Campfire Shrimp Boil

Mussel, shrimp, corn, and potato mixture cooked in Dutch oven.

5 from 1 vote

This campfire shrimp boil features mussels, shrimp, corn, and potatoes cooked with beer in a Dutch oven! It’s a fancy outdoor meal ready in less than 30 minutes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: people

Calories: 575kcal

Author: Sarah Trenalone

Equipment

12-inch cast-iron Dutch oven
parchment paper dutch oven liners
serving spoon
plates or bowls
napkins
forks

Ingredients

12-ounce can beer (pale ale recommended), use gluten-free beer if needed Or use white wine or broth
12 ounces baby potatoes (~10 potatoes) (Optionally use 4-6 small red new potatoes between 1 and 1-½ inches in diameter, quartered)
½ yellow or sweet onion, peeled + cut into wedges
1 lemon, cut into thick slices
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
½ teaspoon sea salt, divided
2 corn on the cob, shucked + halved Or use frozen corn on the cob (if frozen cobs are halved, use 4 halves)
4 ounces shrimp, shells removed and deveined, tails on or off as desired
1 pound mussels (live, cleaned with beards removed; or frozen, pre-cooked) Alternatively, use live clams (rinsed + scrubbed) or use all shrimp (double amount)
2 tablespoons butter or ghee, plus more for serving if desired
Cocktail sauce (to serve)

Instructions

Prepare campfire: Heat coals until they are very hot, or let a campfire burn down until the wood is smoldering but without active flames.
Line the Dutch oven with a parchment paper liner (to prevent the food from sticking to the pot).
Add potatoes, beer, onion, lemon, Old Bay and salt to the Dutch oven.
Cover the pot and place on the coals. Cook about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to soften.
Remove oven from heat and add the corn, shrimp, mussels and butter.
Cover the oven, place back on the coals, and cook about 5 more minutes (or 10 more minutes if your seafood was frozen), or until the shrimp is opaque and the mussels are opened.
(Discard any mussels that don’t open.)
Remove from heat, and scoop seafood mixture onto plates or bowls. Make sure to add some of the broth from the oven onto each serving.
Serve along with extra butter, cocktail sauce and plenty of napkins.

Notes

Serving a crowd: The recipe is easily doubled. If doubling, there is no need to double the beer.

Prep Ahead at Home:

If desired, par-boil the potatoes for about 8 minutes before leaving your home. Store them chilled for up to 2 days. If using par-boiled potatoes, you can add all the ingredients to the Dutch oven at the same time, and reduce total cook time to about 10 minutes.
Par-boil and freeze the corn on the cob, or use prepared frozen corn on the cob.
Peel and cut the onion ahead of time. Add the onion to a bag along with the spice mix and salt and store for up to 10 days (or freeze and store up to 8 months).

Nutrition