If you’re looking for a no-fuss Southern meal that you can have on the dinner table in 30 minutes, these baked shrimp boil foil packets are a terrific choice. Sliced sausage, corn, and raw shrimp are coated with old bay seasoning before being folded into aluminum foil packets and baked in the oven (or grilled). Let’s make them!
If you’re looking for a no-fuss Southern dinner that you can have on the table in 30 minutes, shrimp boil foil packets in the oven will be your new best friend.
While everyone loves a shrimp, crab and mussel seafood boil, it can be a little expensive depending on where you live, and you need to be feeding a crowd, because seafood doesn’t save well. You also have to stand over a pot for 25 minutes. So while it’s one of my favorite meals, I don’t get to make it that often.
The same with Southern shrimp and grits which takes a bit longer to prepare but is one of my favorite simple seafood dinners.
Old Bay shrimp boil foil packets in the oven are a great alternative where you can still get all those beachy flavors you love, but in a handy foil packet that you can put in the oven or on the grill. You’re going to love how you can prep this in no time and then enjoy sitting outside while it cooks. If it’s hot out and you want a cold dinner, try a shrimp and pasta salad.
Prep and cooking time combined are only about 30 minutes, so if you’re in a hurry and need a quick meal that everyone will be raving about, give a shrimp packet a try. If you don’t even have 30 minutes, then try oven roasted shrimp and asparagus for dinner on the table in 15 minutes start to finish.
Why you’ll love Shrimp Boil Foil Packets in Oven
- No-fuss meal in 30 minutes.
- Very little clean up.
- Individual servings.
- You can customize each pack.
- They can be cooked on the grill or in the oven.
- Healthy meal.
- The packs will retain their heat so it will stay warm for a while.
I don’t know about you, but being able to customize dinner depending on individual likes and dislikes is a plus in my house. For this dish, you can add almost anything! Since shrimp don’t take long to cook, you’ll need to pre-cook the corn and new potatoes if you’re going to add them in.
To do this, I just place them in the microwave for a few minutes. I cooked the corn for 1 minute and it was just perfect. I don’t think a seafood foil packet needs potatoes but it’ll be a more traditional shrimp boil if you have some new potatoes. Either par boil them or microwave for a short time, until just turning soft.
For the meat, choose pre-cooked andouille sausage or kielbasa which are great flavor enhancers. If you want to use raw sausage, you’ll need to cook it on the stove or microwave before adding to the packet.
What you’ll need for Shrimp and Sausage Foil Packets
- Shrimp – Raw,peeled and deveined. If using frozen make sure it has thawed before using.
- Corn on the cob – cut into 2 inch slices
- Smoked sausage or Andouille sausage – You’ll need to use smoked or pre-cooked sausage or kielbasa. Just a little adds so much flavor to the packet.
- Old Bay Seasoning – A true Southern seafood boil always contains some Old Bay.
- Pantry staples – garlic, lemon juice and butter.
- New potatoes – purely optional but if adding you’ll need to cook them in advance in the microwave or on the stove.
Can you use frozen shrimp in foil packets?
You can use fresh or frozen shrimp in foil packets. If using frozen, they will need to thaw first before adding to the packet.
How to season Shrimp Boil Foil Packets
Whatever you choose to put inside your foil pack, you’ll coat it with Old Bay, (my favorite), butter and garlic. You won’t need to add salt since the Old Bay is pretty salty all by itself. Place the shrimp boil in the oven in aluminum foil or on the grill and cook just until the shrimp are cooked.
The best part is brown butter that’s poured over the packs at the end.
Pro Tip: When making foil packets, make sure you use heavy duty aluminum foil or 2 sheets of regular duty foil so that you don’t get leaks.
How to make Old Bay Shrimp Foil Packets in Oven: Step by Step Directions
Step 1: Prep
Pre-cook the corn on the cob and new potatoes, if using, in the microwave. When making a shrimp boil, you don’t want the shrimp to overcook, so make sure everything but the shrimp are cooked before adding to the packet.
Step 2: Make the seasoning
Combine Old Bay with garlic, butter and lemon juice and pour it over the ingredients that are going into the packets.
How to grill Shrimp in Foil
Step 3:
Divide ingredients among 4 pieces of foil and wrap tightly. Bake in a 400º oven for 15-20 minutes or grill for 8 minutes on 1 side over medium heat and flip and cook an additional 5 minutes. Check to see if shrimp are pink and cooked through. Be careful opening the packs as the steam can be very hot.
How long to grill shrimp in foil?
It will take about 15-20 minutes to bake or grill a shrimp foil packet depending on the size of the shrimp.
How to make shrimp foil packets in oven
You can easily cook the shrimp packets in the oven. Just place them on a baking sheet in the oven preheated to 400º and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Storing Shrimp and Sausage Foil Packets
You can reheat a foil pack although it will not be quite as good as when you first heated it. The reason is that the shrimp will overcook when it’s reheated. So while it will need to be refrigerated for storage, before reheating, let it come to room temperature, and reheat it directly in the foil packet in the oven.
Can you reheat a foil pack?
I made this over the weekend and had two packs left-over. They were so good that I placed the left-over packs in the toaster oven and ate them for lunch the next day. I was surprised at how good they were warmed up. They were better right off the grill but not bad at all for lunch the next day.
You’ll love this recipe when you’re having friends over. Everyone can customize their pack and you’re not stuck standing over a boiling pot on the stove. If you’re having a crowd, consider a Seafood Boil and if you like the pack idea, try some Veggie Packs.
Shrimp Boil Packets FAQs
What’s the best way to thaw shrimp?
The best way to thaw shrimp is to allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If that’s not an option, place them in a ziplock and submerge the bag in a bowl of cool water for 45 minutes or place them directly in cool water and it will only take 10-20 minutes.
Can you add other seafood to the foil pack?
Since it all will be cooking the same amount of time, I would stick to shrimp. If you want to have a combination of seafood, you’ll need to make a traditional boil.
What’s the difference between a shrimp boil and a shrimp foil pack?
A traditional shrimp or seafood boil is made in one pot, adding one ingredient after another. A foil pack is baked or grilled inside a packet of aluminum foil.
What seasoning to use for shrimp foil packets?
The traditional seasoning used for a shrimp boil is Old Bay seasoning, garlic and butter.
Do you use raw or cooked shrimp for foil packets?
You will need to use raw shrimp in the foil packets, everything else will be either completely cooked or partially cooked.
More shrimp recipes
How to serve Seafood Foil Packets
- A fruit salad would be great
- A hearty yeast roll to soak up the browned butter
- If you need some veggies, try a salad with strawberries
- Cheesy crackers to start with are always a hit
- If peaches are in season, try a crumble for dessert
- Need some chocolate, then make some awesome brownies
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Shrimp and Sausage Foil Packets
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and de-veined
- 2 ears corn on the cob
- 12 ounces andouille/smoked sausage Cooked and sliced into 1 inch slices
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¾ cup butter divided
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high or oven to 400º.
- Wrap corn in plastic wrap and microwave for about 1 minute until just slightly cooked, or boil until just slightly cooked on the stove. Cut each cob into 2 inch pieces.
- Melt ¼ cup butter and combine with garlic and Old Bay seasoning. Add lemon juice. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine corn cobs, shrimp and sliced sausage. Pour butter mixture over the shrimp mixture and stir until coated.
- Divide mixture into 4 sections and place on a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil Fold into a square packet. Place on Grill and cook for about 8 minutes on one side, gently turn and cook an additional 5 minutes until shrimp are just cooked.
- If making in the oven, bake at 400º for about 20 minutes for medium sized shrimp.
- While the packets are cooking, cook remaining ½ cup butter over medium high heat until browned. Remove from heat.
- When packets are done, open and drizzle with browned butter before serving.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Make sure to use heavy duty aluminum foil or two sheets of regular foil.
- If adding potatoes, pre-cook them before adding to the packet. You can do this in the microwave. They should be almost cooked through.
- You can use any size shrimp, if using very small shrimp, they will not take as long to cook.
- Be careful when opening the packs as the steam will be very hot.
Nutrition
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