Low Country Boil Recipe

A Low Country Boil (also known as Frogmore Stew)is perfect for feeding a crowd or a simple weeknight dinner! Packed with delicious shrimp, spicy sausage, corn cobs, and potatoes, this iconic dish can be made on the stovetop in just 30 minutes!

Have you visited Charleston, South Carolina? I was born there and there’s something magical about that area- majestic live oaks draped in Spanish moss, a slower pace of life, and don’t get me started on the food! Its very similar to where we live in south Georgia, I love it!

Love southern food? Check out my recipes for Shrimp and Grits, Southern Potato Salad, Collards, Hoppin’ John, and Boiled Peanuts!

Low Country eating is an art form and one of my very favorite regioinal dishes is a Low Country Boil.  Also called a Shrimp Boil or Frogmore Stew, a Low Country Boil is a hearty yet healthy and easy to make dinner that is perfect for serving a crowd! Give it a try and I guarantee you’ll be hooked!

What is a Low Country Boil?

The Low Country is the coastal area of South Carolina where this recipe originated.

The Low Country boil is a one-pot meal for the masses and was originally called Frogmore Stew.  Its origin is credited to Richard Gay, a National Guardsman who had the challenging job to cook a meal for over 100 soldiers and made the decision to utilize an old family recipe.  The meal was an instant hit!  The dish was named Frogmore for the town that Richard grew up in – as the soldiers would tease him about his hometown’s name.  Eventually, when the postal service eliminated the name Frogmore, the dish was renamed Low Country Boil. 

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I have also heard this recipe called Beaufort Boil or Beaufort stew. (Beaufort is a town in South Carolina just north of Georgia in between Charleston and Savannah, Georgia where we are located.)

Ingredients

• Andouille sausage
• red potatoes
• fresh corn
• yellow onion or sweet onions
• lemons
• Old Bay seasoning (or Zatarain crab boil seasoning)
• bay leaves
• peeled and deveined shrimp
• water or broth

Step by step

1. Chop your corn into halves and quarter the potatoes.
2. Slice sausage into 1″ pieces.
3. Throw all ingredients except the shrimp into a LARGE pot and boil for 10 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp and cook an additional 3 minutes or until they are bright pink and firm.

Tips for best results

• When making this recipe for large crowds, it’s convenient to cook in a large fryer and the basket makes draining very easy!
• Traditionally the Low Country Boil is drained and spread directly onto paper or a plastic tablecloth in the middle of the table for all to share with lots of paper towels.
• Adding extra potatoes can help extend extra helpings on a budget
• Leftovers refrigerate well for up to 3 days and can be served cold or reheated in the microwave
• some seafood boils add in crab legs, mussels, boiled eggs, crawfish, etc so don’t be afraid to experiment!
• too spicy? swap out the andouille sausage with kielbasa or another sausage

Serving suggestions

• serve with melted butter, lemon wedges, cocktail sauce, hot sauce, and/or salt and pepper if desired
• add a toasted baguette or cornbread/muffins to make the meal even more filling

I like to serve my Low Country Boil with corn muffins on the side to round out the menu.  My husband LOVES this meal by the way…he’s from Michigan and the first time I made it for him he said “They don’t make meals like this where I’m from!”

Have you tried a Low Country Shrimp Boil or Frogmore Stew? Have you visited the Low Country before? Let me know in the comments!

If you’ve tried this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!

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