A Low Country Boil already has shrimp, smoked sausage, corn on the cob, and potatoes all cooked together in one heavily seasoned pot. It's a complete meal on its own, so picking sides can feel like an afterthought.
It shouldn't be. The right sides round out the table, give guests something to nibble between bites, and balance the bold, spicy broth with freshness or richness.
This list covers 12 reliable side dishes that work specifically with a seafood boil spread. You'll find cool and creamy options alongside warm and hearty ones, so there's something here no matter the season or crowd size.
A Low Country Boil is Southern coastal cooking at its most communal. Traditionally served spread out on newspaper right on the table, it calls for sides that hold up in a casual, pass-it-around setting.
Our Low Country Boil recipe guide covers the main dish in full detail if you're still working on the centerpiece.
Most of these sides take 30 minutes or less. Several can be made hours ahead, which matters when you're already managing a large pot of boiling seafood.
The best sides for a Low Country Boil balance the bold, spiced broth with something cool, something starchy, or something with a bit of tang. Top picks include coleslaw, cornbread, potato salad, and green beans - all simple to prepare and easy to scale for a crowd.
12 Perfect Side Dishes for Low Country Boil
1. Coleslaw
Coleslaw is one of the smartest sides you can put next to a Low Country Boil. The cool, creamy texture cuts directly through the spiced, buttery broth, giving your palate a reset between bites of shrimp and sausage.
The classic base is shredded green cabbage and carrots, dressed with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of celery salt. That combination takes about 10 minutes to pull together and improves after 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
The dressing is where you can make it your own. A little mustard adds sharpness, honey rounds out the acidity, and a squeeze of lemon juice keeps it bright.
Keep the cabbage crunchy - do not dress it more than two hours ahead or it turns watery.
- Add sweetness: Fold in chopped apple or halved grapes for a contrast against the savory boil.
- Vary the color: Use a mix of red and green cabbage for visual contrast and a slightly peppery bite.
- Make it heartier: Toss in crumbled bacon or sunflower seeds if you want more texture in each forkful.
2. Cornbread
Cornbread earns its place next to a Low Country Boil because it soaks up the seasoned broth like nothing else on this list. A slice dunked in that spiced, garlicky liquid is its own small reward at the end of the meal.
The key ratio to nail is fat to flour. Too little fat and the cornbread turns dry and crumbly; too much and it gets dense.
Our Southern buttermilk cornbread uses buttermilk for tang and a cast-iron skillet for a crispy bottom crust that holds up to all that dipping.
For a spicier version, fold diced jalapeños and sharp cheddar directly into the batter before baking. Bake at 425°F for 20 to 22 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Serve it warm, cut into wedges right from the skillet.
3. Potato Salad
Potato salad is the most practical make-ahead side on this entire list. You can prepare it the morning of the boil, refrigerate it, and pull it out when guests arrive - no reheating needed.
For the best texture, use waxy potatoes like red or Yukon Gold rather than russets, which fall apart when tossed with dressing. Boil them whole until just fork-tender, about 15 minutes, then chill before cutting so they hold their shape.
The dressing is a simple mix of mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and apple cider vinegar. Season generously with salt and pepper, then fold in diced celery and red onion for crunch.
Fresh dill or chopped parsley on top adds a green note that complements the seafood on the main table.
4. Baked Beans
Baked beans add a smoky, sweet depth to the spread that nothing else on this list replicates. They pair well with the sausage component of a Low Country Boil - the flavors are in the same savory, slightly smoky neighborhood.
For classic baked bean sides, navy beans work best because they hold their shape through a long oven braise.
If you're starting from dried beans, soak them overnight, then bake low and slow at 300°F for 3 to 4 hours with bacon, onion, brown sugar, and a splash of apple cider vinegar.
Short on time? A can of navy beans with smoked paprika, molasses, and garlic powder baked at 375°F for 45 minutes gets you most of the way there.
Add a strip of chopped bacon on top for the last 15 minutes to get a little char on it.
5. Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs disappear fast at a Low Country Boil. They're finger food, they're already portioned, and they're cold - a welcome contrast to a steaming pot of seasoned seafood.
The trick to a clean peel is using eggs that are at least one week old and transferring them immediately to an ice bath after boiling. Cook them for exactly 11 minutes in simmering (not boiling) water to get a fully set but creamy yolk.
The filling base is mashed yolks, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and a small splash of pickle brine for tang. Pipe it back into the whites using a zip-lock bag with the corner snipped off.
Dust with smoked paprika and finish with a tiny piece of crispy bacon or a sliver of pickled jalapeño for a boil-friendly kick.
6. Watermelon
Watermelon is the easiest side on this list and arguably the most refreshing. The sweet, ice-cold fruit gives guests something to reach for between the heavier, spiced bites of shrimp and sausage.
A standard seedless watermelon yields about 30 to 40 slices, which covers a crowd without any cooking involved. Slice it into triangles and arrange on a platter, or cube it and skewer it for easier handling at a casual outdoor spread.
For a slightly elevated presentation, toss watermelon cubes with crumbled feta, fresh mint leaves, and a drizzle of lime juice. The salty feta against the sweet fruit is a combination that works particularly well after all the bold seasoning from the boil.
7. Fruit Salad
A fruit salad works as a side for a Low Country Boil the same way watermelon does - it's cold, sweet, and light enough to sit alongside heavy seafood without weighing the table down.
The best fruit salads mix at least three textures: something juicy like mango or peach, something firm like apple or grape, and something soft like banana or strawberry.
Toss them with a dressing of honey, lime juice, and fresh mint right before serving so nothing gets waterlogged.
A pinch of chili-lime seasoning or a few fresh basil leaves scattered on top adds an unexpected layer that keeps guests going back for more. Prepare the fruit up to four hours ahead, but hold the dressing until you're ready to serve.
8. Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is the crowd-pleaser side that kids and adults both reach for first. Next to the spiced seafood and smoked sausage of a Low Country Boil, its rich, creamy sauce provides a mild counterpoint that keeps the meal from being relentlessly intense.
For a sauce that stays velvety and doesn't break, use a roux-based béchamel as the base before adding cheese.
Sharp cheddar is the backbone flavor, and adding a quarter cup of gruyère or smoked gouda per pound of pasta gives it depth without overwhelming the cheddar.
Cook the pasta to al dente - about two minutes less than the package says - since it finishes cooking in the sauce. A breadcrumb topping toasted in butter at 375°F for 15 minutes gives you a golden, crunchy top layer that contrasts the creamy interior.
Stir in frozen corn or diced green onion before baking for a nod to the boil flavors.
Always undercook your pasta by 2 minutes before combining with sauce. It finishes absorbing liquid in the pot or baking dish, so fully cooked pasta turns mushy by the time it hits the table.
9. Green Beans
Green beans are the vegetable side that actually belongs at a seafood boil. They're snappy, quick to cook, and take on flavors easily - garlic, lemon, smoked pork - that fit right in with the seasoning profile of the main pot.
For sides that go with seafood spreads, check out what greens work best alongside Southern meals if you want a more traditional option.
For green beans specifically, blanch them in heavily salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, then shock immediately in ice water to lock in the bright green color and snap.
From there, sauté them in a hot pan with olive oil, sliced garlic, and red pepper flakes for about 4 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a handful of toasted slivered almonds for crunch.
Or go Southern-style: cook them low and slow for 45 minutes with a smoked ham hock until silky and tender all the way through.
10. Hush Puppies
Hush puppies are a natural fit for a Low Country Boil - both are deeply rooted in Southern coastal cooking and both taste better eaten with your hands.
These fried cornmeal fritters have a golden, crispy exterior and a soft, steamy interior that holds up well to hot sauce or honey butter for dipping.
The batter comes together in one bowl: cornmeal, a little flour, baking powder, buttermilk, egg, and diced onion. Fry them in vegetable oil at 350°F, dropping in rounded tablespoons of batter and cooking for about 3 minutes per side until deep golden brown.
For the shrimp boil sides crowd, adding shredded cheddar and sliced scallions directly into the batter takes them up a notch.
Serve hot from the fryer - hush puppies do not hold well, so time them to come out right as the boil hits the table.
11. Yeast Rolls
Yeast rolls fresh out of the oven smell like reason enough to serve them.
Next to a Low Country Boil, they serve a practical purpose: guests tear them apart and use them to scoop up shrimp, soak up broth, or just eat plain with butter between rounds of seafood.
The difference between good and great yeast rolls is high-quality butter in the dough and brushed on the tops as soon as they come out of the oven. Use unsalted butter so you control the salt level.
Bake at 375°F for 14 to 16 minutes until golden on top and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.
You can mix and shape the dough the night before, refrigerate overnight for a slow rise, and bake them the next afternoon.
Brushing the warm rolls with garlic butter right out of the oven adds a savory note that ties directly to the garlic in the boil pot.
12. Cheese Straws
Cheese straws are a Southern cocktail-hour staple that translates perfectly to a Low Country Boil table. They're made from just four ingredients - flour, butter, sharp cheddar, and salt - baked until flaky and crispy throughout.
The cheddar-to-flour ratio matters: use equal weights for a straw that's genuinely cheesy rather than just cheese-flavored. A pinch of cayenne and a quarter teaspoon of dry mustard added to the dough gives them a gentle heat that mirrors the spice in the boil seasoning.
Bake them at 325°F for 18 to 20 minutes until firm and lightly golden. They keep in an airtight container for up to five days, which makes them one of the few sides on this list you can prepare days in advance.
Serve them in a tall glass or jar for an easy, casual presentation that fits the spread-on-newspaper spirit of a proper Low Country Boil.
Cheese straw dough freezes well for up to 3 months. Roll it into logs, freeze, then slice and bake directly from frozen - add 3 to 4 minutes to the bake time.
Carrie is a food writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience. She has worked for some of the biggest names in the food industry, including Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and Martha Stewart Living.
As the Editor in Chief of EpicureDelight, Carrie oversees all of the content on the site. She also manages the team of contributing writers and editors, who help to create delicious recipes, helpful tips, and informative articles that you’ll find on the site.
A native of the Chicago area, Carrie is passionate about all things food. She loves trying new restaurants and experimenting with new recipes in her kitchen. She’s also a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, so she knows a thing or two about food!
