Why boil shrimp when you can cook it on the stove in a flash? Turns out, boiled shrimp is effortless and satisfying, with sweet, briny flesh and a tender, delicate texture. The most popular way to use boiled shrimp is for shrimp cocktail, but you could boil it for any type of preparation. The advantage of boiling? The shrimp keeps well at room temperature, making it perfect to sit out on a platter while entertaining. Wondering how to boil shrimp? Here’s our simple method for ensuring plump, juicy flesh.
How to long to boil shrimp
How long do you boil shrimp? The cook time is about 2 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. The timing varies based on the size of the shrimp and whether it is shell on or off. Most sizes of shelled shrimp cook in about 2 minutes, and shell on takes 1 minute or so longer. Boiling shrimp with the shell on helps to lock in moisture. If using shell on shrimp, you’ll need to remove the shells after cooking them. The overall time it takes for the entire process is about 15 to 20 minutes.
Tips for how to boil shrimp
The ingredients you’ll need to boil shrimp are 1 pound of large shrimp, kosher salt, and a lemon. You’ll bring a large pot of salted water to a boil with some fresh lemon juice. Once boiling, add the shrimp and boil until they’re pink and cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp to an ice bath, which is a bowl of water and ice. This will stop the cooking immediately, leaving the shrimp perfectly tender. If you cooked the shrimp with the shell on, remove it. But if you’re serving for shrimp cocktail, you may want to leave the tails on for a nice presentation. You can flavor the shrimp with a bit more kosher salt and lemon to taste: then it’s ready to go!
What are the calories in boiled shrimp?
Shrimp are a low calorie food. Here are the calories in boiled shrimp:
1 medium shrimp = 7 calories 1 jumbo shrimp = 14 calories
What shrimp to use for boiling?
It all depends on how you’re planning to use it. If you’re going to make shrimp cocktail, use large shrimp with the tail on for the most stunning presentation. The shrimp pictured here are the size 16 to 20 count (which indicates how many shrimp there are per pound). However, we also like using medium shrimp, which are more bite sized. We’d recommend boiling shrimp with the shell on for the best flavor, but tail on shrimp also works. It’s helpful to buy shrimp that has already been deveined. (If your shrimp are not deveined, here’s How to Devein Shrimp.)
Boiling frozen shrimp
What about boiling fresh vs frozen shrimp? Either fresh or frozen works for this recipe. The shelf-life of fresh shrimp is only a few days, but frozen shrimp lasts for several weeks. Also, a myth about fish is that “fresh is best.” If a fish is frozen right when it was caught and stays frozen until it gets to your kitchen, it will be higher quality than a raw fish that has taken a week to get to your plate. If you use frozen shrimp for this recipe, what’s the best way to thaw it? Here are a few of the best options:
Place the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Alternatively, on the day of serving, place the frozen shrimp into a bowl with cold water. Let a small trickle of cold water run into the bowl to keep the water moving. The shrimp should defrost in about 15 minutes.
Buying sustainable shrimp
Are you looking at buying sustainable shrimp? Here are a few pointers for buying sustainable seafood:
Look for wild-caught fish if possible. If you live in the US, look for US caught if you can. 90% of the seafood we eat in the US is imported. Imported seafood runs the risk of being overfished, caught under unfair labor practices, or farmed in environmentally harmful ways. How your fish is caught matters. Look for hook and line as one example of a sustainable gear type. Bottom trawling is considered the most destructive and least sustainable method.
Shrimp cocktail sauce recipe
If you’re looking for shrimp cocktail, we’ve got a killer cocktail sauce! Shrimp cocktail is a great option as an appetizer recipe, perfect for celebrations like the holidays or New Year’s Eve. Try this delicious Homemade Shrimp Cocktail Sauce recipe.
Want a shrimp boil instead?
Well, that’s a different thing altogether! The cooking method is the same, but a classic shrimp boil uses potatoes, corn and shrimp together in the same pot with spices (usually Old Bay). Here’s a recipe for a shrimp boil recipe you can use for entertaining, and a sheet pan version for weeknight dinners. You can also make steamed shrimp, seasoned with Old Bay.
This boiled shrimp recipe is…
Pescatarian, gluten-free and dairy-free.
Looking for more shrimp recipes?
Outside of boiling, here are some of our favorite ways to prepare it: 5 from 3 reviews
Perfect Grilled Shrimp Shrimp Marinade Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Sauce Grilled Shrimp Tacos Shrimp Taco Sauce Best Shrimp Dinner Ideas Quick Shrimp Couscous Easy Paella Recipe with Shrimp Seafood Paella Recipe on an Open Fire Grilled Shrimp Skewers Mango Salad with Grilled Shrimp Roasted Tomato Shrimp and Polenta Baked Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes
