This Boiled Shrimp Recipe makes deliciously perfect boiled shrimp every time! So versatile for a quick and easy weeknight supper and especially for entertaining! 

Pair this succulent Boiled Shrimp with garlic butter or cocktail sauce for a special appetizer. Making a delicious meal in less than 15 minutes is also simple. It is delicious served alongside a steak, topping a fresh green salad, or even served alongside a large bowl of alfredo.

Boiled Shrimp piled on a white platter, along with lemon wedges and drawn butter.

Fresh-boiled shrimp always reminds me of summer. As soon as school was out each summer, my family would start planning our trip to the beach. Almost as soon as we’d stuck our toes in the ocean, we planned a trip to the local fish market for fresh shrimp. Fresh fish and seafood, the smell of sunscreen, fun in the sun and sand – and these delicious Boiled Shrimp – have always been some highlights of summer! But it is also a favorite throughout the year.

The Best Boiled Shrimp Recipe

Stockpot of fresh shrimp after being boiled.

My sister and I loved going with Daddy to the docks when the fishing boats pulled in and we’d always stop into the little store to buy fresh shrimp and the fish of the day. Fast forward many years to my family’s beach visits, where so much has changed, yet the important things have stayed the same. There are still fish boats coming in with their catch in the afternoons and the store at the docks still sells the catch of the day and shrimp by the pound.

One of the easiest ways to prepare fresh shrimp is to boil it. For my boiled shrimp, I prefer to keep it simple. Just a few simple yet essential ingredients are needed. In less than 15 minutes, succulent, sweet, and tender shrimp will be ready for serving or use in any recipe that calls for cooked shrimp! I love to serve it with either my garlic butter sauce (recipe included below) or scrumptious cocktail sauce (or BOTH!)

By following this simple recipe and the tips I’ve included, you will have the most delicious, perfect boiled shrimp every time!

How to Make Boiled Shrimp

Ingredients

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.

For the Boiled Shrimp

  • Water – Fresh, clean water for boiling the shrimp.
  • Kosher salt –  I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you substitute with Morton’s Kosher salt, fine sea salt, or table salt, you will only need half the amount of the salt called for in the recipe. 
  • Large shrimp – I recommend using fresh raw shrimp still in the shell for the most flavor. I give options for using frozen shrimp below.
  • Lemons – I like to add lemon wedges for serving.

For the Garlic Butter Sauce

  • Butter – I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted. If you use unsalted, you may want to test once done to determine if you need to add a sprinkle of salt.
  • Garlic cloves – You’ll add the fresh, peeled garlic cloves to the warm butter to infuse the garlic flavor into the garlic butter. Therefore, this recipe uses fresh, peeled, and unblemished garlic cloves.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Boil water. Add water and salt to a large stockpot set over medium heat. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 5 minutes.
  2. Cook shrimp. Stir in the raw shrimp, cover, and remove the pot from heat. Allow to rest for about 8 minutes until all the shrimp are cooked through. They will turn a beautiful shade of pink. Then, pour the shrimp and liquid into a colander to strain.
  3. Serve. Transfer the shrimp to a serving bowl or platter. You can serve them warm or chill them to serve cold. Cover tightly with plastic wrap if serving cold, and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Serve with lemon wedges.

How to Make Garlic Butter Sauce

  1. Melt butter. While the shrimp rests, melt the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. After it’s melted, remove it from the heat and add the garlic.
  2. Add garlic. After it’s melted, remove it from the heat and add the garlic.
  3. Rest and clarify. Allow to rest for about 8 minutes. Skim the foam from the top of the butter to clarify.
  4. Serve. Remove the garlic cloves from the butter and pour the garlic butter sauce into a small serving bowl.

Leftover Makeover

If you have leftover boiled shrimp, use them in this delicious Citrus Shrimp Salad or our favorite Shrimp Taco Recipe. For an appetizer, use in our Shrimp Dip Recipe. Ready in minutes!

White platter with blue rim holds boiled shrimp with lemon wedge and glass container of garlic butter sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it best to boil shrimp peeled or unpeeled?

It is best to boil shrimp that is unpeeled for the most flavor.

How can you tell when your shrimp is cooked?

Uncooked and undercooked shrimp will be white or gray. Cooked shrimp will be bright pink. The inside of the shell of fully cooked shrimp will change from having translucency to opaque.

Can you boil frozen shrimp?

Technically, yes, you can. However, shrimp is easy to undercook (not safe to eat unless sushi grade shrimp) and overcook (tough and chewy) when cooked from frozen. It is best to thaw your shrimp before boiling if using frozen shrimp.

Here’s my Boiled Shrimp Recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Boiled Shrimp Recipe

4.80 from 5 votes
Boiled Shrimp Recipe – This Boiled Shrimp Recipe makes perfect boiled shrimp every time! So versatile for a quick and easy weeknight supper and especially for entertaining!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 13 minutes
Servings: 4

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 2 quarts water
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 pounds large shrimp , with shells
  • 2-3 large lemons, cut into wedges

For the Garlic Butter Sauce

  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic

Instructions 

For the Boiled Shrimp:

  • Boil water. Add water and salt to a large stockpot set over medium heat. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 5 minutes.
  • Cook shrimp. Stir in the raw shrimp, cover, and remove the pot from heat. Allow the shrimp to rest for about 8 minutes until all the shrimp are cooked through. They will turn a beautiful shade of pink as shown in my photos. Then pour the shrimp and liquid into a colander to strain. 
  • Serve. Transfer the shrimp to a serving bowl or platter. You can serve them warm if you wish or chill them to serve cold. If serving cold, cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour in the refrigerator. Serve with lemon wedges.

For the Garlic Butter Sauce:

  • Melt butter. While the shrimp is resting, melt the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. After it's melted, remove from heat and add the garlic.
  • Add garlic. After the butter has melted, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the garlic.
  • Rest and clarify. Allow the butter and garlic to rest for about 8 minutes. Skim the foam from the top of the butter to clarify.
  • Serve. Remove the garlic cloves from the butter and pour the garlic butter sauce into a small serving bowl.

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 572mg | Sodium: 5275mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 359mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Collage image of boiled shrimp with text in the center.

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Recipe Review




31 Comments

  1. Hi Holly, can I successfully halve everything in this recipe for 1 lb. shrimp? water, salt….
    Thanks so much, Ally

    1. Ally, I would use the 2 quarts of water, half of the salt and lemons. Hope you enjoy!

  2. Robyn,I have zero experience cooking shrimp,but need to know if cooking with shell on
    how do you clean the nasty vein ?!

    1. Audrey, you can devein the shrimp before cooking or if you boil the shrimp first with shells on, you can devein after cooking. Take a sharp knife and cut a slit along the back of the shrimp and using the tip of the knife, remove the vein. I hope you enjoy the boiled shrimp.

  3. I am anxious to try this recipe, but I have 3 questions. Can this be made with frozen shrimp? I was surprise about the calories count. How many shrimp do you figure in this calorie count? Also when do you remove the shells so your guests don’t have to do it. Thanks Mary Lou

    1. MaryLou, thanks so much for bringing this to our attention. The nutritional calculation had included the butter. It has now been updated. You would need to remove the shells before cooking the shrimp if you don’t want your guests to do so. You can use frozen shrimp. Just be sure to thaw and rinse the shrimp well before cooking. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    I love the shrimp recipe! Makes perfect shrimp every time. I wanted to ask about the garlic butter sauce. How do you prepare the garlic for the butter? Do you dice it or mince it?

    1. Gloria, I put the whole cloves of garlic in the melted butter and let rest for about 8 minutes. Then, I remove the garlic cloves from the butter for serving. For future reference, there is a section in my post, How to Make Garlic Butter Sauce, that gives full instructions.

    1. Jenn, you can always any seasonings you like. This is the way my family and friends like boiled shrimp and I also have family members and friends who have allergies to some seasonings.

    2. Jenn. Have you tried this recipe. It doesn’t need anything else. Try the shrimp warm with plain butter (poor mans lobster).

  5. 5 stars
    I’m a New England girl so I can cook fish with my eyes closed, but shrimp is a different matter. I always overcook the shrimp. Your recipe was perfect! I had to take the shells off first to prepare the shrimp for sushi, so I just threw the shells in the pot and boiled for 6 minutes and then the shrimp. Easy peasy. They went into a cold bath, drained and into the fridge. Next time, I’m going to cook them just to try with your butter. It’s the simple things in life…

    1. Hi Valerie,
      You really do need to try them with the butter next time. Oh my goodness, it is so good. I’m so glad you liked this recipe so much. Thanks! xo

  6. Simple. Came out perfect. After I drained the shrimp I put them in a plastic bag & then in an ice bath. Nice & perfectly done.