Onion Boil Cajun Shrimp Sausage (Printable Version)

Juicy shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn, and onions simmered with robust Cajun seasoning for a flavorful meal.

# What You Need:

→ 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

# Steps:

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 red potatoes to the boiling liquid and cook for 15 minutes until just beginning to soften.
03 - Add corn pieces and sliced sausage to the pot. Boil for 10 additional minutes.
04 - Add shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp turn pink and are just cooked through.
05 - Drain the entire boil through a large colander. Discard bay leaves and lemon halves.
06 - Spread the drained mixture on a newspaper-lined table or large serving platter. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pot, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying the actual party.
  • The Cajun seasoning transforms simple ingredients into something that tastes like you've been simmering it for hours when it actually takes under an hour start to finish.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and scales easily, so whether you're feeding four or twelve, you just multiply the ingredients and let the pot do the work.
02 -
  • Shrimp cook fast, and I learned this the hard way by adding them too early—they were gray rubber by the time the sausage was done, so always save them for last.
  • The potatoes should go in first because they need the longest cooking time, and building your boil in stages means everything finishes perfectly at the same moment.
03 -
  • Prep all your ingredients before you start the water boiling because once that pot is going, things move quickly and you won't want to be chopping onions while shrimp are cooking.
  • Don't be shy with the melted butter at the end—this is not the time to hold back, and those buttery drippings are half the reason people remember this meal.
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