Shrimp boil foil packets
A campfire shrimp boil in foil: shrimp, smoked sausage, corn and potatoes in Old Bay butter with lemon. Canned potatoes keep it to 20 minutes.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Serves
- 4
- Per serve
- 520 kcal
Ingredients
Method
Start with a campfire that's already burned down to glowing, ash-covered coals (allow 30 to 45 minutes from lighting, so start it ahead) and set a grate about 4 inches above them. Aim for medium heat: you can hold your hand just above the grate for 5 to 6 seconds. Or heat a gas grill to medium with the lid closed for about 10 minutes while you prep.
Tear off four 18-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil. Stir the butter, Old Bay, garlic powder and lemon juice together in a cup (warm the butter by the fire if it's firm).
Divide the potatoes, corn and sausage between the sheets, then lay the shrimp on top in a single layer. Spoon over the seasoned butter. Fold the long sides together twice, then fold in the ends to seal, leaving space for steam.
Set the packets seam side up on the grate over medium coals (you can hold your hand just above the grate for 5 to 6 seconds before it's too hot). Cook without flipping (so the butter stays put) for 10 to 12 minutes.
Open one packet carefully (hot steam!) and check the shrimp: they should be pink and opaque all the way through (145°F) and curled into a loose C. If any are still gray, reseal and cook 2 minutes more. Squeeze lemon wedges over and eat from the foil.
Tips
- Food safety: pack the shrimp in a sealed bag at the bottom of the cooler on ice (40°F or below) and keep them there until you build the packets.
- Frozen corn cobettes are already blanched, so they just need heating; fresh corn cut into 1-inch rounds works too but needs 4 to 5 minutes more.
- Old Bay is gluten-free; sausages vary, so check the label (some use wheat fillers).
