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This simple, grill or oven-ready recipe for Cajun Shrimp Boil Foil Packets is low fuss, offers easy clean-up and will transport you straight to the bayous of Louisiana.

Cajun Shrimp Boil Foil Packets torn open with sausage, corn and zucchini

Today’s easy recipe for Cajun shrimp boil foil packets is my at-home version of the shrimp boil I experienced in Louisiana, tweaked to use ingredients I can easily find at my Midwest grocery store.

(Spoiler: we are fresh out of fresh…and frozen…and all other crawfish).

I adapted the classic shrimp boil cooking method to one that I can easily pull together on a weeknight (It’s not quite a 30-Minute Meal, but pretty darn close).

  • I eliminated the stockpot in favor of easy foil packets.
  • I kept this recipe outdoor optional. Cook these on your grill with the same outdoor effect or in the event of a) rain or b) you don’t feel like grilling/don’t own a grill, you can make this same Cajun shrimp boil in the oven, too.
  • I chopped all the ingredients smaller than what’s typical in traditional shrimp boil for fast, even cooking.

While any traditionalist could point to a number of liberties that I’ve taken with this lazy-gal’s version of a true Cajun shrimp boil, one thing that hasn’t changed is exactly how it should be enjoyed…

In the company of good friends, with your cool beverage of choice in hand (I recommend this Jalapeno Margarita).

Three foil packets with Cajun shrimp, sausage, and vegetables with a blue striped towel and lemon wedge

5 Star Review

“Made this yesterday for family. This got RAVE reviews! Everything was cooked perfectly and was so juicy and delicious!”

— Beth —

How to Make Cajun Shrimp Boil Foil Packets

Juicy shrimp, plump corn, and tender potatoes steamed perfectly with zucchini and cajun spices in easy, effortless foil packets for your grill or oven.


The Ingredients

  • Shrimp. To ensure the the shrimp, corn and potatoes all steam evenly, I encourage you to splurge on large (or even jumbo) shrimp for this recipe. Needing more summer shrimp? Try my Grilled Shrimp.
  • Cajun Sausage. Keeping true to my usual better-for-you recipe approach, I opted for Cajun-spiced chicken sausage (like in this Italian Sausage and Rice Casserole). The foil packets have so many other flavors rocking inside them, this swap was completely undetectable.

Substitution Tip!

For a more mild recipe, choose Andouille sausage or even Chorizo. Can’t find either? Kielbasa is a close substitute and widely available. Turkey Kielbasa is a great, leaner option too.

  • Corn on the Cob. An essential, staple ingredient to any classic shrimp boil.
  • Potatoes. I just LOVE how the tender potatoes soak up all the melted butter and seasonings as they steam together with the shrimp and corn.
  • Zucchini. The bonus veggie that I just couldn’t resist adding to these packets for extra nutrition, color, and flavor.

Market Swap

Swap in any of your other favorite veggies that are in season to make this recipe your own. Red bell peppers and yellow summer squash would also be delicious, seasonal additions.

  • Cajun or Creole Seasoning. Adds that quintessential kick that’s a must-have for a REAL shrimp boil.
  • Seafood Seasoning. Head to your spice aisle and you’ll see a plethora of jars with a “seafood seasoning” label. If you’re unsure of which to choose, you can’t go wrong with some classic Old Bay seasoning.
  • Butter. Provides flavor, fat and moisture.
Ingredients to make Louisiana-style shrimp boil foil packets in a glass bowl

The Directions

  1. Stir together the ingredients in a big ol’ bowl.
  2. Divide them onto foil, fold into packets and seal the edges tightly.
  3. Cook in your oven or on your grill until everyting is tender and juicy. ENJOY!

How to Store and Reheat

  • To Store. Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
  • To Reheat. These foil packets are best enjoyed the day they are made but can be reheated gently in the microwave.

Leftover Ideas

Since shrimp tend to dry out easily when reheated, I prefer to keep these separate, then serve them chilled or at room temperature over a salad.

creole shrimp, sausage, and vegetables in a foil packet

Pair this with

Cajun Shrimp Boil Foil Packets

4.82 from 48 votes
Cajun shrimp boil foil packets recipe with sausage, corn, red potatoes, and zucchini. Can be made in the oven or on the grill. Not too spicy!

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined (fresh or frozen and thawed), rinsed and patted dry
  • 6 ounces fully cooked andouille or Cajun-style chicken or turkey sausage, thinly sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 2 medium zucchini sliced into 1/4 inch-thick rounds (12-14 ounces whole zucchini)
  • 1 pound baby red or yellow potatoes cut into 3/4-inch dice
  • 1 medium ear corn the cob husked and cut into 1-inch pieces, then halved
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, or your favorite butter spread (I like this one)
  • 1 tablespoon  Cajun or Creole seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons seafood seasoning like Old Bay
  • For serving: chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, place the shrimp, sausage, zucchini, potatoes, and corn. Add the melted butter, Cajun seasoning, and seafood seasoning. Toss to combine. To grill the packets, preheat an outdoor grill to medium high. To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Place four large (about 16×12-inch) pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil on the counter. Mound the shrimp and sausage mixture in the center of each piece, dividing it evenly between the four. Bring the shorter edges to the center, then fold them over each other to make a seam in the center. Fold in the edges to seal so that you create a packet. Leave some space inside of each packet for air to circulate.
  • Place packets on the grill and cover. Grill for 10 minutes on the first side, then flip and continue grilling for 5 additional minutes until the shrimp is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. To bake, place the foil packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully open the foil packets. Serve hot with a sprinkle of parsley and lemon wedges.

Notes

  • To Store. Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
  • To Reheat. These foil packets are best enjoyed the day they are made but can be reheated gently in the microwave (be sure to remove the foil). Since shrimp tend to dry out easily when reheated, I prefer to keep these separate, then serve them chilled or at room temperature over a salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(of 5)Calories: 391kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 29gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 281mgPotassium: 906mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1742IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 173mgIron: 4mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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54 Comments

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  1. Hi Erin 
    What temperature would you bake these at?? Oh and would chorizo be ok to use not sure I can find the other sausages in UK
    Thanks 

    1. Hi Sam! Is the chorizo pre-cooked? If yes, it will have a different flavor profile, but you can definitely swap it in! Just make sure you use some kind of precooked sausage that you can cut into coins (or you could buy chorizo in casings and cook it yourself first). For bake temp, see recipe step 1: 400 degrees F.

  2. The flavor was amazing! The whole family loved this recipe. I will admit the potatoes were a little underdone, so perhaps we need to work on the size or pre-cook them a little. We also opted for one zucchini and one summer squash, which was a great change! This was a great all in one meal, so thank you. 5 stars

    1. Lindsey, I am so thrilled to hear this was a hit! I’d chop the potatoes a bit smaller next time and you should be set. Thanks so much for taking time to leave this wonderful review!

  3. Erin! Another great recipe. I made a half recipe for just my wife and I tonight … cheated a little on the shrimp … used about 10 oz (14 shrimp) for the two of us. Scaled other ingredients back to approximately half of your recipe.. I also used your friend Robyn’s Cajun seasoning mix … took me about 5 minutes to make and it … was … wonderful!! The corn was a real bonus! I’m wondering if you could leave the corn in larger sections (maybe 3 inches or so) to make it easier to eat? It was tasty as it was, but such small pieces left you wanting a bigger bite! I used a mix of baby potatoes (yellow, red, and blue) and they were perfectly cooked using the 15/5 minute timing on a Weber Genesis grill heated on high and then set to hold about 450º F.5 stars

    1. Dean, thank you so much for reporting back on the recipe, and I am so glad you enjoyed it!! The one catch with cutting the corn larger is that it might take longer to cook than the other ingredients. If you’d like bigger chunks, you could try grilling the corn separately next time. That would be delicious too!

  4. Another fantastic recipe here that I’ve tried. I also had problems with the potatoes being undercooked though, even after putting it back in for an extra 10 mins. They were diced very small. Perhaps boiling them beforehand would solve this issue?

    1. Mike, I”m sorry about the potatoes! I think boiling them first (just not all the way) would help. You could also put the potatoes in their own packets, give them a head start, then mix them with the other ingredients in the end. I’m glad you loved all of the other flavors and ingredients!

  5. Wow, this was absolutely delicious! Everyone enjoyed it. I added fresh green beans to the mix. So,so good! A new family fave!5 stars

  6. My niece’s husband is from Georgia and has a low country boil for us when visiting in the summer.  You nailed it!  Easy and so good. 5 stars

  7. I had to double my time on this recipe but it’s o so delicious when I’m done. It’s a family favorite here. ?

  8. I’ve been looking for a simple shrimp boil foil packet recipe to use while on an upcoming camping trip. How long would you recommend cooking on coals?  We will have these on our first night as I plan to assemble the packets  before we leave   Feel free to suggest any of your recipes that are great for grilling. I love to prepare as much in advance as possible.  Thanks! 5 stars

    1. Hi Debbie, since I have not tried this recipe on coals, I cannot recommend how long to cook them. If you’re interested in other grilling recipes, please feel free to check them out here. I hope you enjoy the recipes on your camping trip!

  9. I just made this today for me and my lil family and it turned out super delicious!!!! The red baby potatoes were a bit hard but overall still very delicious!!!!5 stars

  10. I’m from New Orleans now living in central MS. I cooked this today & it was delicious. Definitely a New Orleans taste. I read the comments &per boiled my corn & potatoes a little to make sure they were cooked as I wanted them a little bigger cut. We will definitely be making this again 5 stars

  11. Made this yesterday for family. It made 4 packets with each packet being plenty for one family member. This got RAVE reviews! Everything was cooked perfectly and was so juicy and delicious! The seasonings were GREAT proportion. I will be making this again and again. Thank you for sharing! 5 stars

  12. Made this for dinner tonight, out on the patio.  It was fantastic!!
    So glad that I found your blog.  Enjoying so many of your recipes.
    Many thank!5 stars

  13. Love cooking in foil on the grill, I have a bunch of chicken breasts in the freezer, that I 
    Need to use, so no sausage, and just  one tablespoon of seafood seasoning. It was excellent! I should be getting your cookbook, any day now, and am looking forward to sitting down with it. Congrats! You must be so excited.5 stars

    1. Pamela, I can’t recommend that since the packet helps it steam, and I’ve never tested the recipe with crab legs. For sure results, I recommend the packets. I hope that you enjoy it!

  14. Going to make this tonight. Can I prepare everything a few hours ahead of time? Sometimes with shrimp I’m not sure about seasining to far ahead.

  15. This is really helpful! I am making these but didn’t want to grill them so I appreciate the tips for that! Thank you! I do want to note for anyone unfamiliar that when Erin suggests reheating the leftovers in a microwave, she does not mean while still in the foil packets (that will kill your microwave and start a fire). You’ll need to reheat the leftovers in a microwave by using a microwavable plate/bowl. To avoid the microwave, you can bring a pot of water to boil and place the leftovers into the boiling water for 1-2 minutes and, you CAN put the entire leftover foil packet into the oven to reheat it, too. But, as the author mentions, shrimp doesn’t reheat well, so leftover shrimp is probably best either fried in a skillet with some oil/garlic/onion, or just enjoyed cold. ALL that to say: I don’t expect you’ll have many leftovers! This recipe is very tasty. :)5 stars

    1. Hi Gina! I recommend using a sharp chef’s knife (like this one) to cut the corn into smaller sizes. I hope this helps!

  16. My family really enjoyed this recipe! Made it as a quick no mess meal. I read previous comments about the red potatoes remaining hard after recommended cook time. I cut them a little thinner and cooked the packets for an additional 10 minutes and Omg, delish! Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s a keeper!5 stars

    1. I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Cassandra! Thank you for sharing this kind review!

    2. I boiled the red potatoes until tender first,cooled and sliced up before adding to the foil packet..so good!

  17. I gave this recipe a 3. I haven’t tasted it yet but the reason I gave it a 3 stars is because the potatoes are taking forever to cook. First I cooked the packets for 20 mins. Potatoes weren’t done. Then I cooked it for 10 more minutes and the potatoes still aren’t done. This time I opened the packets and I have it in there for 10 more hopefully the potatoes will be done this time. Next time I will cut the potatoes smaller. In the photo it looked they were cut in half so that’s how I cut them. Next time I will cut them into 4ths.3 stars

    1. I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe Rachel. The recipe called for the potatoes to be “cut into 3/4-inch dice” so I would definitely cut them smaller for next time!

  18. Oh my gosh, we love this recipe! I subbed asparagus for zucchini since I didn’t have any on hand, and I added red peppers and I squirted a little lemon juice on just before I closed the packets. I served with brown rice but it was hearty enough to eat without it. I used the oven but look forward to trying it on the grill at camp.5 stars