Poaching shrimp gently in hot water is the best (and easiest!) way to cook these little crustaceans so they turn out perfectly succulent and juicy every time. Use poached shrimp to make shrimp cocktail, add to salads, or stuff into sandwiches and wraps.
The Quickest and Easiest Way to Cook Shrimp
Poaching is one of the easiest and most effective methods for cooking delicate proteins like chicken, salmon, eggs — and now shrimp.
The fragrant poaching liquid is where the magic happens. A little lemon juice helps tenderize the shrimp without making it rubbery or tough, while whole peppercorns and a bay leaf add flavor.
And they’re quick to make! Just a quick dip in the hot — not boiling! — poaching liquid yields insanely succulent shrimp that I love to use in shrimp cocktail or my favorite shrimp salad. Poached shrimp are remarkably versatile, though, and can be added to just about any recipe.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Poaching Shrimp
- Fresh or frozen shrimp? Use whichever you have on hand. If poaching frozen shrimp, add them straight to the pot without thawing first.
- Bring the water to a boil, then remove from the heat. You do NOT want to add the shrimp directly to a pot of boiling water. If you do that, you’ll wind up with overcooked shrimp; instead, add them to the hot water just after it’s stopped actively boiling.
- Shrimp are done once they’ve turned opaque and are firm to the touch. Shrimp change color as they cook, morphing from a light gray into a vibrant pinky-red.
Here’s the Type of Shrimp I Recommend
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- For perfect poaching, I recommend buying large shrimp. Look for the label “21/25” which means there are 21 to 25 shrimp per pound.
- Large shrimp are harder to overcook than small shrimp, and they stay nice and juicy after being poached. (Plus, no one wants dinky shrimp in their shrimp cocktail!)
- Both fresh and frozen shrimp can be poached, so long as they’re uncooked.
How to Poach Shrimp in 4 Minutes
- Bring the poaching liquid to a boil. 8 cups of water is flavored with a halved and juiced lemon, a bay leaf, whole peppercorns, and some kosher salt.
- Turn off the heat before poaching the shrimp. You don’t actually poach shrimp in boiling water, but the poaching liquid will still be plenty hot after turning off the heat.
- Immediately transfer to an ice bath. A slotted spoon or colander makes quick work of removing the shrimp from the hot water. If you skip the ice bath, the shrimp will continue cooking after being taken out of the hot poaching liquid and might become rubbery.
Heidi’s Tip: Shrimp need to be poached for 3 to 4 minutes total. Once they curl in on themselves and change color, they’re done.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Juicy Poached Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked fresh or frozen large shrimp. 21-25 per pound, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
- 8 cups water
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prep the poaching broth. In a large stockpot, add 8 cups water, the juice of 1 lemon and lemon halves, 1 bay leaf, 4 peppercorns, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
- Poach the shrimp. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat. Add 1 pound shrimp to the hot water and poach for 3-4 minutes or until the shrimp turn opaque and are just firm to the touch.
- Immediately drain and transfer the shrimp to an ice-water bath until cool. Drain the shrimp and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to cool.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
Yep! Take them out of the freezer and add them straight to the hot poaching liquid. Frozen shrimp will likely need to poach for the full 4 minutes.
Yes, but you’ll need to watch them like a hawk and transfer them to an ice bath as soon as they’re opaque and firm to the touch. Large shrimp already cook very quickly, so small shrimp will need even less time in the hot poaching liquid.
Recipes to Make with Poached Shrimp
- Shrimp Bowls
- Seafood Cobb Salad
- Caesar Salad (just add on top!)
- Shrimp Macaroni Salad
- Classic Shrimp Salad
More Super Easy Ways to Cook Shrimp
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