Onion Boil Cajun Shrimp Sausage (Printable)

A Southern classic blending shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn, and onions with bold Cajun spices for a flavorful boil.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 2 lbs large raw shrimp, shell-on, deveined

→ Meats

02 - 1 lb andouille sausage or smoked sausage, sliced into 1-inch pieces

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 large yellow onions, quartered
04 - 4 ears corn, cut into thirds
05 - 1.5 lbs small red potatoes, halved

→ Seasoning & Aromatics

06 - 4 cloves garlic, smashed
07 - 1 lemon, halved
08 - 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning
09 - 2 bay leaves
10 - 1 tbsp kosher salt
11 - 1 tsp black peppercorns

→ To Serve

12 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
13 - Fresh parsley, chopped
14 - Lemon wedges

# Directions:

01 - Fill a large stockpot with 4 quarts of water. Add quartered onions, smashed garlic, lemon halves (squeeze juice into water and drop halves in), Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, kosher salt, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat.
02 - Add halved red potatoes and cook for 15 minutes until just beginning to soften.
03 - Add corn pieces and sliced sausage to the pot. Boil for 10 additional minutes.
04 - Add shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp turn pink and are just cooked through.
05 - Drain the entire mixture through a large colander. Discard bay leaves and lemon halves. Spread mixture on a newspaper-lined table or large serving platter. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pot, so cleanup feels almost criminal after such a feast.
  • The shrimp stays tender while the sausage gets slightly caramelized, and somehow they both taste better together than apart.
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring you to be a skilled cook, just someone willing to let good ingredients do the work.
02 -
  • Don't let the shrimp sit in hot water for more than 4 minutes or they seize up tight and taste like rubber, so set a timer and mean it.
  • Taste the broth after adding seasonings but before the potatoes—this is your moment to adjust salt or spice, and it changes everything downstream.
  • The newspaper-lined table is not just tradition, it's practical genius that makes cleanup take five minutes instead of thirty.
03 -
  • Squeeze fresh lemon juice directly onto your serving before digging in—it brightens everything and makes the Cajun spice sing instead of just sitting heavy.
  • Chill a light beer or pour a crisp white wine beforehand, because that first cold sip against the hot, spicy food is when the meal truly clicks into place.
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