This Authentic Frogmore Stew or Low Country Boil Recipe is a wonderful one-pot seafood crowdpleaser packed with shrimp, crab, sausage, corn, beer, citrus flavors, and spices galore! Serve this for a fun summer party and bring all of your guests to Georgia or South Carolina for the evening!
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The Heart and Soul of the Best Low Country Boil
Frogmore Stew, Beaufort Stew, or Low Country Boil, whatever you prefer to call it, one thing is in common:
It’s one big pot of southern deliciousness!
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern/Coastal
Primary Cooking Method: Boiling
Dietary Info: Seafood-Heavy, Gluten-Free
Key Flavor: Spicy, Savory, and Seafoody
Skill Level: Easy Peasy
Sweet Highlights:
- Bring on the Heat: The spicy kick from the seasonings and fresh ingredients light up your taste buds, making each bite a zesty adventure.
- Seafood Extravaganza: The medley of shrimp, crab, and sometimes even lobster, brings the ocean’s best to your dinner table.
- Veggie Delight: Corn on the cob and potatoes add a hearty and comforting touch, soaking up all the spicy goodness.
- Social Butterfly’s Dream: This meal is meant for sharing, creating a communal and joyful dining experience.
- Easy Cleanup: Forget about the fancy plates; all you need is a large table covered in newspaper, creating a rustic and fuss-free setup. Enjoy, then roll everything up for an easy cleanup!
What Is Frogmore Stew? What is a Low Country Boil?
Although it originated on St. Helena’s Island in South Carolina, people from each coast love to combine different types of seafood in a pot and have a party.
Frogmore is a small Gullah-Geechee fishing community that’s near Hilton Head and Beaufort, and it’s basically shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage boiled together in a spicy stock. My family is from Daufuskie Island (South Carolina) and Wilmington Island (Georgia), and since I am a certified “Geechee Girl”, I add a few more things to this Low Country Boil to kick it up a notch, along with blue crabs.
Low Country Boil Ingredients
My secret weapons for Frogmore Stew are simple:
- Beer (Lots of it. It’s 85% of my stock. I prefer Budweiser, but my Papa liked Esslinger and I hear it might be making a comeback. He and my Grandmother ran a restaurant/night club for over 50 years (From the mid 20’s until the early 70’s) on Wilmington Island, and they were known for their seafood boils and deviled crabs.
- Lemons and limes in the stock, and for your dipping sauce.
- Two different kinds of “Boil in the bag” spice mix. My favorite brands are Zatarain’s and Louisiana.
- Petite Yukon Gold Potatoes.
Yes, I know lots of people use these 4 ingredients, but it’s what you do with them, that makes a world of difference.
And before I go any further, I have seen some frogmore stew recipes with boiled eggs, snow crab legs, crawfish, and stone crabs. I like adding mussels to mine as well, so it’s whatever you prefer.
Tips: For Smoked Sausage, I like Georgia Boy but you can use chicken, turkey or beef sausage.
For your Shrimp, wash them off really good in cool water if they are fresh. I like mine with the heads on because the flavor is richer, but frozen is also fine.
For the Blue Crabs, you can also substitute king crab legs. I would get estimate about 1 ½ per person.
For Hot Sauce, I also love Texas Pete!
Low Country Boil for 20
Note: While this low country boil recipe feeds 10-12, feel free to double in order to feed this feast to a large crowd of 20. This is the perfect frogmore stew recipe to serve for a summer time party. It feels fresh and fun and is a little bit different from the average barbecue, Fish Fry or even Mexican Fiesta.
How to Make Low Country Boil
Now the fun begins!
I absolutely love to cook, but I love cooking to music even more. Its like its sets the tone for the flavor. Turn your on favorite playlist (Anything with Earth Wind & Fire or Jill Scott) should work, poor a half glass of cold beer and let’s get started.
Once your low country boil is ready, you should have your area ready for this delicious feast.
We clear the table off and put either newspaper or brown contractor’s paper down, have the crab claw crackers ready, paper towels and small bowls for dipping.
Low Country Boils are the perfect way to kick off Summer fun, but we actually do them all year round, whether inside or out. I like to cook mine inside because this heat in Savannah can take your breath away, depending on the time of day. And since I suggested a glass of beer, I would stay inside!
And as my family would say after seeing all of this wonderful food:
“We gwine to nyam goodfashin!”
We are going to eat good.
Yes we are!
A HUGE THANK YOU to What’s Gina Cooking for guest posting and providing this wonderful recipe!
Frogmore Stew (Low Country Boil Recipe)
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Ingredients
- 5 (25 ounce) beer cans divided
- 1 (3 ounce) Zatarain’s Crab Boil box
- 1 (3 ounce) Louisiana Crab Boil box
- 1 Old Bay Seasoning container plus more if needed
- 2 fresh bay leaves can go up to 3
- 3 garlic bulbs cut in half
- 2 lbs Petite Yukon Gold Potatoes washed and set aside
- 1 (32 ounce box) of smoked sausage cut into 1 inch diagonal slices.
- 3 lemons cut in quarters and divided
- 3 limes cut in quarters and divided
- 6 ears of fresh corn broken into quarters or you can use frozen cobblers
- 2 lbs medium to large shrimp
- 12 cooked Blue Crabs
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 bottle of hot sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large stockpot (at least 12 quart) of water (6 quarts), 4 ½ cans of beer to a simmer.
- Add the Zatarain’s crab boil bag, and open the Louisiana crab boil bag and empty the contents into the pot.
- Add ¼ cup of Old Bay seasoning.
- Add the bay leaves, garlic, potatoes, sausage and half of the lemons and limes.
- *Season Check Time- Is the broth smoky, salty and spicy? If not add a little more Old Bay.
- Simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are almost soft.
- Now add the corn, cooking for 10 minutes.
- We clear the table off and put either newspaper or brown contractor’s paper down, have the crab claw crackers ready, paper towels and small bowls for dipping.
- Add the shrimp, allowing them to turn pink before turning the stove off. Add your cooked crabs and allow to sit in the liquid for 10-15 minutes.
- Strain the liquid out of the pot, but keep ½ cup aside for the dipping sauce. You can either put everything on a platter or just spread it out on the table.
- Melt the stick of butter, Old Bay seasoning to taste, a few dashes of hot sauce, the juice from the other lemons and limes you put aside and the reserved liquid from the pot. Whisk together and pour into the condiment bowls and serve.
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In the recipe can you clarify if it’s 25 ounces total of beer or 5 25 oz cans?
It is 5 cans that are 25 oz each. I hope that helps.
We recently did a boil. I took the remaining juice and froze it. Then, on a random “Wednesday” I can just thaw the juice and cook some shrimp without going thru the whole process again. Worked really well.
Hi, which grocery store were you able to find Georgia Boy and some other brands you mentioned. I am in SC. Thank you so much!
Hi! I’m getting ready for a Father’s Day boil this weekend and I’m excited to use your recipe. I couldn’t get blue crabs so I’m using snow crabs. I purchased them as well as the shrimp (heads on),frozen. I also am adding crawfish which I also bought frozen. Have you ever used frozen seafood and if so what is your recommendation for thawing and cooking times?
Hi Monica, one second. Getting you an accurate response so it turns out perfectly.
Yes they can use frozen, and I would probably just drop it in at the last 15 minutes. Most of it it cooked and it’s going to cook quickly anyway.
I hope that helps.
Fromore raise here. You can thaw the seafood under cold running water if u like or cook it frozen.
I usually boil Crawfish 15 mins but shrimp cooks faster like 5-10 depending on size. Just remember seafood cooks faster. Shrimp are done when they start to curl and turn pink.
5+ star recipe! I have made this twice and it’s is an absolute off the chart winner for my family and the neighbors because there is always plenty to share! The only thing I changed is the beer type I use Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
You chop the eggs up and the potatoes up and add mustard to make a hot potato salad
Extremely happy to find a recipe written by someone that’s from Savannah! Much love my Geechee sister!
If I use the blue crabs, do I put them raw in the pot with the sauague, or do I have to cook them in a separate pit, then put them in? If so, how long do I cook the crabs? Thank you in advance for your reply…I am hoping I can make this tonight.
They need to be cooked before you add them to the stew.
Why do some have boiled eggs in them? Just curious.
Good question. I actually have no idea!
Just finished our first boil. Used this recipe with a couple quartered onions and extra veggies, half a bag of Louisiana crawfish boil and 20 lbs of crawfish and shrimp. A+!!