Shrimp Boil Bag Recipe

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Last Updated on September 26, 2025 by Toya

Weekends are made for seafood boils in my home! And the latest one I made is this easy shrimp boil bag recipe. It’s simple to put together, unbelievably mouthwatering, and the best part—there is hardly any mess to clean up afterward. Which is a win, win, win!

I love this recipe so much because everything cooks together in one bag with all the garlic butter and seasonings, so the shrimp, corn, sausage, and potatoes soak up tons of flavor and I just toss the bags out afterwards! Also, I like that I could make one or 2 big family-style bags or portion this out into 4 or 6 smaller bags for individual servings. Either way, it’s the easiest way to enjoy a seafood boil right now!

What is a shrimp Boil Bag?

A shrimp boil bag is an easy, no-mess way to enjoy a shrimp boil recipe at home. Instead of hauling out a giant pot, you just add the shrimp, sausage, corn, potatoes (and even boiled eggs if you like), along with all the seasonings and garlic butter, into a heat-safe oven bag. Then pop it in the oven, and everything cooks together making cleanup so much easier!

Ingredients

For Shrimp Boil:

• 2 pounds large jumbo shrimp
• 1 pound smoked sausage
• 4 ears of corn, cut in half or thirds
• 1 pound small potatoes, cut in half
• 6 hard boiled eggs
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup old bay seasoning (this is the one I use)
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
• ½ large onion, chopped
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 lemons, for serving

For Butter Sauce:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 8 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
• ½ large onion, chopped
• ½ cup seafood broth (or beer, or water)
• 1 ½ tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional for heat
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Salt, to taste

How to Make Shrimp Boil in a Bag

Start by boiling water in a medium sized pot.

Then start chopping the veggies. Chop the ears of corn into halves or thirds, and set them aside. Also, chop the sausages into 1 – 2 inch pieces, and set them aside as well. After that, chop the potatoes (with skin) in half, and set these aside.

Then start to precook the food. The corn needs to be precooked in that boiling water for 5-7 minutes, and then set them aside.

Precook the potatoes and eggs in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until they are almost cooked through, and then set them aside to cool.

Then grab a skillet and add a tablespoon or so of cooking oil along with the chopped sausages and cook, for about 2 minutes and set this aside.

Then preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

At this point, you will grab a small saucepan, and melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for a few minutes or until translucent. Then add the minced garlic to the pan and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Then add the Old Bay seasoning and the chopped parsely and simmer for a few minutes before turning off.

Now, it’s time to assemble the shrimp boil in oven bags.

Grab your favorite oven bags. I’m using these 20×24 inch large oven bags that I keep on hand, but you can use any oven bag that you have available.

Then add the precooked corn, potatoes, sausages and eggs (peeled or otherwise) to the bag. Pour the butter mixture over the top of the contents, and toss everything together until all ingredients are evenly coated.

Then squeeze some of the air out of the bag and seal it shut so the food cooks properly. Place the shrimp boil bags in a large, deep roasting pan.

Recipe Note:
I used two large 20×24 inch oven bags for the full recipe (serves 4–6). Each one can comfortably hold food for 2–3 people. If you prefer, you can use smaller oven bags and divide the seafood, corn, potatoes, sausage etc evenly between them before baking. More information on this below.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until everything is cooked through and tender. Once the bag is out of the oven, carefully open it up and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top. Serve the shrimp boil in a bag on a large platter, garnished with fresh lemon wedges and chopped parsley.

This recipe is perfect for a family meal or gathering with friends. It’s simple to make and perfect for those who love shrimp boils. The buttery old bay sauce gives the recipe a deliciously rich flavor straight from the bag!

If you want to make it, here is some more important tips that can come handy.

What Size Oven Bags to Use

I used large 20×24 inch roasting/oven bags, each serving 2–3 people and poured them out on a large platter. I get mine from amazon.

However, if you prefer individual servings, you can use small roasting/oven bags in the 1–2 quart capacity range (about 10×15 to 12×18 inches each). That size gives enough room for steam to circulate and for the food to cook.

How to portion per single-serve bag (from your 4–6 serving boil)

• Shrimp: ~½ lb
• Sausage: ~3–4 oz (a generous handful of slices)
• Corn: ½–1 ear (cut into pieces)
• Potatoes: ~¼ lb (parboiled if you want faster cook time)
• Eggs: 1
• Sauce: ⅓–½ cup garlic-butter sauce + a lemon wedge

Bag tips

• Don’t fill past ½ full—leave space for steam.
• Add a tiny vent slit at the top, then tie with the provided tie or a knot.
• Set all bags on a sheet pan to catch any juices that may spill.
• Cooking time stays similar; start checking a few minutes earlier since smaller portions heat faster.

If you can’t find small oven bags, heavy-duty foil packets (double-layered) work great for single servings too.

Extra Garlic Butter Sauce For Serving!

Finally, if you want a seperate dipping sauce for this shrimp boil recipe, you can grab the small saucepan from earlier to make a seperate dipping sauce with the garlic butter sauce ingredients above.

Melt the butter over medium-low heat, then add the 1/2 chopped onion and minced garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant (don’t let these brown). Then stir in Old Bay, smoked paprika, and cayenne and let this simmer gently for another minute.

Then add the ½ cup seafood broth (or beer, or water) and simmer for about 2 minutes. Then finally add the lemon juice and parsley, and taste. Adjust the salt if needed.

Remove the sauce from heat and pour over your shrimp boil or serve in small bowls for dipping. That’s it! A mouthwatering shrimp boil recipe in a bag with very little mess!