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How to Cook Cajun Shrimp Boil in a Dutch Oven

Add a traditional cajun meal to your next camping trip!

By: Alex E + Save to a List

A shrimp boil foil packet is an old Cajun recipe people have been enjoying for years. Now that easy recipe can be enjoyed by you while camping. This is a very easy dutch oven meal that requires very little clean up. Break out the old dutch oven and make a dinner that will impress all your friends. This meal takes about 2-3 hours with wood prep/cooking and serves 4 people.

Step One

Buy all your ingredients and prep your fire. You want a good bed of coals that will last you for over an hour of cooking. Low and slow is important for this recipe. If you are working with others to make dinner, you can get your fire and coals started while your friends run to the store. The sooner you start your fire and get plenty of hot coals to cook with, the sooner everyone can eat. You can follow my recipe, or change it up and make a recipe that is more your style. This is the recipe I have made my own, however feel free to try out your own variations. The entire process should only take about 3 hours. Cooking time should only take about 45 minutes to an hour.

Ingredients and Gear:

  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled
  • 1 pound/package smoked andouille sausage
  • 2 ears of corn, each cut crosswise into 4 pieces
  • 1 pound baby red potatoes, halved (any potatoes work, the smaller pieces cook faster)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Crystal Hot Sauce to taste
  • Tony Chacheres Cajun Seasoning to taste
  • Chopped bacon or crumbled bacon for salads
  • 1/2 chopped onions
  • Whole garlic cloves (they will roast and taste amazing)
  • Chopped or whole mushrooms (your preference)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 12 quart dutch oven
  • Serving spoon
  • Knife
  • Gloves
  • Cutting board
  • Heavy duty aluminum foil

Step Two

Prep all your ingredients. Peel your shrimp. Chop your onions, mushrooms, potatoes and sausage. Cut your two pieces of corn into halves. Break the garlic into cloves but don't peel. Precook bacon or use crumbled bacon for salads. Once you have a good bed of coals, (about an hour or two) you will be ready to cook. Lightly oil your dutch oven by wiping it with a paper towel. Lightly butter your corn.


Step Three

Cut four sheets of aluminum foil about 20 inches long. Pour some olive oil and 1 tblsp of butter on the bottom. Divide your sausage, corn, potatoes, onions, garlic and shrimp into four equal portions and place on the center of the aluminum foil. Season your ingredients with Tony Chachere's, Crystal Hot Sauce, another drizzle of olive oil, another 1 tblsp of butter and some bacon crumbles.

Step Four

Fold up all four sides and close each foil packet completely to keep in the moisture. Place each packet evenly in the dutch oven. With the heavy duty aluminum foil, the packets are pretty resilient, and you can kinda smash them into the dutch oven if the fit is a little tight. Just make sure the oil and butter isn't going to run out of the packet as it cooks.
 

Step Five

Cover the dutch oven, place on top of your bed of coals and cook for 45 minutes to an hour. After about 5-10 minutes, check one of the packets and make sure its not too hot. You want the packets to cook low and slow so the bottoms don't burn. It will be better for the packets to take an hour and a half to cook instead of burning them up trying to cook them in 30 minutes.


Step Six

Try not to check your packets too often after the initial check. Around 40-45 minutes check the packets. A good indication that your packets are ready are when the potatoes and corn are soft and juicy. The potatoes will easy slice or crumble with a fork.


Step Seven

Throw some fresh basil on top for flavor and garnish. Pour the packets onto a plate or eat right off the foil for an easy clean up. Serve and enjoy an amazing dutch oven camping meal everyone will love.

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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