How To: Perfectly Boil Shrimp

Growing up in South Louisiana means I’ve consumed a lot shrimp in my life. I never seem to get tired of eating them. Shrimp can be cooked up so many ways, but this post is going to focus on how to boil them. If you are curious about all the other ways just watch Forrest Gump!

Boiled shrimp is a great way to add seafood to your normal recipes. Add it to a salad you already enjoy or toss it in fried rice near the end of cooking. The possibilities are endless. Just make sure you use fresh shrimp and follow these steps and you’ll see that boiling shrimp is not difficult at all.

How To: Perfectly Boil Shrimp

How To: Perfectly Boil Shrimp

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• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 8 Servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 4 quarts cold water
• 2 lemons, halved
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 large thyme sprig
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 pounds fresh shrimp (16/20 size)

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Instructions

1. Fill a large pot with 4 quarts of water. Squeeze the juice from the lemons then toss in the lemon halves, onion, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, Old Bay, and peppercorn to the water.
2. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
3. Add shrimp and return to a boil.
4. Once it reaches a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 mins.
5. Drain shrimp in a colander and dip the colander in an ice bath to prevent overcooking.
6. Enjoy with cocktail sauce or use in a recipe that requires cooked shrimp.

Notes

The size of shrimp will affect how long you boil them. The key is to look for a separation of the shell from the shrimp. As soon as you see this drain the shrimp because they are perfectly cooked.

Step by Step

Try to find fresh shrimp that is 16/20 in size.

Fill a large pot with 4 quarts of water. Squeeze the juice from the lemons then toss in the lemon halves, onion, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, Old Bay, and peppercorn to the water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes.

Add shrimp and return to a boil.

Once it reaches a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 mins.

Drain shrimp in a colander and dip the colander in an ice bath to stop prevent overcooking. Enjoy with cocktail sauce or use in a recipe that requires cooked shrimp.