Low country boil foil packs are a delicious dinner with minimal cleanup

Summertime cooking is all about simplicity and easy cleanup. No one wants to spend hours washing up dishes when they could be outside enjoying the beauty of a summer evening. That’s why we are loving these foil pack “low country boil” dinner recipes.

Low country boils are a quintessential feature of southeastern cuisine. Featuring an array of fresh seafood, like fish or shrimp, and vegetables like corn or potatoes, low country boils are basically piles of food wrapped in foil and cooked on a grill (or in the oven). Depending on the region, they can also include rice or grits.

You can modify your low country boil to suit your family’s tastes. Don’t like shrimp? Try scallops instead. Or swap out red potatoes for sweet potatoes or plant-based sausage for chicken sausage. You can also adjust the seasonings as needed, or prepare a side sauce like this spicy remoulade for the grown-ups who want a little more kick.

Although low country boils can seem time-consuming or prep-heavy, this recipe from Love and Zest streamlines the process and makes getting dinner on the table stress-free. By microwaving your potatoes in advance, you can cut down on your cooking time and avoid having to run a hot oven for hours on a warm summer day. Find the full recipe here.

Looking for other sides to accompany your boil? Consider hush puppies (fried cornmeal balls), coleslaw, collard greens, cowboy caviar or cornbread.

And if you are watching carbs, you can still enjoy a paleo or keto low country boil this summer. Just up the seafood quotient and reach for low-carb veggies instead of the traditional starchy favorites. Think squash or zucchini in place of potatoes and corn, and add in other seafood favorites like crab legs or bacon-wrapped jalapenos to round out the meal.