Boiled Shrimp Recipe

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.

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

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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Boiled Shrimp Recipe

Robyn Stone

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!

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 13 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Equipment

• Stockpot or large Dutch oven

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 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.

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo