How to Boil Shrimp
Get a step-by-step guide to boil any kind of shrimp, plus some of our favorite recipes for shrimp cocktail and more.
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By Alice K. Thompson for Food Network Kitchen
Alice is a contributing writer and editor at Food Network.
Looking for plump, sweet, tender shrimp to serve with cocktail sauce, for peel-and-eat dishes or for salads and sandwiches? It takes just minutes to boil your own, and they’re bound to be fresher, tastier and cheaper than store-bought steamed shrimp. Overcooking is the only common mistake to avoid. Follow our easy, three-step method and you’ll get great results from just about any kind of shrimp.
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How to Boil Shrimp
Boil shrimp in salted water until just pink outside and opaque in the center, about 2 minutes for most sizes of peeled shrimp, a minute or two longer for shell-on shrimp or for extra-large or jumbo shrimp.
Boiling shrimp is about as easy as it gets and takes just a few minutes. The most important thing is not to overcook them; check them every minute or so. Here are the details:
Step one: Boil and prepare the water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Adding a tablespoon or two of lemon juice is recommended for flavor and to help firm the flesh, but it’s not absolutely necessary.
Step two: Cook the shrimp. Add the shrimp; return the water to a boil and cook just until the shrimp are bright pink and the flesh is opaque (white) all the way through, about 2 minutes, a minute or two longer for unpeeled shrimp or extra-large or jumbo shrimp.
Step three: Drain. Drain the shrimp in a colander or remove from the pot with a spider. You can eat them warm, or immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain again and pat dry. Peel the shrimp if necessary, but leave the tail shell on if you’re making shrimp cocktail.
What Are the Best Shrimp for Boiling?
Boiling is a pretty foolproof technique for shrimp; almost any kind you buy will cook up excellently. That said, a few types will generally produce the sweetest, tenderest results.
Shell-on is best. When you can, boil shrimp shell-on. The shell keeps them slightly more flavorful and promotes even cooking.
Devein first. Deveining shrimp before cooking is best since it’s a little harder to do it neatly after they’re cooked. Here are the best ways to devein them raw.
Larger shrimp are best for shrimp cocktail. If you’re making shrimp cocktail, larger shrimp are usually better so they’ll make a substantial dipper for your cocktail sauce, plus they typically stay extra plump, not overcooked.
Look for "EZ peel" for peel-and-eat shrimp. They're sold as “easy-peel” or “EZ peel” and are a great choice. These have been slit down the back with the vein removed. Once cooked, peel them by pulling the top of the shell apart with both thumbs; the whole shell (and legs) will slip off like pajamas.
Leave the heads on if you have them. If you’re lucky enough to get very fresh head-on shrimp they'll be extra delicious if you boil them head-on; the head contains lots of flavorful fat that will make them particularly tasty.
Recipes for Shrimp Cocktail, Shrimp Rolls and Shrimp Salad
Matt Armendariz
This recipe is a delicious standard featuring medium or large shrimp and a classic ketchup-and-horseradish cocktail sauce. The flavor of the shrimp is amped up by first infusing the boiling water with aromatics like carrot, celery, garlic and thyme.
Ryan Liebe
Horseradish isn’t the only game in town for spicing up your cocktail sauce. Here, chili sauce, chutney and ginger give the sauce a zing that’s particularly good with meaty jumbo shrimp.
Armando Rafael
This is an excellent shrimp appetizer when you’re in a summery mood. Classic gazpacho ingredients like fresh tomato, garlic, vinegar and olive oil give it particularly bright flavor. It makes a generous 8 to 12 servings and you can even make everything a day ahead.
These luscious shrimp rolls are a snap to make. You’ll want 2 pounds of boiled, cooled, peeled shrimp; large ones will give you plump shrimp halves that are impressive but still toss up easily in the mayo-based sauce.
PACIFIC TV
Shrimp with tarragon is a French-inspired classic, and this version with lemon and scallions is easy and versatile. Serve it on its own, in sandwiches or over a bed of crisp greens. The shrimp are poached with Pernod, but you can omit the liqueur if you prefer.
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