For some of us, it is not too hard to associate crockpot or slow cooker meals with soups, stews, and comfort food, best enjoyed during fall or winter. Too often, we can forget how much heat our ovens put out during summer and how little a crockpot does in comparison. And, that the crockpot truly can cook almost anything.
Seafood is often overlooked when creating meals or dishes with the crockpot, but this upcoming summer, or whatever season you may be enjoying, you should break out the slow cooker and create some memorable seafood meals for the next gathering, occasion, event or family meal that will surely become a favorite.
Crockpot Shrimp Boil
Shrimp boil, also known as a seafood boil and in some areas Frogmore Stew or Lowcountry boil, is a meal where ingredients can differ, but the idea remains the same. Seafood, such as crab, shrimp, clams, and or crawfish, boiled together in a large pot of seasoned water, drained then served outdoors on the spread of newspapers.
In the heat of summer, sometimes having to be near an open fire, whether coal or propane, is not as feasible. Large family or community gatherings often means a lot of food to prepare and oversee. Using your crockpot to make your smaller-batch shrimp boil will not only keep you from sweating outside and possibly getting sunburned, but it cuts down on the amount of preparation and overseeing needed for a larger gathering.
Here is a basic idea for your slow cooker Shrimp Boil (feel free to add or remove seafood to your needs) to save you time and capture the same delicious atmosphere, all while doing less work!
Ingredients:
- 1 and ½ lbs. small, red-skinned potatoes (roughly 15) quartered.
- 1 lb. smoked Andouille or kielbasa sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 ears of corn, chucked, and cut into thirds
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
- ¼ cup of Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 medium lemon, halved, plus wedges for serving if needed
- 6 cups of water
- 2lbs. of large, raw shrimp (about 16-20 per pound), cleaned and peeled but with tails left on. If frozen, thaw beforehand.
For garnish: Chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, fresh ground pepper, melted butter, and hot sauce.
- Arrange quartered potatoes to the bottom in an even single layer in a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add the sausage over potatoes first, then the corn, then the garlic.
- Sprinkle with Old Bay evenly over the ingredients.
- Add lemon juice. Squeeze the lemon halves into the slow cooker, toss the squeezed halves away.
- Add the water so the Old Bay mixes throughout the slow cooker. Do not store.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours.
- Add the shrimp and now stir gently until they are just submerged. Cook until opaque, roughly 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how small or how large your shrimp may be.
- Strain, serve and enjoy.
For that authentic Shrimp Boil feel, use a slotted spoon, and transfer the contents onto newspaper or butcher paper-lined table. Leftovers can be kept in a well-sealed dish for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Super Easy Maple Salmon
Now here is a simple, super easy seafood meal just waiting to happen. Salmon and delicious maple syrup with a hint of salt and tart. Pair it with any quickly cooked veggie for a healthy yet fulfilling meal.
Ingredients:
- 6 salmon fillets, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup preferred maple syrup
- 1/8 cup lime juice
- ¼ cup of soy sauce
- 2 tsp crushed garlic (or about 2 cloves)
- 1 tsp minced ginger root
- Place salmon in your slow cooker.
- Mix the maple syrup, lime juice, soy, garlic, and ginger, then pour over the salmon.
- Cover and cook on high for 1 hour (or 2 if using frozen salmon.)
- Serve with your favorite side dish or quickly cooked vegetables!
Crockpot Coconut Curried Shrimp
This is a delicious, low-carb, paleo-friendly crockpot meal perfect for a savory, creamy seafood meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of shrimp
- 30 ounces full-fat coconut milk
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon of yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
- Add coconut milk, curry powder, salt, garlic and lime juice to slow cooker. Stir well to combine.
- Cook on high for 1-2 hours, or low 3-4 so that spices and ingredient flavors incorporate.
- Add shrimp and cook an additional 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size of shrimp, until done. Garnish with cilantro and serve over your favorite paleo-friendly cauliflower rice or low-carb pasta.
Crockpot New England Clam and Corn Chowder
Hearty and rich, with tender potatoes, the mild and delicious taste of clams, the sweetness of corn, this is a flavor-packed easy dinner perfect for any night or occasion.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. potatoes, or roughly 5 cups, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces.
- 3 cloves of garlic peeled and minced finely.
- 1 cup of finely chopped onion
- 1 cup of chopped celery
- 2 7 oz cans of whole corn, drained
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon white pepper or ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ tsp thyme
- 6 ounces of fresh or thawed clams
- 1 8-ounce bottle of clam juice
- 2 Tbsp of cornstarch
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 6 slices of cooked bacon
- Add vegetables, seasonings, clams and all clam juice to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8.
- Cook and chop bacon, reserving ¼ cup for topping is desired. Add remaining bacon to a slow cooker.
- After 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, whisk together cornstarch and heavy cream until smooth with no lumps. Add slowly to your crockpot while gently stirring. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Ladle into a bowl and serve hot.
There are countless other incredible uses and meals for your crockpot simply waiting for you. We hope you enjoyed these recipes that will save you time, effort, and bring you hearty home-cooked deliciousness time and time again.