Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil

Ingredients

• 1 onion (cut in wedges)
• 1.5 lb baby red potatoes (halved)
• 8 cloves garlic
• salt (to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 lemon (large, cut in half)
• 0.25 cup seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay, divided)
• 2 tbsp hot sauce (such as Crystal, plus more to taste if desired)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 0.75 cup water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2.5 ears corn (cut in 2 inch-thick rounds)
• 1 lb smoked sausage (cut in 1 inch pieces)
• 0.75 cup butter (divided)
• 2 lb unpeeled shrimp
• fresh parsley (chopped, for serving (optional))
• cocktail sauce (for serving)
• lemon wedges (for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the onion wedges, halved baby red potatoes, and garlic cloves in the bottom of a slow cooker.

2. 2

   Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

3. 3

   Squeeze the lemon halves over the potatoes, then add the lemon halves into the slow cooker if desired.

4. 4

   Add 3 tablespoons of the seafood seasoning (Old Bay), the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and water to the slow cooker and stir to combine.

5. 5

   Add the bay leaves, cover the slow cooker, and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours on High or 2 1/2 hours on Low.

6. 6

   Uncover the slow cooker and remove the lemon halves if you added them earlier.

7. 7

   Add the smoked sausage pieces and corn rounds to the slow cooker.

8. 8

   Top the mixture with 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter.

9. 9

   Cover and cook for another 2 hours on High or 4 hours on Low, or until the potatoes are tender.

10. 10

    Stir in the unpeeled shrimp and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of butter.

11. 11

    Cover and cook on High for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through and everything is heated.

12. 12

    Serve the shrimp boil topped with chopped fresh parsley, accompanied by lemon wedges and cocktail sauce.

Notes

Using unpeeled shrimp helps protect the delicate meat from overcooking in the slow cooker and adds more flavor to the broth. If you prefer a spicier boil, increase the amount of hot sauce or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Nutrition per serving

• main dish
• slow cooker
• seafood
• shrimp
• summer
• one-pot
• dinner