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Classic low country boils bring together seafood, veggies, and Old Bay seasoning for a delicious one-pot meal that’s great to feed a crowd. Our easy Instant Pot crab and shrimp boil recipe makes it easy to prepare this coastal food favorite in under 30 minutes!
It’s easy to enjoy a taste of oceanside dining wherever you live with this Instant Pot crab and shrimp boil recipe!
This low country boil recipe features smoky, savory and vibrant Old Bay seasoning for seriously bold flavor. It also includes smoked sausage and a few vegetables to make it a hearty all-in-one meal… Everything is snuggled together in the pressure cooker, so there is no need to work in batches! (You have to love one-pot dinners that only use the pot once, amirite?.)
The seafood and veggies cook for just a few minutes in the Instant Pot before you do a quick release. So even with the time it takes for the pressure to build inside the appliance, the shrimp and crab boil steams and is ready to serve in less than 20 minutes. It is so fresh and flavorful – and effortless! – you’ll be making this traditional summer recipe all year round!
Recipe ingredients
Shrimp. Fresh or previously frozen and thawed. To thaw, place the frozen shrimp in a colander set in a pan to catch the moisture. Keep in the fridge overnight. Or quickly thaw by running cool water over the frozen shrimp in a colander. Peel and devein the shrimp before cooking.
Crab legs. Snow crab legs fit well in a standard-size Instant Pot, and are chockfull of moist and tender meat. 1 pound of legs will be roughly 2-3 clusters, or 7-10 crab legs. You can also use Dungeness crab.
Red potatoes. Leave the skin on to protect the potatoes from becoming mushy in the pressure cooker. Red potato skins are also brimming with nutrients – and taste good, too! Choose potatoes that are uniform in size.
Corn. Purchase fresh corn to shuck, or prepped ears that have already been shucked and cleaned to save yourself some time.
Smoked sausage. Your choice of pork or chicken sausage, and your preferred flavor. I recommend andouille sausage, either mild or spicy.
Onion. Yellow onions are sweeter, while white onions tend to have more of a sharp bite. Use whichever you prefer!
Garlic. Freshly mince the garlic cloves for the strongest flavor.
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Old Bay seasoning. This classic seafood seasoning blend includes paprika, celery salt, mustard powder, cinnamon, and pepper.
Lemon. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens the dish and cuts the “fishy” taste of shrimp and crab.
What to serve with seafood boil
Butter. Your choice of unsalted or salted. The butter is melted and served as a luscious dipping sauce for the cooked shrimp and crab.
Parsley. A sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley is a refreshing garnish.
Fried comfort foods. The freshness of the veggies and seafood make this dish great to pair with heavier fried foods! Enjoy with fried okra, onion rings, fried green tomatoes, or fried zucchini. Or any fried vegetables you like!
Southern dishes. Pair Instant Pot crab and shrimp boil with Carolina classics like collard greens, baked beans, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, corn bread or hushpuppies.
Frequently asked questions
Different versions of an American seafood boil can be found primarily on the east coast and Louisiana, where they use Cajun seasoning in the recipe.
This Instant Pot crab and shrimp boil is northeast and southern-style, (also called Carolina and Low Country-style) made with Old Bay seasoning.
Yes, you can make this recipe with frozen shrimp. But I suggest using shrimps that are already peeled and deveined. Add 2 minutes to the recommended cooking time.
Swap Old Bay seasoning with Cajun or spicy Creole seasoning to make this a Louisiana-style recipe.
More Instant pot recipes:
- Instant pot smoked turkey legs
- Instant pot turkey stew
- Instant pot pork steaks
- Instant pot turkey congee
Hope you will like this Instant pot crab and shrimp boil recipe as much as we do. Rate the recipe if you made it and leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.
Instant pot crab and shrimp boil
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 lb crab legs
- 4 red potatoes halved
- 4 ears of corn halved
- 1 lb smoked sausage sliced
- 1 large onion quartered
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 lemon quartered quartered
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup butter melted, for serving
- Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Add 4 cups of water and 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning to the Instant Pot. Place the trivet in.
- Add onion, garlic, potatoes, sausage, and corn. Place crab legs and shrimp on top. Sprinkle remaining Old Bay seasoning and squeeze the lemon over.
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual/Pressure Cook for 4 minutes.
- Do a quick release, remove the food, drizzle with melted butter, garnish with parsley, and serve.