know when the shrimp are done?

At 18 minutes, you can open one packet (oven) or at the full 15–16 minutes on the grill. If the shrimp has turned pink, and they’ve gone opaque, and are curled to a loose C-shape, then they are done. If shrimp are less than fully curled, they are over cooked. If they still have a translucent milky center, reseal and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

What if I don’t have Old Bay?

You can approximate it by combining 1 tsp. smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp. celery salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. cayenne, and a pinch of dried mustard. It won’t be exactly the same, but it comes close. If you cook any seafood, Old Bay is a must-have in your pantry as it is the go-to seasoning for shrimp, crab, and fish.

Can I prep these ahead of time?

Yes — pack each sealed packet and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. If you want to refrigerate for longer than that, keep the shrimp separate and add them to the packets just before cooking. Raw shrimp in acidic lemon juice for too many hours will start to break down the texture.

How many packets does this recipe make?

There are four packs which means each is meant to be one serving. As it is written, the recipe feeds four adults fully as a whole dinner. If you are feeding bigger eaters or serving it with nothing else, you might want to increase the quantity of potatoes a little — they tend to go fast.

Related Recipes

If you enjoyed this, you might want to check out these other simple dinners that use the same one-pot, low-cleanup logic:

• Shrimp Fajita Foil Packets — same foil packet format, different direction with peppers and fajita seasoning
• Garlic Butter Steak Bites and Potatoes — the same garlic butter combination in skillet form
• Lemon Garlic Butter Baked Shrimp — if you want the same flavor profile without the foil packet method
• Salmon Foil Packets — same technique, works just as well with salmon fillets
• Cajun Shrimp and Rice — if you want to lean further into the Cajun flavor profile