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You can make this beautiful low country boil in your Instant Pot in a couple minutes and for a fraction of the price you’d pay in a restaurant. Feel free to add additional seafood like crab or crawfish!

What is a low country boil?
The low country boil lies at the heart of Southern culture. “Lowcountry” is actually a place: the whole southern coastal region of South Carolina.

This recipe is featured in my new cookbook, Cooking for One.
What is frogmore stew?
Deep within that lowcountry is a small fishing town called Frogmore—that’s the home of the low country boil, and the reason it’s also called “Frogmore Stew.”
At its bones, a classic low country boil is a fragrant mix of fresh summer corn, new potatoes, sausage, and shrimp. Often, locals might throw in crab legs or crayfish (also called crawfish) if they’re in season, so feel free to do so as well!
A country shrimp boil is another term for a low country boil, but (as the name implies) it’s made exclusively with shrimp.
If this recipe has you craving moer shellfish, check out my recipe for Instant Pot Crab Legs and Instant Pot Lobster Tails!

How to make a low country boil in an Instant Pot
It’s hard to go wrong with a low country boil—especially in an Instant Pot. First, you’ll add the corn, potatoes, and sausage and let them cook for three minutes.
After that has completed pressure cooking, you’ll add the shrimp at the end and let it steam so that it doesn’t overcook.

If you have room, you can even add some Instant Pot crab legs to your pot and let them steam. Since I usually have a lot of crab, I’ll prepare it separately in my 8 quart Instant Pot.
That’s it! I usually find that my 6 quart Instant pot works perfectly.
Which kind of potatoes to use in an Instant Pot low country boil?
New or red potatoes are traditional for a low country boil. If you can’t find those, grab some red potatoes. Failing those, you can use golden potatoes.
If you like potatoes in a low country boil, you’ll love my Instant Pot Salt Potato recipe!

What size shrimp work best? Fresh or frozen?
For convenience, I like to use fresh or frozen extra large or jumbo shrimp. They’re already cleaned, shelled, and deveined.
If you want to go a fully traditional route, look for Gulf shrimp and throw them into the Instant Pot whole. Part of the low country experience is to shell them at the table with family and friends.
How to serve an Instant Pot low country boil
A low country boil is a meal meant to be enjoyed by a crowd. Grab your family, or if you’re in the mood for a bigger party, grab your 8 quart Instant Pot and throw a low country boil for all of your friends.

If you’re going for authentic low country fun, don’t even think about setting a table. Grab some napkins and paper plates, cover a whole table in cardboard or newspapers, and pile the drained boil right there in the center. It’s helpful to have some tongs as well.
I purchased this fun low country boil kit from Amazon that included a tablecloth, butter dishes, crab crackers, bibs, and other crab tools. It was a really fun way to enjoy this Instant Pot low country boil.
I love to eat outside on our patio table with lots of melted butter for dipping, extra spices, lemon wedges, and a healthy dose of summer sun.

What goes with a low country boil?
- Instant Pot Broccoli + FAQ
- Perfectly cut and cubed watermelon
- Instant Pot Green Beans
- Fresh Pineapple Ginger Lemonade
- Instant Pot Cheesecake
- Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
- Instant Pot Salmon

About the Author
About Lisa

Lisa Childs is the food blogger behind Tried, Tested, and True. Join the hundreds of thousands of people each month that learn from Lisa-
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Instant Pot Low Country Boil
You can make this beautiful shrimp boil in the Instant Pot® in a couple minutes and for a fraction of the price you'd pay in a restaurant. If you want to add additional seafood like crab or crayfish, add them to the Instant Pot® at the same time as the shrimp with the same cook time.
Ingredients
- 3 ears corn, cut in half
- 4-6 Red potatoes, quartered
- One large sweet onion, cut into 8ths
- 4 links andouille sausage, cut into 4 pieces on the bias
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 lemon, plus extra for serving
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning, plus extra for serving
- 4 cups extra large raw shrimp (shelled and deveined is easier, but whatever your preference is)
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- Chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add the trivet to the Instant Pot.
- Place corn, potatoes, sausage, and onion in the Instant Pot®, then pour the chicken broth and minced garlic over everything.
- Squeeze the lemon juice over everything, add place the lemon rind in the pot.
- Sprinkle the Old Bay seasoning over all the ingredients.
- Close the lid, turn the knob to Sealing.
- Press Manual or Pressure Cook button and adjust time to 3 minutes.
- When the timer beeps, turn the knob from sealing to venting, then remove the lid.
- Add in the shrimp, stir, then immediately replace the lid and wait 5-8 minutes.
- To serve, carefully dump the contents of the pot into a large serving bowl or platter. Make sure to pour the liquid from the pot over the low country boil. Serve with a side of butter, lemons, extra Old Bay seasoning to taste, and a sprinkle of parsley.
Notes
For convenience, I use frozen shrimp that has already been shelled and cleaned for me. However, you may use fresh shrimp (shelled or unshelled and cook for the same amount of time.
You may also add your favorite seafood to this dish such as crawfish, clams, lobster, etc. I like serving this with crab, but it often doesn't fit into the Instant Pot together. I usually cook the crab in a separate Instant Pot- you can use my recipe for Instant Pot Crab.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 670Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 249mgSodium: 2148mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 7gSugar: 10gProtein: 34g
Anne
Saturday 8th of January 2022
I followed all of the instructions except for the shrimp bit. When I turned the knob from sealing to venting, I couldn't open the lid until all of the pressure was released. So that left me with nothing to cook the frozen shrimp. I'm new to the Instant Pot, so is there an in-between step that I missed?
Lisa Childs
Monday 7th of March 2022
Nope, after you release all the steam from the Instant Pot to be able to open it, there's still plenty of residual heat to cook through the shrimp in just a couple of minutes. You just need to quickly add the shrimp and close the lid. Even if you don't do it super quickly, the KEEP WARM button keeps the pot incredibly warm and will help cook the shrimp through! If that doesn't work, add the shrimp and pressure cook for 0 minutes.
Jen
Thursday 16th of September 2021
Hi! If I double the recipe, should I double the chicken broth or extend the cooking time? Thank you!
Lisa Childs
Monday 7th of March 2022
Hello! I would keep the liquid the same and extend the cooking time just a couple of minutes, 2-4.
Jennifer
Tuesday 20th of April 2021
1 teaspoon garlic... Is that garlic powder, salt, minced or what? Thanks.
Lisa Childs
Friday 20th of August 2021
Thanks for catching that- we've updated the recipe to minced garlic. You may use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder if you'd like.