Hey there, shrimp lovers! I’ve been cooking shrimp for over 10 years, and lemme tell you – boiling frozen shrimp is WAY easier than you might think. No need for that annoying thawing step! Here’s my tried-and-true guide to getting perfectly cooked shrimp straight from your freezer.
Quick Answer
For raw frozen shrimp boiling times depend on size
- Small (41-50 per pound): 1 minute
- Medium (31-40 per pound): 1½ minutes
- Large (21-30 per pound): 3 minutes
- Jumbo (16-20 per pound): 4 minutes
- Colossal (under 10 per pound): 5 minutes
What You’ll Need
- Frozen raw shrimp (deveined)
- Large pot
- Water (2 quarts per pound of shrimp)
- Salt
- Colander
- Bowl of ice water
Step-by-Step Boiling Instructions
1. Prep Your Pot
- Fill pot with water (2 quarts per pound of shrimp)
- Add 1 tablespoon salt per 2 quarts
- Optional: Add aromatics like:
- Lemon halves
- Peppercorns
- Bay leaves
- Garlic cloves
2. Get That Water Rolling
- Bring water to a rapid boil
- Pro tip: Cover the pot to boil faster!
3. Add Your Frozen Shrimp
- Remove pot from heat
- Add frozen shrimp
- Give a quick stir to prevent sticking
- Cover pot
4. The Waiting Game
- Let shrimp sit in hot water (off heat!)
- Follow size-based timing above
- Don’t peek! Keep that lid on
5. Check for Doneness
Look for these signs
- Pink-orange color
- C-shaped curl
- Floating to surface
- Opaque flesh (not translucent)
Pro Tips From My Kitchen
-
Don’t Overcrowd Give those shrimps some space! Too many in the pot = uneven cooking
-
Shell Game: If cooking shell-on shrimp, add 30-60 seconds to cooking time
-
Ice Bath Ready: Have ice water ready if you’re making cold dishes like shrimp cocktail
-
Quality Check: Buy shrimp that’s:
- Already deveined
- Individually frozen (not in clumps)
- Preferably peeled or easy-peel
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Keeping the pot on heat while cooking
❌ Overcooking (hello, rubber shrimp!)
❌ Skipping the ice bath for cold dishes
❌ Using clumped frozen shrimp
Serving Suggestions
Your perfectly boiled shrimp can star in:
- Classic shrimp cocktail
- Seafood pasta dishes
- Fresh salads
- Tacos or burritos
- Gumbo or jambalaya
Flavor Variations
Wanna jazz up your boiled shrimp? Try these additions to your boiling water:
- Cajun seasoning
- Old Bay seasoning
- Beer instead of water
- Lemon and garlic
- New England style with potatoes and corn
Storage Tips
Got leftovers? Here’s what to do:
- Refrigerate: 3-4 days max
- Store in airtight container
- Keep chilled at all times
FAQ
Q: Can I reuse the boiling liquid?
A: Nah, it’s best to start fresh each time.
Q: My shrimp are mushy – what went wrong?
A: They might need a bit more time! Unlike other proteins, slightly longer cooking can actually help with texture.
Q: Can I add the shrimp while water’s boiling?
A: No way! Add them after removing from heat for best results.
Final Thoughts
Boiling frozen shrimp is seriously one of the easiest cooking methods out there. I’ve messed up plenty of shrimp in my day, but this method has never failed me. Just remember: don’t overthink it! The key is getting that timing right based on your shrimp size.
Now get cooking! And hey, if you try this method, lemme know how it turns out for you. I’m always excited to hear about your kitchen adventures!
Remember: When in doubt, it’s better to slightly overcook than undercook shrimp. Nobody wants that raw seafood experience!
Would you like me to explain or break down any part of this article further?
How Do You Cook Shrimp from Frozen?
Today I’ll show you my favorite way to cook shrimp from frozen…poaching. Tomorrow I’ll be roasting them (from frozen) on a pan with some asparagus for a one-pan dinner that’s ready in 10 minutes.
Poaching is truly my favorite way to cook shrimp, especially for shrimp cocktail, but for almost any preparation. It’s such a gentle cooking method and it leaves the shrimp plump, juicy, and tender – never tough.
The crazy thing is that to poach the shrimp from frozen, you do everything EXACTLY the same as for poaching thawed shrimp. You just leave them in the water for an extra minute. One minute. That’s all, no need for thawing.
So here’s what you do.
Get a medium or large saucepan. This depends on the number of shrimp you’re cooking. 12-15 large shrimp cook well in a 3 quart pot. You’ll need a bigger pot if you’re doing more than that. Fill the pot about 3/4 full of water.
Add salt. I use about 1/2 teaspoon for the 3 quart pot.
Then you can add other aromatic ingredients if you’d like. Half of a lemon is a great addition. Squeeze the juice into the pot before adding the halved lemon.
Peppercorns and parsley are two other things you can add. These aren’t as important as the salt but are nice additions.
Bring the pot to a rapid boil over high heat. (Cover the pot to make it boil sooner).
Remove from the heat and let it stop boiling.
Add the frozen shrimp.
Cover the pot. And let sit off of the heat for 5-6 minutes, until shrimp are opaque and pink. Yes, this is correct. The pot is not supposed to be on the heat at all anymore. The shrimp are poaching in the leftover heat of the water. If you keep boiling them, the shrimp will not be good at all!
A couple of times when cooking shrimp this way, they looked done but were a tad mushy. I actually think they were not quite ready yet because I ended up leaving them in a little bit longer and then they were perfect. So, if you’re not sure if it’s been long enough, try leaving them for another minute or two. At that point, the water has cooled enough that it’s not going to overcook them, so leaving them longer is a good idea.
If you have more shrimp than the 12 that the recipe calls for, you’ll need more time. I have done as many as 20 in that same pot. They then take about 10 minutes. If you’re going to do more than that, use a bigger pot and more boiled water.
If you’re planning to serve the shrimp cold (like for shrimp cocktail) or use them later, prepare an ice bath: In a large bowl, put two cups of ice cubes and fill halfway with cold water.
If you want cold shrimp, once they’re cooked, drain off the hot liquid and transfer shrimp (but not the aromatics) to the ice bath. Let them sit in there for a few minutes to fully cool off before draining.
If you want the shrimp to be served warm instead, drain off the hot liquid and serve immediately.
You can add them to a sauce for a pasta dish or squeeze some lemon over them and serve them as is.
I have so many great shrimp recipes for you to try, from my Easiest Shrimp Tacos to the ever popular Shrimp Cocktail.
Note that if they had the peels on, you can serve them with the peel or take the peels off before serving.
Video: How To Cook Shrimp From Frozen
So, don’t buy the “previously frozen” thawed shrimp at the grocery store. They often cost more and you need to use them up right away. Instead, get a bag of frozen shrimp. Then put them into your freezer and you’ve got the makings of a quick meal on hand and ready to go.
What kind of shrimp work best? Medium to large shrimp. And make sure they’re already deveined. It will say deveined on the bag. The reason you want them deveined is that you won’t be able to take the veins out yourself while they’re frozen and it will be hard, if not impossible to do after they’re cooked as well. So deveined shrimp are required. Other than that, I prefer them to be peeled but with the tail on, or easy peel. Either way, you can cook them from frozen and then serve. People can easily take the peels off after they’re cooked.
Note that the shrimp also need to be frozen separately, not in a big clump. If you shake the bag, you should hear a bunch of frozen shrimp all moving around separately in there. If 2-3 are frozen together here and there, that’s fine. But no bigger clumps than that. If the shrimp are bought frozen from the store, they are usually frozen separately. If they’ve clumped up in the bag a bit, try banging the bag lightly on the counter. This could dislodge them.