Boiled Shrimp Recipe

Boiled shrimp on white tray surrounded by lemon wedges and melted butter.

4.84 from 6 votes

This Boiled Shrimp Recipe makes perfect, juicy shrimp every time! Ready in under 15 minutes, it's an easy seafood dish great for appetizers, salads, or quick, delicious dinners.

Prep Time5

Cook Time8

Total Time13

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Robyn Stone

Equipment

Stockpot or large Dutch oven

Ingredients

2 quarts water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 pounds large shrimp fresh raw, 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.

Notes

Storage Instructions

Store: Refrigerate cooked, cooled shrimp in an airtight container up to 2 days.
Freeze: Peel, portion, and freeze cooked shrimp for up to 3 months; thaw in refrigerator.
Reheat: Gently warm to heat in a skillet or the microwave.

*Fresh raw shrimp is recommended. If using frozen shrimp, thaw completely before cooking for best results, as cooking frozen shrimp can result in undercooked or overcooked shrimp.

Nutrition