Low Country Boil Recipe
A Low Country Boil (also known as Frogmore Stew)is perfect for feeding a crowd or a simple weeknight dinner! Packed with delicious shrimp, spicy sausage, corn cobs, and potatoes, this iconic dish can be made on the stovetop in just 30 minutes!
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Have you visited Charleston, South Carolina? I was born there and there’s something magical about that area- majestic live oaks draped in Spanish moss, a slower pace of life, and don’t get me started on the food! Its very similar to where we live in south Georgia, I love it!
Love southern food? Check out my recipes for Shrimp and Grits, Southern Potato Salad, Collards, Hoppin’ John, and Boiled Peanuts!
Low Country eating is an art form and one of my very favorite regioinal dishes is a Low Country Boil. Also called a Shrimp Boil or Frogmore Stew, a Low Country Boil is a hearty yet healthy and easy to make dinner that is perfect for serving a crowd! Give it a try and I guarantee you’ll be hooked!
What is a Low Country Boil?
The Low Country is the coastal area of South Carolina where this recipe originated.
The story goes that low country boils go back to the Gullah people along the Southeastern coastline. Gullah culture brought many influences on the boil, such as cooking styles from Africa, Spain, and France. The modern tradition as we know it today, started as a one-pot meal for the masses made popular by a National Guardsman named Richard Gay. One day he had the challenging job of cooking for over 100 fellow soldiers and decided the best way to do this was through an old family recipe for a seafood boil. The tale says that this meal was an instant hit and became known as “Frogmore Stew” after Richard’s hometown. To this day, Frogmore Stew is seen as the precursor to the modern low country boil.
source
I have also heard this recipe called Beaufort Boil or Beaufort stew. (Beaufort is a town in South Carolina just north of Georgia in between Charleston and Savannah, Georgia where we are located.)
Ingredients
- Andouille sausage
- red potatoes
- fresh corn
- yellow onion or sweet onions
- lemons
- Old Bay seasoning (or Zatarain crab boil seasoning)
- bay leaves
- peeled and deveined shrimp
- water or broth
Step by step
- Chop your corn into halves and quarter the potatoes.
- Slice sausage into 1″ pieces.
- Throw all ingredients except the shrimp into a LARGE pot and boil for 10 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and cook an additional 3 minutes or until they are bright pink and firm.
Tips for best results
- When making this recipe for large crowds, it’s convenient to cook in a large fryer and the basket makes draining very easy!
- Traditionally the Low Country Boil is drained and spread directly onto paper or a plastic tablecloth in the middle of the table for all to share with lots of paper towels.
- Adding extra potatoes can help extend extra helpings on a budget
- Leftovers refrigerate well for up to 3 days and can be served cold or reheated in the microwave
- some seafood boils add in crab legs, mussels, boiled eggs, crawfish, etc so don’t be afraid to experiment!
- too spicy? swap out the andouille sausage with kielbasa or another sausage
Serving suggestions
While you don’t need sides for a shrimp boil, there are a few things you can serve that pair well together:
- serve with melted butter, lemon wedges, cocktail sauce, hot sauce, and/or salt and pepper if desired
- add a toasted baguette or cornbread/muffins to make the meal even more filling
Storage
If you have leftovers store in an airtight container for up to 3 days and see our full list of tips for reheating Low Country Boil so you don’t end up with rubbery shrimp!
I like to serve my Low Country Boil with corn muffins on the side to round out the menu. My husband LOVES this meal by the way…he’s from Michigan and the first time I made it for him he said “They don’t make meals like this where I’m from!”
Have you tried a Low Country Shrimp Boil or Frogmore Stew? Have you visited the Low Country before? Let me know in the comments!
If you’ve tried this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!
Low Country Boil Recipe
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
A Low Country Boil is perfect for feeding a crowd or a simple weeknight dinner! Packed with delicious shrimp, spicy sausage, corn cobs, and potatoes, this iconic dish can be made on the stovetop in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Smoked Sausage cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 large red potatoes, quartered
- 6 ears of fresh corn, husked and cut in half
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 2 lemons, halved
- 2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1.5 lb frozen peeled and deveined shrimp
Instructions
- Combine sausage, potatoes, corn, onion, lemon and 5 cups of water in a large pot.
- Stir in Old Bay and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes and corn are tender.
- Add shrimp and cook 3 minutes or until pink and firm.
- Serve in a large dish or spread on a table covered in paper.
Notes
- 5 cups of water is my go-to amount but your water needs may vary by your pot or how the ingredients fit, add more as needed but be sure to increase the amount of Old Bay as well
- When making this recipe for large crowds, it’s convenient to cook in a large fryer and the basket makes draining very easy!
- Traditionally the Lowcountry Boil is drained and spread directly onto paper or a plastic tablecloth in the middle of the table for all to share.
- Adding extra potatoes can help extend extra helpings on a budget
- Leftovers refrigerate well for up to 3 days and can be served cold or reheated in the microwave
- some recipe versions add in crabs, mussels, boiled eggs, crawfish, etc so don’t be afraid to experiment!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 7.9 g
- Sodium: 562 mg
- Fat: 16.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 54.3 g
- Protein: 34.9 g
- Cholesterol: 210.1 mg
turned out great, we doubled it for a party!
Your Lowcountry Boil is the ABSOLUTE BEST, Melissa. I live in Charleston, SC too and have prepared this dish many, many times over the years. However, I had never made it using onion and/or lemons until now. — boy, I sure was missing the boat!! Thank you! By the way, I tried to subscribe and to tried to request your ecookbook, but there seems to be a glitch, May I ask you to subscribe me and send the ebook, please?
Oh you made my day with that comment Susan, thank you so much. Now I’m craving it, I’ll have to put it on my meal plan for next week! Have a great day, Melissa
Better check the recipe for typos. I made this over the weekend and we enjoyed it but had to adjust a few things. The recipes states 5 cups of water. Its more like 4 to 5 quarts of water. The basic ingredients are good but I found similar recipes on-line that I think are much better and just as easy.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe Jack. I always use 5 cups of water for mine-it’s not a typo. This is one of our family’s favorite meals-we have it at least once a month, I’m glad you’ve found an alternative that works for your family.
This looks delicious. Do you thaw the shrimp or throw them in frozen?
We’ll have to give lowcounty food a try! It looks tasty! 🙂
Yum! Lowcountry boil is one of my all-time favorite meals.