Shrimp Boil Foil Packets in Oven

Original post date: March 31, 2020

Post Updated: May 20, 2022

Cajun shrimp boil foil packets in the oven are the perfect weeknight meal! Plump shrimp and sausage baked in foil, filled with corn, potatoes and fresh herbs baked in a garlic butter sauce. This seafood boil style meal requires little prep and ready in under one hour!

If you enjoy recipes with shrimp, you will certainly love Jerk Shrimp Sliders Mini New England Shrimp Rolls or Dragon Roll Sushi Bowls!

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WHY A SHRIMP BOIL?

In the first place, if you have made it to this recipe, you definitely love shrimp! With that said, this recipe is the ultimate meal for shrimp lovers who enjoy a good seafood boil. Filled with shrimp and sausage as the base, this healthy shrimp foil packets are perfect for many occasions.

Overall, this recipe is perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep or even a fun weekend project if you're wanting to entertain! In reality, everyone can join in on creating this tasty meal and it is enjoyable to prepare.

This recipe is cost effective but still provides the flavors of a traditional seafood foil packet or boil that may include snow or king crab legs.

FRESH OR FROZEN SHRIMP?

For this recipe, either frozen or fresh shrimp will work. With that said, use what you can get access to! With this in mind, you will also have to decide if you will purchase shrimp with the shell on off, with or without the tail.

This step is optional also, but I kept the tail and shell on as a personal preference. It results in a bit more work but the flavor is enjoyable. All in all, purchase the type of shrimp that you prefer. Just make certain the shrimp is not previously cooked!

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CAJUN SHRIMP PACKET SEASONINGS

The shrimp boil foil packets in the oven are baked in a Cajun-garlic seasoning sauce. There are hints of garlic, spicy, smoky, citrusy, aromatic and buttery flavors.

Here are in the flavor and seasoning ingredients needed to season the shrimp foil packets in the oven.

1. Old Bay Seasoning- This is one my favorite Cajun style seasonings. The seasoning blend has enough spices to stand on its own but in this recipe, we will add a few more layers of flavor.
2. Lemon Pepper Seasoning- Citrus flavors pair well with seafood, this seasoning adds a pleasing tart twist to the seasoning blend and sauce.
3. Garlic and Herb Butter- This premade butter is used to season the shrimp foil packets for baking. An additional garlic butter sauce will be prepared that is optional, stay tuned!
4. Lemon Slices- Fresh lemon slices are added on top of the shrimp foil packets.

GARLIC BUTTER SEAFOOD SAUCE

This step is certainly optional but if you are sauce lover like me, enjoy creating the additional garlic sauce used to dip the ingredients in! This will be prepared as the shrimp foil packets bake in the oven.

Here are the ingredients needed:

1. Unsalted Butter- Unsalted or salted butter will work, since there are additional seasonings that have salt in them, unsalted will work better.
2. Garlic- Minced or garlic paste will work. Make sure the garlic is minced small enough to make the sauce as smooth as possible.
3. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes- This step is optional if you want to omit the spice. The red pepper flakes certainly add a pleasing spice to this dish.
4. Lemon Juice-As mentioned earlier, citrus is a great ingredient to add to any seafood dish. This helps to bring out the flavors of the shrimp and additional flavors.
5. Fresh Parsley- The aromatic notes from the fresh parsley seal the deal for this sauce and certainly makes the dish appear aesthetically pleasing.

SEAFOOD AND ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS

1. Shrimp-As mentioned, shell on or off is fine. Make certain the shrimp are at least medium to large sized.
2. Sausage- Cajun style sausage will work great with this recipe. Andouille, beef smoked sausage or spicy sausage will work best.
3. Potatoes- Any potato will work. Make sure to read the tips and tricks section for the optimal way to prep the potatoes.
4. Corn-Corn on the cobb sliced into smaller pieces work best for consuming purposes. Fresh or frozen is fine, the important piece is slicing the corn into edible pieces.
5. Broccoli- Add your favorite green veggie broccoli withstands best with this recipe and will still produce great crunch. The broccoli also tastes well with the additional ingredients and garlic butter sauce.

WHAT TO SERVE SHRIMP BOIL FOIL PACKETS WITH

With the ingredients included in this recipe, you certainly do not have to serve anything additional with this recipe. In other words, this recipe provides an ingredient from all the major food groups! Protein, starch and vegetable.

However, you can certainly add additional items to make this recipe even more enjoyable! Here are a few items that can be served in addition to the seafood packets.

1. Noodles- Boil a packet of ramen or spaghetti noodles as the shrimp bakes in the oven and serve alongside this dish. The sauce is the perfect topping to season the noodles.
2. Crusty Bread- Nothing better than having warm crusty bread to dip the sauce and juices of this foil packet in.
3. Additional Sauteed Veggies- Bring on the veggies and keep this recipe fairly clean. Broccoli is added in this recipe but sauté onions, zucchini, bell peppers, asparagus or your favorite vegetables!

HOW TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

First, prep all the ingredients and vegetables by slicing the sausage, potatoes, and lemon slices. Next, roughly chop the potatoes into bite sized pieces. Clean and roughly chop the broccoli florets into smaller pieces. Lastly, slice the butter evenly to be able to spread into each foil packet.

Now is the time to prepare the foil packets. Begin by dividing all ingredients into two or three packets. On a baking sheet, use one or two sheets of aluminum foil to build the base for the packets. Place the potatoes, corn, sausage, shrimp and broccoli on to the bottom of the foil.

After the ingredients are added to the bottom of the foil packets, pour the Cajun shrimp packet seasonings over each packet. Finally, top the foil packets with the sliced butter and add one or two sheets of aluminum foil to create the top of the packets.

Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender, the additional ingredients will certainly be cooked through!

It is important to realize when opening the packets to be careful as the steam will escape producing a very hot steam. Using tongs or oven mitts will be most appropriate.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BEST RESULTS

1. As mentioned earlier, slicing the potatoes into smaller pieces cuts down on baking time. With that said, purchasing small, fingerling potatoes work too. All in all, slice the potatoes into bite sized pieces.
2. Use a durable knife to slice the corn on the cobb into smaller pieces. This helps with creating the seafood packets and ensuring the ingredients can be easily consumed.
3. Good quality aluminum foil will make certain these packets are durable. If you only have the "regular" aluminum foil, double the sheets and it will produce the same effect.
4. Layer the ingredients appropriately will ensure of even cooking. Do not throw the ingredients onto the foil. Carefully stack the ingredients beginning with the potatoes (who will need the most cooking time). Then, add the corn, sausage, broccoli and shrimp.

If you enjoy recipes with shrimp, you will certainly love:

Jerk Shrimp Sliders

Mini New England Shrimp Rolls

Dragon Roll Sushi Bowls