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There’s a lot to love about shrimp. They’re tasty, quick to cook and an excellent source of lean protein.
Whether you prefer your shrimp wild or already peeled, here are some simple tips for storing and preparing them. Keep reading for more details on why we love them, plus recipe ideas to keep your shrimp menu fresh and flavorful all month long!
Store When you’re storing shrimp, keep them in a cooler or in the refrigerator with plenty of ice (even in the fridge!). You’ll want to keep them in their plastic bag supplied by our Seafood Department to keep out the water from the melting ice.
Prepare Use your shrimp within a day of purchasing them. No matter what kind of shrimp you cook, avoid overcooking them so they stay tender and succulent. You’ll know they’re ready to serve when they turn opaque with pink or orange colorings.
Caught off the Atlantic and Gulf Coast, these shell-on shrimp are anything but shrimpy, coming in at a count of 21 to 25 per pound. (Because they’re wild, their exact size will fluctuate a bit.) They’re all-natural and can be cooked with or without their shells, though we love to cook them shell-on for added flavor!
Below are some of our favorite ways to prepare Wild American Shrimp:
Boil: Boil your shell-on shrimp with your favorite seasoning and enjoy them freshly peeled as an appetizer or casual entree. Add sausage and vegetables to the pot and you can easily feed a crowd. Think Low Country Shrimp Boil.
Roast: Toss shrimp with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and season with your favorite spice rub. Roast in a preheated 450ºF oven, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn opaque, about 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and melted butter.
Grill: Peeled shrimp are extra delicious when they’re hot off the grill - skewer them or use a grilling basket to keep them on the grate. Because they cook so quickly, pair them with pre-made sides or quick-grilling vegetables like asparagus or bell peppers. Ready to get grillin’? Try our recipe for Shrimp and Mango Kabobs.
Pro Tip: Since shrimp can spin on wooden skewers, use two skewers—held parallel and slightly apart—for extra gripping power. Keep each shrimp in its natural “C” shape and spear it vertically through the center, from the tail to the top.
When it comes to convenience, our Raw, Peeled and Deveined Shrimp are hard to beat. At 26 to 30 shrimp per pound, they’re the perfect size for stir fries and other dry-heat cooking techniques and can be quickly simmered in sauce, too.
Here are some more of our go-to cooking methods:
Stir-Fry: The secret to stellar stir fry? A very hot pan. Let it heat fully before adding oil (we suggest peanut or canola oil as they have relatively high smoking points), then quickly tilt the pan to coat the bottom and slick the entire surface. Add your ingredients and stir occasionally—every 30 seconds or so. Give our 20-minute Thai Peanut Shrimp Stir Fry recipe a try.
Sauté: Start by tossing your shrimp with oil and seasonings instead of adding oil to the skillet. Then you can heat the skillet without worrying about the oil smoking before cooking. If you need a recipe idea, try our Spicy Shrimp Noodle Bowls with Mango and Herbs.
Deep-Fry: Crispy, battered shrimp? Yes, please! To make them yourself, fill a large saucepan with 2-3 inches of canola or peanut oil. Heat until the temperature reaches 350ºF on a deep-frying thermometer. Dip the shrimp in your favorite batter (we like all-purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper—thin it with beer or club soda until it’s a similar consistency to pancake batter). Transfer to the hot oil in batches, being careful not to crowd the shrimp, and deep-fry just until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet to keep them crisp while they drain. Keep them warm in a 200ºF oven until ready to serve.
Our Colossal Grilling Shrimp live up to their name! Weighing in at 4-6 per pound, one of these entrée-worthy shrimp could easily fill the palm of your hand. We recommend seasoning them lightly, then cooking them on the grill with their shells on to protect the meat and preserve the flavor. We’ve saved you a step by scoring the back of the shrimp, making them extra easy to peel.
Kick up the flavor by tossing them with your favorite seasoning or try our recipe for Grilled Colossal Shrimp with Lemon Garlic Herb Butter. Finish with fresh herbs and the juice of a grilled lemon for the perfect touch of bright, fresh flavor (note the size of the lemon compared to the shrimp in the photo—yep, they’re that big!). You can skewer, plank or simply place them directly on the grill (no need to worry about these colossal crustaceans sliding through the grates). One taste and you’ll make these super shrimp a mainstay of your grilling menu!
Shrimp are incredibly versatile menu mainstays—keep them on hand to toss in a salad, cradle in a taco, sauté with vegetables or add to a light pasta dish. We've gathered some of our favorite shrimp recipes below to inspire you!