Make this classic Old Bay Shrimp boil recipe in advance and chill. Serve with cocktail sauce or butter and watch these Boiled Old Bay Shrimp disappear!
OLD BAY SHRIMP BOIL RECIPE
Have you ever wanted something really bad and not been able to have it? Well, my husband did, and what he wanted was these Old Bay Shrimp.
See, at his 16th birthday party, he found out that he was allergic to shellfish, not mildly, but anaphylaxis-carry-an-EPI-pen-emergency-hospital-admission type of allergic.
Now that I am a parent, I cringe to think of the horror that my mother-in-law had to endure when she saw her son start to have trouble breathing and not understand why.
Yikes right!?!
Fast forward to many years of avoiding shellfish at all costs while still being a good-enough sport to sit through clam bakes, crab-eating trips to Baltimore and a road trip through coastal Maine where someone made said person who is allergic to shellfish stop at every roadside stand in view for real clam chowder.
All the while, all he wanted was a big bowl of Old Bay Shrimp.
To sit and eat them, dirty fingers and all, in peace, with some spicy cocktail sauce.
After we had our son, our son’s pediatrician suggested that my husband get re-tested for his shellfish allergy, because apparently, you can “out-grow” your allergy. Who knew?
Yep, you guessed it – Mr. EverydayMaven is no longer allergic to shellfish or any food for that matter.
We found this out about a year ago and I am embarrassed to admit I just finally got around to making this for him.
Yes, he loved it.
And, ate one pound by himself in peace, dirty fingers and all.
How long does it take to make a shrimp boil?
Not long at all. In somewhere around 10 minutes (Including prep time!) you can have this Old Bay shrimp boil recipe finished and chilling in the fridge. If you’re making your own cocktail sauce for the shrimp, that will only tack on an extra minute or two.
Can you make this Old Bay shrimp boil recipe Keto or Whole30?
Yes, absolutely. For Whole30, leave out the sauce or just use sugar-free ketchup instead. For keto, serve with melted butter.
Looking for more Old Bay recipes?
Here are a few more recipes on the blog featuring Old Bay seasoning:
- Crispy Old Bay Shrimp
- Old Bay Shrimp Celery Boats
- Baked Old Bay Sweet Potato Fries
- Old Bay Grilled Salmon
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Make this classic Old Bay Shrimp in advance and chill. Serve with cocktail sauce or butter and watch these Boiled Old Bay Shrimp disappear!
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar *can sub beer
- 8 cups water
- 1/3 cup Old Bay seasoning
- 4 cloves garlic
- 6 whole peppercorns
- 2 pounds large Wild-caught Shrimp
- 2 T Old Bay seasoning for tossing
- 1 cup ketchup natural or organic
- 3 T horseradish
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce gluten free if necessary
- pinch salt
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Combine vinegar, water, 1/3 cup Old Bay, garlic and peppercorns in a large soup pot.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
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When water is rapidly boiling, add shrimp, cover and cook 2 to 4 minutes (until shrimp are just pink).
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Immediately drain shrimp and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons Old Bay.
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Place uncovered in a bowl and refrigerate (at least 30 minutes) until ready to serve.
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Combine all ingredients.
I use 3 tablespoons of horseradish to 1 cup of ketchup but I like my cocktail sauce to have a kick.
Start with 2 tablespoons and slowly adjust to taste and spice level. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve with plenty of napkins and Enjoy!
- Click here to get help figuring out which Shrimp to buy! (Seafood Watch)
- For Whole30, omit the sauce or use a sugar free ketchup to make it.
- For Keto, serve with melted butter.
Note that the nutrition information is for the Old Bay Shrimp ONLY and doesn't include the cocktail sauce as many of you will serve this without the sauce or with melted butter.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Originally Posted: April 24th, 2012 | Updated: December 18th, 2018
Made these for Thanksgiving! First time making shrimp like this and it was delicious, easy, and very yummy! I added a little lemon, more horseradish & Worcestershire and less ketchup to make the cocktail sauce not taste too ketchupy (just my preference!) I also let the cocktail sauce sit in the fridge and marinate a lil bit before serving!
added a little butter to the old bay mix, definitely the touch!
thanks for the recipe!
Hi Bryana! So happy to hear it – I love the sound of making the sauce so tangy!! Hope you had a great holiday 🙂
Hi. I have made this recipe several times and it is fantastic. I am going to be cooking 8 pounds of shrimp. How should the ingredient list be adjusted for this amount of shrimp?
Thanks
Joe Sweeney
Hi Joe! Thanks so much 🙂 I would 4x everything as the original recipe is intended for 2lbs of shrimp. Enjoy!
How fo you d vein before cooking?
I use the toothpick method (here is a youtube video showing how to do it). I will also update this post and add that information!
Are the shrimp peeled before you boiled them?
Hi Christopher,
No, they aren’t peeled before cooking!
I just wanted to let you know.. This is our go-to recipe for shrimp! Every single time, and has been for a few years now. Thank you so much for sharing this deliciousness for all to enjoy!
Hi Lindsay! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me this message. I absolutely LOVE hearing this and it totally made my day! So happy that this recipe has become part of your family traditions!! <3
I made this recipe for a group of friends and one of them commented on how delish the shrimp were and her husband is in the seafood business!
I’ll never do my shrimp any other way!
Hi Richard! What an amazing complement – you made my day!! 🙂
You live near the ocean Atlantic or gulf? Sounds like it…
I love shrimp andyour rescipe sounds good haven’t tried yours yet
But will this weakens I got 20lbs of shrimp coming from dauphin island.
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This is by far the best steamed shrimp recipe! Always the best compliments at gatherings.
Thank you so much Dawn! I appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate this recipe and let me know 🙂
Having a love of food, I’m a bit of a food snob… This recipes is super simple and super delicious. Perfect appetizer for all occasions.
Hi Hillerie! Thank you so much for the feedback – I really appreciate it!
The shrimp are incredible. I’ve gotten asked by about 10 different people for the recipe. I use 6 cups of water one can of beer and one cup of apple cider vinegar because I really like the extra flavor that it adds. The recipe really is amazing thank you so much!
Thank you so much Chris!! I appreciate you sharing my recipe and website with your friends. So happy everyone loves it! Happy New Year!