Hey there! I’m a seafood enthusiast who’s always on the hunt for interesting catches to try in my kitchen. Today, I’m gonna share everything you need to know about eating mantis shrimp – those weird-looking crustaceans with powerful claws that pack quite a punch!
Quick Answer
Yes, you can definitely eat mantis shrimp! While not super common in Western countries, these creatures are considered delicacies in many Asian regions like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Southern China They’re totally safe to eat when properly prepared and offer a unique seafood experience
What Does Mantis Shrimp Taste Like?
From my experience cooking these little guys, mantis shrimp meat has:
- A sweet, mild flavor similar to lobster or scallops
- White, slightly chewy and flaky texture when cooked
- Subtle briny seafood taste
- Sweetest meat in the tail section
- Versatile flavor that works well with different seasonings
How to Cook Mantis Shrimp
Here are my favorite ways to prepare mantis shrimp:
- Boiling/Steaming (2-3 minutes)
- Grilling (2-4 minutes per side)
- Sautéing (2-3 minutes)
- Breading and frying
- Baking (400°F for 5-7 minutes)
Pro tip: Don’t overcook them! They get rubbery real quick. Just cook until the meat turns opaque.
Safety Tips When Handling
Before you run off to cook these guys. keep these important safety points in mind
- Watch out for those lightning-fast claws when handling live ones
- Remove the head and claws before cooking (they’re inedible when cooked)
- Cook thoroughly to 145°F for food safety
- Eat fresh or freeze immediately
- Avoid eating raw unless properly prepared by experts
My Favorite Mantis Shrimp Recipes
Here are some awesome ways I love cooking mantis shrimp
- Spicy coconut curry stir-fry
- Garlic butter steamed shrimp
- Crispy tempura style
- Lemongrass ginger soup
- Thai-style salad with mango
Where to Find Mantis Shrimp
You might have to do some searching to find these bad boys. Your best bet is:
- Asian seafood markets
- Specialty fish markets
- Mediterranean seafood shops
- Some coastal restaurants
Bottom Line
Don’t let their alien looks scare you off! Mantis shrimp are a tasty and unique seafood option that’s worth trying if you’re feeling adventurous. Just remember to handle them carefully, cook them properly, and get creative with your seasonings.
Have you ever tried mantis shrimp? What’s your favorite way to prepare unusual seafood? Drop a comment below – I’d love to hear your experiences!
Would you like me to explain or break down any part of this article in more detail?
“It was, by far, the most delicious of the squirmy creatures I’ve encountered at the markets here.”
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I wake up early in the morning and walk to the markets in Flushing to see whats fresh each day. The choices are constantly changing, especially at the fruit stands and the fishmongers. As the weather cools down the abundance of lychees and longans give way to persimmons and pomelos; wooden baskets brimming with blue claw crabs are kept by the fish tanks. This morning, I saw soft shell crabs stacked neatly in a shallow cardboard box; next to it there was a bin full of less-familiar beauties: large, live, flailing and squirming prawn-like creatures.
I lowered my head down to get a whiff of that sweet, oceanic smell and instead suffered a slap on the face from one of the prawns, its propeller-like tail curling upwards in shrimpy indignation. That settled matters; a few minutes later I walked back to my apartment with a pound of the jumping specimens in my shopping bag.
The fish department is the only place in a market where youre likely to find strange animals that are still alive. Things at the meat counter have already bit the dust, and even when you do find a more interesting animal offering, such as the frozen armadillo I once came across next to a box of pig ears, who really has the time to wait for an armadillo to defrost? Strange creatures at the fishmongers, on the other hand, are just begging to be eaten: there are gorgeous bivalves in an array of colors and sizes, hairy crabs, tiny Long Island crabs, spotted frogs, and razor clams the length and width of a medium-sized carrot. I could eat a different strange animal every week from the fishmongers, and still not exhaust all my options.
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Shrimp, prawn, or neither? The differences are sometimes minute: both shrimp and prawns are delicious; both taste, uh, shrimp-like. According to Wikipedia, prawns have “sequentially overlapping body segments”—that is to say, segment one covers segment two, segment two covers segment three, and so forth. In shrimp, on the other hand, segment two covers both segments one and three. I checked the carapace of my dinner and found that the body segments were indeed sequentially overlapping. And yet, the squareness of their heads suggested that they were neither shrimp nor prawns, but another type of crustacean altogether.
In fact, they were mantis shrimp, a marine crustacean named for its resemblance to the praying mantis. Mantis shrimp show up as a sushi topping, are boiled whole, and eaten out of the shell, and appear in various Mediterranean cuisines (in Italy, they are Canocchie).
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“The meat was intensely sweet, like lobster”
I tossed a couple of the suckers into a pot of boiling water. Though tempted to eat the whole pound straight out the pot, I made use of the majority of the lightly boiled meat for a risotto-inspired rice dish, using the shells to make a quick broth in which to simmer my grains of rice. The meat was intensely sweet, like lobster, only even more tender than the tenderest of tiny chicken lobsters. It was, by far, the most delicious of the squirmy creatures Ive encountered at the Flushing markets.
If you can get your hands on some mantis shrimp, treat them as you would prawns, shrimp, langoustines, and so forth: use in bouillabaisse, risotto, pasta, and paella. Or, just boil and enjoy.
Mantis Shrimp Eats His Friend!
FAQ
Is a mantis shrimp good to eat?
Mantis prawns are very hard to find in the United States (I hear it’s because they need to be cooked alive) but they are absolutely delicious and I would recommend them to any adventurous eater. Next time you are in Asia, you MUST try them.
How much does a mantis shrimp cost?
| Item # | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 005932 | Peacock Mantis Shrimp, Small: over 2-2.5″, Indo Pacific * Restriction On Guarantee | $139.99 |
| 003756 | Peacock Mantis Shrimp, Medium: over 2.5-4.5″, Indo Pacific * Restriction On Guarantee | $149.99 |
| 005934 | Peacock Mantis Shrimp, Large: over 4.5-6.5″, Indo Pacific * Restriction On Guarantee | $179.99 |
Can I legally own a mantis shrimp?
Answer: There are no specific regulations for these crustaceans, but they are protected by the general sport fishing regulations for all invertebrates and crustaceans (CCR Title 14, sections 29.05 and 29.80, respectively). Invertebrates may not be taken by hook and line.