This Whole30 shrimp boil is a super flavorful and easy dish that’s perfect for warmer weather. With tender shrimp, creamy potatoes, and Whole30 kielbasa, this Whole30 shrimp boil is such a great weekend dish or dinner any time you want to kick back and enjoy spring and summer! With a garlic ghee to take things to the next level, this Whole30 shrimp boil recipe is certain to become one of your favorites.
As soon as the warmer weather finally rolls around, I start to crave easier recipes. There’s one restriction, though:
They still have to be positively jam-packed with flavor.
Growing up, we didn’t do “shrimp boils.” I was, sort of, raised in the South, but not exactly by true Southern parents. It wasn’t until I moved to Alabama for college that I was introduced to the cultural event, the shrimp or crawfish or crab boil, made into a thing to do, not just a dish.
And that was that. Done, alright, boom boom over. The shrimp boil will forever be in our rotation of spring and summer dishes, tossing tender Old Bay-spiked shrimp, smoky sausage, and creamy potatoes with a garlic ghee or clarified butter and eating everything over newspaper. There’s something so casual about it but so dang easy, I knew I had to make a Whole30 version. Because, uh, what’s better than an easy, quick, casual, delicious, and comforting dish on a Whole30? Nothing. Literally nothing.
This Whole30 shrimp boil is just that: easy, quick, and simple. The ingredients are pretty clear: what you see is what you get. Boil a pot of water with a couple lemons and lots of Old Bay then drop in potatoes, onions, kielbasa, and shrimp. Drain it all and toss with a garlic ghee, which, OK, is admittedly a fancy little twist on standard clarified butter but so worth it. Sprinkle with more Old Bay and throw it all on newspaper. Invite your friends and show ’em what it’s like to eat healthy. You martyr you!
We love this Whole30 shrimp boil for a couple little extras that make it stand out from a back-of-the-box shrimp boil: of course, we leave out the beer and the corn to make it Whole30-compliant, upgrading the flavor with plenty of fresh lemons to add a bit of tangy perfection. After that, we infused the ghee with fresh garlic to add even more flavor to the shrimp, potatoes, and sausage.
If you’re strictly paleo and don’t eat potatoes, you could substitute large cauliflower florets, though you’ll want to add those in around the same time as the kielbasa. Or try celery root chunks, but those will need to boil for a total of 25-30 minutes. The great thing about the Whole30 shrimp boil is that, so long as you only cook the shrimp for the last couple minutes, the dish is super versatile and forgiving.
You can use pre-made garlic ghee, too! I am a massive fan of 4th and Heart products, and their California Garlic Grass-Fed Ghee would be positively amazing here, cutting down the already minimal steps, too. Try it!
Whole30 Shrimp Boil with Sausage, Potatoes, and Garlic Ghee (Paleo)
Ingredients
- 2 quarts water 8 cups
- 3 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt plus more to taste
- 1 lemon halved
- 1/4 Vidalia onion sliced
- 3/4 pound small red potatoes
- 1/2 lb. Whole30-approved kielbasa like Pederson's, sliced into about 1/2" slices
- 1 pound large shrimp unpeeled
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1 tsp. finely minced garlic
Instructions
- Make garlic ghee: Heat ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and a couple big pinches of a salt and reduce heat to low. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, then immediately remove from heat. Pour garlic ghee through a mesh sieve, if you prefer, then set aside.
- Bring water to boil in a large stock pot. Add Old Bay and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Juice lemons into pot then add lemon halves to pot. Add potatoes and onions; boil for 11 minutes.
- Add kielbasa; boil for 5 minutes.
- Make sure potatoes are very tender before continuing. When very tender, add shrimp; boil 2 minutes. Drain immediately then transfer contents to large bowl. Pour garlic ghee over and toss to coat.
Notes
Nutrition
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
Kristin says
This was another hit that I’ve tried from this website. I should have doubled it for my fam of 5 that includes 3 teenagers, as we could have eaten more, or wish we had leftovers!! One of us said we had enough shrimp, but would have liked more sausage, so next time I will add a little more sausage. I also forgot to buy Old Bay, so I looked up a recipe to make my own, which worked out well.
Amy says
Fantastic paleo shrimp boil recipe. I doubled the recipe to feed a crowd and added green beans to the potatoes and onions, since green beans boil well. Since I was cooking for a non-paleo group, I also boiled some corn on the cobb in a second pot and served it separately along with the shrimp boil. Thanks for a simple recipe that makes a quick and easy meal for entertaining!
Cheryl Malik says
Yummy, Amy! That sounds like a party!