Foil Packet Dinner: Shrimp Boil Packets

Shrimp boil is one of those meals that feels like a whole event — the kind of thing you’d order at a restaurant on the Gulf Coast and still think about months later. These foil packet shrimp boil packets bring that same experience down to a Tuesday night dinner.

You get shrimp, andouille sausage, corn, and tender red potatoes all cooked together in their own little steam pocket, and the whole thing comes together in under 40 minutes start to finish.

You can make these on the grill or in the oven — both work well — and they can be prepped ahead and held in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. That alone makes them worth keeping in the regular rotation.

The browned butter dipping sauce at the end is not optional. Make 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

The Old Bay is doing most of the work here — it’s a blend of celery salt, paprika, black pepper, cayenne, and a handful of other spices that was made for seafood. If you don’t have it, a mix of smoked paprika, celery salt, and a pinch of cayenne will get you close, but the real thing is worth having in your pantry.

How to Make Shrimp Boil Foil Packets

Step 1: Par-Cook the Potatoes and Corn

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cubed potatoes and corn pieces and cook for 10 minutes.

You’re not trying to cook them through — just get them started. Drain and set aside.

They’ll finish cooking inside the foil packets.

Step 2: Combine Everything in One Bowl

In a large bowl, add the shrimp first, then the par-cooked potatoes, corn, and sliced sausage. Squeeze the lemon half over everything.

Add the Old Bay, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and melted butter. Toss to coat — you want every piece of shrimp and potato evenly seasoned.

Step 3: Assemble the Foil Packets

Tear off four sheets of heavy duty foil, roughly 12×12 inches each. Divide the mixture evenly among the four sheets — about a quarter of everything per packet.

To seal: bring the long sides up and fold them together toward the center, then roll the ends up tightly so no steam can escape. You want these sealed well.

If you want to skip the folding, Reynolds makes pre-made foil packets that are sized perfectly for this. They’re worth picking up if you make foil packet meals regularly — they seal cleaner and hold up better on the grill than DIY packets.

Step 4: Cook the Packets

On the grill: Place packets on a preheated grill over medium-high heat. Cook for 10 minutes, flip carefully (use tongs and grab from both ends), then cook another 5–6 minutes.

The shrimp should be pink and opaque, the potatoes fork-tender.

In the oven: Place packets on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. No flipping needed.

You can check one packet at the 18-minute mark — if the shrimp is pink all the way through, pull them out. The residual heat inside the packet keeps cooking after you take them off the heat, so don’t wait until they look overdone.

Step 5: Make the Brown Butter Sauce

While the packets cook, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Keep the heat low and watch it.

The butter will foam, then the foam will settle, and you’ll start to see golden-brown bits forming at the bottom. That’s the milk solids caramelizing — that’s where the flavor is.

Pull it off heat when it smells nutty and looks a light amber color. Pour it into a small bowl for dipping.

This is a simple browned butter, not clarified butter. The bits stay in and that’s the point.

It takes about 4–5 minutes total and it is genuinely one of the best dipping sauces for shrimp you’ll make.

Step 6: Serve

Open the packets carefully — steam will rush out and it’s hot. You can serve directly from the foil (less dishes) or slide the contents onto plates.

Set out the brown butter, some napkins, and that’s dinner.

Tips for Getting These Right

Don’t skip the par-boil

This is the one step people skip and then wonder why their potatoes are still firm after 20 minutes. The foil packet generates steam, but it doesn’t get hot enough to cook a dense potato all the way through in the time it takes shrimp to cook.

Ten minutes of par-boiling solves this entirely.

Don’t overcook the shrimp

Shrimp cook fast. In the oven at 400°F inside a sealed foil packet, they can go from raw to done to rubbery in just a few extra minutes.

The shrimp are done when they’re pink and slightly curled — if they’re in a tight C-curl they’re overcooked. Check at the 18-minute mark if you’re uncertain.

Use heavy duty foil

Standard foil tears when you flip the packets on the grill. Heavy duty foil or doubled regular foil handles the job.

You can also pick up Reynolds Ready Cut foil packets — they’re pre-sized and hold up better on the grill than anything you fold yourself.

Size your shrimp appropriately

Tiny shrimp (61/70 count) will turn rubbery before the potatoes are done. Go with medium-large, in the 21/25 to 31/40 range.

They can handle a bit more cooking time without losing their texture.

Make-ahead tip

Assemble the packets (par-boil included) and refrigerate for up to 4 hours before cooking. This is genuinely useful for weeknight dinners — do the prep during nap time or after school pickup, then just throw them on the grill or in the oven at dinnertime.

Add 3–4 minutes to the cook time if going straight from the fridge.

Variations and Substitutions

Swap the sausage

Andouille has a Cajun heat and smokiness that works well here. If you want less heat, use smoked kielbasa instead — same smoky depth, milder flavor.

Chorizo works too but will change the seasoning profile significantly.

Add vegetables

Bell pepper and onion both hold up well in the foil packet without getting mushy. Slice them thick and add them with the other ingredients — no par-boiling needed.

Zucchini works but gets soft quickly, so cut it into bigger pieces if you include it.

Adjust the heat

Old Bay has mild heat but it’s not what I’d call spicy. If you want more kick, add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne to the bowl when you season.

If you’re cooking for kids who are sensitive to heat, reduce the andouille or swap it out entirely and cut the Old Bay by half.

No corn on the cob?

Frozen corn on the cob rounds work fine. You can even use a can of drained whole kernel corn in a pinch — it won’t have the same texture as corn off the cob, but it absorbs the seasonings well and doesn’t need the par-boil.

Serving Ideas

These packets are a full meal on their own — protein, starch, and vegetable all in one. But if you’re feeding a crowd or want something extra alongside:

• 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

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days. Shrimp doesn’t reheat particularly well — it gets rubbery if you microwave it — so if you have leftover shrimp, eat it cold in a salad or over rice at room temperature.

The potatoes and sausage reheat fine in a skillet with a little butter.

I don’t recommend freezing these. The shrimp texture after freezing and reheating isn’t great, and the potatoes get watery.

If you know you’ll have leftovers, leave some shrimp undercooked by about 2 minutes. They’ll finish when you reheat in a pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen shrimp?

Yes — frozen shrimp works well here. Thaw fully under cold running water, then pat them dry with paper towels before adding to the bowl.

If you add wet shrimp to the packet, the excess moisture dilutes the seasoning and makes the sauce watery. Dry shrimp means better flavor absorption.

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

Absolutely — 400°F for 20 minutes works just as well. The grill adds a tiny bit of char to the foil exterior but doesn’t actually change what’s happening inside the packet.

In Iowa, the oven version gets used about half the year because weather doesn’t cooperate.

How do I know when the shrimp are done?

Open one packet at the 18-minute mark (oven) or after the full 15–16 minutes on the grill. The shrimp should be pink and opaque all the way through, and curled into a loose C-shape.

A tight curl means overcooked. If the shrimp is still translucent in the center, reseal and cook another 2–3 minutes.

What if I don’t have Old Bay?

You can approximate it with: 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon celery salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, and a pinch of dry mustard. It won’t be identical but it gets you close.

Old Bay is worth having in your pantry if you cook seafood at all — it’s the workhorse seasoning for shrimp, crab, and fish.

Can I prep these ahead of time?

Yes — assemble the sealed packets and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. If you want to go longer, keep the shrimp separate and add them to the packets right before cooking.

Raw shrimp sitting in acidic lemon juice for more than a few hours starts to break down texturally.

How many packets does this recipe make?

Four packets, each intended as a single serving. The recipe as written feeds four adults comfortably as a complete dinner.

If you’re feeding bigger eaters or serving it alongside nothing else, you might want to scale the potatoes up slightly — they tend to go fast.

Related Recipes

If you liked this, here are a few more easy dinners that follow the same one-vessel, minimal-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