It's easy to make boiled shrimp! Simply drop raw shrimp into boiling water, turn the heat off, cover the pot, and set your timer for ten minutes.
Most shrimp recipes are quick, but this one is especially easy. Dipped in cocktail sauce or melted butter, these boiled shrimp are plump, succulent, and delicious. They obviously make a great appetizer, but can also serve as a main course if you add a side dish. The only challenging part? Waiting for them to chill in the fridge!
Ingredients
You'll only need two ingredients to make this recipe. See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
Raw shrimp: It's best to use jumbo or extra-large shrimp in this recipe. You want them big and plump! Jumbo shrimp have 16-20 pieces per pound. Extra-large ones have 21-25 pieces per pound. Smaller shrimp are more suitable for recipes such as shrimp stir-fry or shrimp salad.
Kosher salt: I add a generous amount to the water to help flavor the shrimp as they cook.
As you can see, this is a simple recipe. You can spruce it up by adding aromatics to the boiling water. Good options include lemon wedges, garlic cloves, and bay leaves. These additions will subtly enhance the flavor of the shrimp. Truthfully, though, I rarely bother. I've tried both options and find the shrimp are wonderfully flavorful when simply cooked in salted water.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and gently stir. Cover the stockpot and remove it from the heat. Leave the shrimp in the water until pink and opaque, for about ten minutes.
Lift the cooked shrimp from the water with a large slotted spoon and place them on a platter.
Refrigerate the shrimp for two hours before serving.
This is THE best, least stressful way to "boil" shrimp! Thank you!
J Mallory
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This is THE best, least stressful way to "boil" shrimp! Thank you!Recipe Tips
- For the best result, don't let the shrimp cook in rapidly boiling water, or they could become tough. Instead, cook them gently in the water's residual heat after turning the heat off and removing the pot from the burner.
- These shrimp should not be eaten warm. Unlike other shrimp recipes, you'll need to chill them before serving, so take that into account when timing your meal.
- How many to serve: As an appetizer, I usually serve 3 ounces of cooked shrimp per person. As a main dish, I serve 6 ounces per person.
- I use peeled and deveined shrimp because I find it convenient. But it's OK to boil them either way - with or without the shells.
Serving Suggestions
Boiled shrimp are usually served as an appetizer with cocktail sauce. But I often serve them at home as a main course, 6 ounces per person, with melted butter, sriracha mayo, or tartar sauce for dipping, as shown in the images below.
I add a simple side dish such as steamed broccoli, roasted peppers, roasted asparagus, or boiled green beans, as shown in the photo below.
You can also pair them with a simple salad (such as arugula salad or cucumber salad), and you've got yourself a delicious, easy meal that does not require heating up the oven.
Storing Leftovers
Boiled shrimp should last for up to three days when promptly refrigerated in a shallow, airtight container, as shown in the photo below. You can use them in this shrimp salad or as a substitute for chicken in this Cobb salad.
Recipe Card
Easy Boiled Shrimp for Cocktail Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds raw shrimp - Jumbo or extra-large, peeled and deveined, tail on
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - for the cooking water; or ½ tablespoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
Instructions
- Fill a large stockpot with water. Add the kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the shrimp to the boiling water. Gently stir.
- Cover the pot, remove it from the heat, and allow the shrimp to cook in the residual heat until pink and opaque. If using jumbo or extra-large shrimp, this should take about 10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spatula, transfer the cooked shrimp to a platter. Cover and refrigerate them for 2 hours.
- Serve the shrimp with cocktail sauce or melted butter.
Notes
- If your shrimp are frozen, you'll need to defrost them. Place them for 10 minutes in a large bowl filled with cool water. After 10 minutes, replace the water with fresh, cool water and allow them to soak for 10 more minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a colander and rinse them with cool water.
- The nutrition info is for the shrimp only.
- For the best result, don't let the shrimp cook in rapidly boiling water. Instead, cook them gently in the water's residual heat after turning the heat off and removing the pot from the burner.
- As you can see, this is a very simple recipe. You can spruce it up by adding aromatics to the boiling water. Good options include lemon wedges, garlic cloves, and bay leaves. These additions will subtly enhance the flavor of the shrimp. Truthfully, though, I rarely bother. The shrimp are delicious when boiled in simply salted water.
- These shrimp should last up to 3 days when promptly refrigerated in a shallow, airtight container.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
J Mallory says
This is THE best, least stressful way to "boil" shrimp! Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw says
You're very welcome! Glad you liked it. Thanks for the review.
Brianna says
Easy and delicious. I served the shrimp with sir kensington chipotle mayo. Used medium shrimp as that's what I had, turned out fine.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Brianna! I love that mayo. It's delicious.