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5.0 from 36 votes

Easy Boiled Shrimp (Plump and Succulent!)

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.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 199 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. Fill a large stockpot with water. Add the kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  2. Add the shrimp to the boiling water. Gently stir.
  3. 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.
  4. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the cooked shrimp to a platter. Cover and refrigerate them for 2 hours.
  5. 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 Information

Serving 0.25recipe Calories 199kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 1.7g (1%) Protein 38g (76%) Fat 3g (5%) Sodium 848mg (35%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 199

% Daily Value*

Serving 0.25recipe
Calories 199kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 1.7g 1%
Protein 38g 76%
Fat 3g 5%
Sodium 848mg 35%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.