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    Home » Recipes » Easy Recipes

    How to Boil Shrimp for Shrimp Cocktail

    June 30, 2021 Updated: January 31, 2022 By Katie Crenshaw 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Follow these easy tips and steps on how to boil #shrimp to make the perfect #shrimpcocktail. Also included are detailed instructions on how to peel and devein shrimp. #aforkstale
    Follow these easy tips and steps on how to boil #shrimp to make the perfect #shrimpcocktail. Also included are detailed instructions on how to peel and devein shrimp. #aforkstale

    Follow these easy tips and steps on how to boil shrimp to make the perfect shrimp cocktail.

    Also included are detailed instructions on how to peel and devein shrimp.

    Shrimp cocktail is flavorful, healthy, and delicious! Make it at home today!

    a checkered blue towel wit a silver platter topped with boiled shrimp and cocktail sauce. The shrimp cocktail is garnished with lemon slices

    I never recommend pre-cooked frozen shrimp. They loose their flavor from the thawing and pre-cooking process. When defrosted, they can be rubbery.

    This is why I always cook my shrimp from raw.

    Peeling, deveining, and boiling shrimp is easy to do at home.

    The biggest mistakes people make when cooking shrimp are over-cooking the shrimp and not flavoring the broth.

    Follow these steps and tips for perfectly boiled shrimp for shrimp cocktail!

    Watch how to boil shrimp

    Ingredients

    Ingredients to boil shrimp

    To boil shrimp for shrimp cocktail, you will need the following ingredients:

    • Shrimp: Peeled and deveined shrimp, unless you are making "boiled peel and eat shrimp." (Keep the shells if you are peeling them!)
    • Beer: Plain water is flavorless. I prefer Corona Light for the light citrusy flavor. You want to pick a beer that is not over powering. The beer is meant to compliment and add to the shrimp flavor, not take away from the shrimp flavor.
    • Old Bay Seasoning: Some people cook Old Bay Seasoning in the broth. I like to toss the shrimp in the Old Bay Seasoning at the end for the full flavor.

    Note: If you do not want to use beer to boil shrimp, substitute beer with water and add half of a lemon.

    Note: It is cheaper to buy shrimp with their shells on. However, if you want to save time and the work effort, buy peeled and deveined shrimp.

    steps on how to boil shrimp

    Steps to boil shrimp

    Follow these easy steps on how to boil shrimp to make the perfect shrimp cocktail!

    1. Peel and devein shrimp. (If you want to make "peel and eat shrimp," skip this step.
    2. Add the shrimp peels to a large stock pot. This will add flavor to the shrimp broth.
    3. Add one beer to stock pot. Then fill pot with water ¾ of the way.
    4. Bring broth to a boil.
    5. Add shrimp. Cook until done, about 2-3 minutes depending on size. They are done when the tails curl and the skin is pink. Take them out immediately when done.
    6. Strain immediately under cold water, just long enough to take the initial heat off the shrimp and remove the pot water.
    7. Quickly toss Old Bay Seasoning over the shrimp.
    8. Quickly seperate shrimp from shells that were in the stock onto ice. Chill until ready to serve.

    Note: To make shrimp cocktail, serve with cocktail sauce. You can use store bought or easily make it homemade. You can also serve it with a delicious homemade mustard sauce for a different twist!

    step by step how to peel and devein shrimp

    How to peel and devein shrimp

    Follow these easy steps to peel and devein shrimp:

    1. If the head is attached to the shrimp, remove the head. Starting at the head end, go underneath to the leg side of the shrimp and break away shell.
    2. Pinching the shell tail tip to keep it in place, remove shell to tail tip. If removing the tail, pinch the very back of the tail right above the tail fins and pull the tail tip off. This prevents any breakage of the tail end of shrimp.
    3. Using a sharp pairing knife, cut shrimp down the middle back of the shrimp to expose the vein. Careful not to go too deep (about ¼ in deep).
    4. Use the pairing knife to pull out the grey vein. You can run shrimp under cold water if any pieces of the vein does not easily remove.

    Click here to watch my video on how to peel and devein shrimp.

    Tip: If peeling and deveining several shrimp, keep shrimp over ice until ready to cook.

    What size shrimp should you use for shrimp cocktail?

    I like the 21-25 shrimp per pound count. They are a nice size and are still sweet.

    You can go bigger. However, the extra large giant size are not as sweet as the smaller size.

    shrimp cocktail on a checkered blue and white towel with lemons and Corona Beers to the side

    How to quick thaw frozen shrimp?

    Submerge frozen shrimp in a large bowl of cold water. Thaw shrimp 15 to 20 minutes until completely thawed.

    For more shrimp recipes, try:

    • Shrimp Salad with Pickled Okra
    • Shrimp Pasta Salad
    • Spanish Garlic Shrimp
    • Instant Pot Gumbo with Shrimp and Sausage

    Please leave me a comment below if you use these steps to boil shrimp and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.

    Also post your picture of your shrimp cocktail on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!

    how to boil shrimp for shrimp cocktail

    How to Boil Shrimp for Shrimp Cocktail

    Follow these easy tips and steps on how to boil shrimp to make the perfect shrimp cocktail.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Save Recipe Saved! Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 113kcal
    Author: Katie Crenshaw

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds uncooked shrimp
    • 12 ounces beer
    • Old Bay Seasoning to taste

    Instructions

    • Peel and devein 2 pounds shrimp. (If you want to make "peel and eat shrimp," skip this step.
    • Add the shrimp peels to a large stock pot. This will add flavor to the shrimp broth.
    • Add 12 ounce beer to stock pot. Then fill pot with water ¾ of the way.
    • Bring broth to a boil.
    • Add shrimp. Cook until done, about 2-3 minutes depending on size. They are done when the tails curl and the skin is pink. Take them out immediately when done.
    • Strain immediately under cold water, just long enough to take the initial heat off the shrimp and remove the pot water.
    • Quickly toss Old Bay Seasoning over the shrimp.
    • Quickly seperate shrimp from shells that were in the stock onto ice. Chill until ready to serve.
    • Serve with lemon slices and cocktail sauce.

    Video

    Notes

    Note: If using frozen shrimp, submerge frozen shrimp in a large bowl of cold water. Thaw shrimp 15 to 20 minutes until completely thawed.

    Nutrition- Nutrition info is based on estimation only.

    Calories: 113kcal | Protein: 23g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 881mg | Potassium: 91mg | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? I want to see it!Mention @aForksTale or tag #aForksTale!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Hayley Dhanecha

      July 05, 2021 at 9:13 am

      5 stars
      What an informative post with so many tips and tricks on How to boil Shrimp, sharing it with my friend who loves her shrimp!

    2. Heidy

      July 05, 2021 at 6:08 am

      5 stars
      These tips and recipe to make a shrimp cocktail look outstanding, and I am looking forward to making this today since I have all the ingredients on hand minus 1, I think!!! Have a great night! I will let you know how it turns out!
      Heidy

    3. Loreto and Nicoletta

      July 05, 2021 at 2:39 am

      5 stars
      This is a great shrimp cocktail! I am totally with you on buying uncooked shrimp and getting some love and flavor into those lovely ocean gems. I like to toss my cooked shrimp in a pit of vinegar and capers. Just adds another dimension of flavor! Thanks! Now I am so craving shrimps cocktail!

    4. Kushigalu

      July 04, 2021 at 6:21 am

      5 stars
      Thanks alot for all the tips and tricks. Never tried boiling it like this before. I will have to try it this way soon.

    5. Brianna

      July 04, 2021 at 2:06 am

      5 stars
      These shrimp turned out so moist and flavorful! Old Bay is the best shrimp seasoning.

    6. Linda

      July 03, 2021 at 5:53 pm

      5 stars
      Shrimps in beer? Definitely a yes for me and yay for more shrimp cocktail.

    7. Liz

      July 02, 2021 at 6:07 pm

      5 stars
      My dad LOVES shrimp cocktail so I was glad to find exactly how to prepare the shrimp! Thanks!

    8. Heather

      July 02, 2021 at 2:51 am

      I love shrimp cocktail as an appetizer when I eat out, but have never tried making it myself! Boiling with beer sounds amazing and your tips make it seem super do-able at home.

    9. Marie

      July 01, 2021 at 2:24 pm

      5 stars
      Shrimp cocktail is such a timeless appetizer! The deliciousness of the dish a hundred percent depends on whether the shrimps are properly cooked so I love your super clever, helpful tips! I bet they'll save us from lots of rubbery shrimp cocktails!

    10. Allyssa

      July 01, 2021 at 10:55 am

      5 stars
      Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make recipe! It's really helpful and it really turned out great! I highly recommend this!

    11. Anaiah

      July 01, 2021 at 10:36 am

      5 stars
      Never tried boiling shrimp with beer before! This shrimp cocktail recipe turned out great and you were right, it was soo much more flavorful than if I were to use water.

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