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!
Originally Posted: April 24th, 2012 | Updated: December 18th, 2018
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.
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!
I’m curious when you talk about this recipe for parties or dinners…do you take the shells off or have your company take off their own shells? Isn’t that a bit difficult when people are there for a party and dressed up….(not sitting around a table). I’d be worried for accidental fingers going on my sofa etc. I understand doing this around a family table, great fun I’m sure.
Hey Marty! Great question – for a casual gathering (close family, sitting around a table, backyard BBQ, etc.), I leave the shells on. But, for a fancier party where people would be dressed up or more of a cocktail party, I would remove the shells after cooking, leave the tails on and sprinkle with a bit more Old Bay before serving so that the guests could pick up the tail and easily eat like they would a shrimp cocktail. Hope that helps!
I’ve made these twice in the past week. Yhe family loved them. We served them warm with a caesar salad. I didn’t have peppercorns and used garlic powder, but they were AMAZING! So glad Costco sells the big containers of Old Bay Seasoning. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Best comment Mike! Thanks and I am most definitely adding that to my Costco shopping list – we use A LOT of Old Bay!
Can I use jumbo (16-20 count) shrimp for this recipe? How do I adjust the cooking time? Really looking forward to trying this once the Covid-19 pandemic is over.
Hey Mike! Absolutely! I have made this with all different size shrimp and it works perfectly! Cooking time should be the same but just check 1 before pulling them all out!
Hi, I only have frozen cooked shrimp in my freezer. Any modification I should keep in mind?
Hi Gaya – you could quickly warm the shrimp by submerging in boiling water for 15 seconds and then toss with the Old Bay. It won’t be the same (cooking the raw shrimp in the mixture adds a ton of flavor and locks it in with the shells), but, it will still be pretty yummy!
Made this for dinner for my family the other night and there were none left! Really easy and delicious. I will definitely be making this again!
One of our favs as well Shannon – they always go so fast!! So happy your family loved them 🙂
Can the recipe be doubled or tripled? Looking forward to trying this out.
Hey Mike! Absolutely – I’ve made 5x the recipe as written 🙂
Do the shells split when boiled? And we like ours warm , so we can eat fresh from the pot, yes?
Hi Suzy! The shells shouldn’t split with this amount of cooking time! We also eat them warm sometimes – soooo good!
This was fantastic – both my husband and I loved it! Thank you for the keto suggestion of dipping in butter also!
You’re welcome Nicole – so happy to hear you loved it!
Do I use frozen or showed shrimp?
I have used both!
Do I have to do anything special with frozen? Thaw them first? Just dump them in? I’m new at this cooking thing, bare with me.
Hey Tom! Great question – I would thaw them first so that they cook evenly. You can take the frozen shrimp (in the shell) and put them in a colander and run very cold water over them for about 10 minutes to quick thaw OR just leave in the fridge overnight or for a few hours. Hope you love it!
Do I mince the garlic?? I’m about to do this now for tonight.
Hi Ann! Nope, you just toss them right into the pot! Hope you loved it 🙂
Such a delicious party appetizer!
Yes, they always dissapear FAST!
This will be a sure hit for our parties!
Yay! Hope everyone loves it!
This recipe is the best!! Only one I will use. Always get rave reviews when use it! Thanks for sharing it.
Thank you so much Dawn!! It means so much to hear this feedback!
So simple yet flavorful! Love shrimp cocktail.
Thanks! So glad you loved it!
PS Thanks for the book and chocolates! Looking forward to diving into both! xo
You are soooo welcome!! I hope you love them – Merry Christmas 🙂
Whoa, these were so easy and so delicious!! Time to buy another huge can of Old Bay!
Always have to stay stocked in the Old Bay! So glad you loved them!
I tried this recipe today and it was DELICIOUS!!! Thank you so much for sharing.
Fantastic Sharon!! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Just made tonight and NEVER have made shrimp with Old Bay like we get steamed at the grocer in Nags Head…this seriously mimics it and may even be better (I used twice as much garlic and saved it from the colander to add to my post-peeled scrumptious shrimp!) Thanks so much for this recipe…glad Costco sells huge bottles of Old Bay as I’ll be doing this recipe on a regular basis as its so quick, easy & delicious!
That is such a HUGE compliment – thank you!! 🙂
Amazing recipe! Just like a bar we go to in Baltimore in my travels. I go there only for that reason!! Very nice!!
Thank you John! Glad to hear it 🙂
Amazing results. Thanks a bunch
Hi Alyssa, I used your recipe this past christmas eve. I used colossal ready cooked shrimp and left the tail on. I will never eat raw shrimp again after that. Thank You
Glad you liked it!! Happy New Year 🙂
I never heard of eating “RAW” shrimp. Not sure I would eat it raw and never knew anyone who would.
I do not see where raw shrimp is suggested for eating. Please do not eat raw shrimp, and re-read the posts. You may have misunderstood the instructions.
Thanks Debbie!
One thing we do in the south to take advantage of all those spices before cooking the shrimp we throw in sausage and mushrooms to Soak up some of the seasoning and keep that separated along with the corn and potatoes before the shrimp for those people that are shellfish allergic
I love that idea Joel!
Can you serve it hot and not chill it ?
You can Ed but it’s not nearly as good!
I’m trying to figure out cooking the shrimp without deveining. I thought that wasn’t possible. Why DON’T you need to devein?
Following this recipe at least 5 times, I have not de-veined the shrimp any of those times. There is nothing off-putting or anything that has made us ill. ?
It is true some say deveining makes shrimp tastes better but a large percentage of the world does not do this and says no difference – I think it is more the thought for “some” people that the black vein is shrimp poop which does not sound yummy – but many eat crab guts and all kinds of things – so let cultures and people make their own decisions. On stir fry shrinp my Asian friends eat them shell and all – they taught me. I got used to it and like it fine but how they are cooked is a factor.
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it tonight! Question–can I peel the shrimp before cooking? Not a huge deal, but I’d like it to be a little less messy to eat. (And if they’re already peeled I can eat them more quickly ?) Thanks in advance!
Hi Shannon – you can peel them but you get a much better flavor if you leave the peels on!
Thank you for recipe! I know you said you used thawed shrimp but can I use frozen shrimp? I have two lbs in the freezer and plan to make it this afternoon. Thanks again!
Hi Monica! Do you mean put the frozen shrimp directly into the boiling water? I wouldn’t suggest that as the shrimp will likely get overcooked. A quick thawing method is to take the frozen shrimp and put them in a colander and run cold water over them for 10 to 15 minutes. Then continue on with the recipe as written. Enjoy!
Thanks so much! Can’t wait to eat them! Doot!
YUM!!! So easy, so tasty, and fun to eat! My daughter says its a keeper!
Thanks for taking the time to let me know Gina! So glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
I made this last night.Wow, wonderful. I am a seafood snob and this reminded me of the Jersey shore, newspapers, and licking fingers. Thank you so much!
Love it Cathy!!! I grew up going to the Jersey shore as well so I totally hear you 🙂
Just got back from Galveston, TX with #20 of fresh shrimp of various sizes. This is the first thing we’ve done with them and it’s hard to beat. Thanks!!!!
20lbs of fresh gulf shrimp sounds amazing!!!! enjoy – that is the perfect way to eat them 🙂
I’m doing this shrimp thing as part of a surprise birthday party for my husband (and his 6 best friends). A total “boy food” event…you know, messy wings, meatballs and these delicious sounding shrimp. Can’t wait! And, yes, newspapers all over the table on the porch and paper plates. And a roll of paper towels. Thanks for the recipe!
Can my husband come? That sounds like an ideal party for him lol! Have fun!!!
Made this recipe last weekend and we LOVED it! I think I could’ve eaten all two pounds myself! haha 🙂 That was some serious self control…
Totally Sara – that is one of those dishes that NEVER has any left over!
Plan on making this for my wife tomorrow since she’s never had peel and eat shrimp. My mother used to make this for us as kids and I loved it. Did you both with de-veining the shrimp? I can’t remember if we did or not. Thanks!
Hi Jonny, Anytime I cook shrimp with the shells on, I don’t de-vein them. Enjoy!!
You didn’t specify whether to use thawed or frozen shrimp in this recipe? Please advise.
Hi Ellie, I used thawed Shrimp! Enjoy 🙂
I’ve never heard of outgrowing an allergy like that – amazing!!! These shrimp look just perfect. Love old bay!
I know – I had never heard of it either and was (happily) shocked and surprised!
I am curious as to the purpose of the vinegar in the mixture? I make Old Bay shrimp, but have never added vinegar. I like the idea of adding some Old Bay at the end of the cooking time to increase the flavor–haven’t tried that either, but I’m going to!
Hi Linda, The vinegar helps the shrimp peel easier and enhances the flavor. Definitely toss them with some extra Old Bay – it’s the best!
you had me at “shrimp”
yuuum
Right? Yum! Enjoy Carolina:)
One of my all time favorite appetizers or light meals. What a great boil recipe and cocktail sauce!
Me too Laura! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
OMG – I had no idea you could outgrow a shellfish allergy – Fantastic!
Isn’t that amazing and awesome! A whole new food world available for him!
I’m still hoping I outgrow my dog allergies but no such luck just yet. Thankfully, I have no food allergies! So I’m i the clear to make this!
Joanne – I hope you outgrow your dog allergy too! You never know! 🙂
These sound fabulous!!! And I love the recipe for the cocktail sauce.
Thanks Alison and thanks for stopping by!
Oh my gosh, YUM! I haven’t had this type of shrimp in years — and yes, now I’m totally in NEED of some, as well. How awesome that he outgrew that allergy – it’s like the clouds parted. Ha! Yum.
Seriously Heather – it’s like a whole new world for him! You need to make some 🙂