No need to defrost shrimp before cooking. Learn how to cook shrimp from frozen, taking them straight from the freezer to the pot. It makes dinners a breeze and they taste so good!
Remember back when I told you that you don’t have to defrost fish or chicken breasts before you cook them? Well, you don’t have to defrost shrimp before cooking them either!
To be honest, I don’t love cooking chicken from frozen. I do that more in a pinch when I forget to take it out. It doesn’t turn out quite as good as when defrosted first. The fish turns out really good, especially thicker pieces. But, the shrimp!?!? They’re amazing cooked from frozen! They turn out even better when not defrosted first. Seriously.
Video: How To Cook Shrimp From Frozen
What Kind Of Shrimp Should I Use?
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.
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.
Step #1
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.
Step #2
Add salt. I use about 1/2 teaspoon for the 3 quart pot.
Step #3
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.
Step #4
Bring the pot to a rapid boil over high heat. (Cover the pot to make it boil sooner).
Step #5
Remove from the heat and let it stop boiling.
Step #6
Add the frozen shrimp.
Step #7
Stir.
Step #8
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.
Step #9
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.
Step #10
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.
Step #11
Note that if they had the peels on, you can serve them with the peel or take the peels off before serving.
Podcast Episode: Cooking Frozen Shrimp
Listen to me explain briefly about How To Cook Shrimp From Frozen, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintHow to Poach Frozen Shrimp Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
This is the best way to cook frozen shrimp. They end up so tender and juicy.
Ingredients
- 12 large frozen shrimp (21–25 count per pound, deveined and peeled or deveined and easy peel)*
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 of a lemon (optional)
- 8–10 peppercorns (optional)
- a handful of fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Fill a 3 quart saucepan 3/4 full of water.
- Add salt. If using, squeeze the juice of the lemon into the pot and add the peel and flesh once squeezed. Add the peppercorns and parsley if using.
- Bring the pot to a rapid boil over high heat.
- Remove from the heat and let it stop boiling.
- Add the frozen shrimp. Stir. Put the lid on the saucepan. Cover the pot. Let sit off of the heat for 5-6 minutes**, until shrimp are opaque and pink.
- If serving cold, prepare an ice bath: In a large bowl put two cups of ice cubes and fill halfway with cold water.
- When shrimp are cooked, drain off the hot liquid and serve immediately or 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.
- Serve as is or peel them first.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
*NOTE: You can do as many as 20 shrimp in that same sized pot with that same amount of water. They’ll just take longer to all cook through, about 8-10 minutes. If you want to do more shrimp than that, use a bigger pot with more boiled water in it and it will work perfectly.
**It is better to err on the side of more time than less time. If the shrimp look done but aren’t quite ready, they will be mushy. So if you’re not sure, leave them a bit longer. And if you try one and it’s a bit mushy, let everything stay in the water a bit longer.
This post originally appeared in January 2018 and was revised and republished in October 2022. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Kathy says
Moist and tender. Flavorful. I’ve avoided home shrimp recipes for years but now cannot wait to cook more. Many thanks.
Christine Pittman says
That’s great, Kathy! Hope you get to enjoy shrimp more often now.
Rod R says
Works perfectly, shrimp are very fresh-tasting and tender. This will definitely be our go-to poached shrimp recipe!
Christine Pittman says
That’s great, Rod! Thanks for letting me know.
Deborah says
I cannot believe how good these are!!!
Christine Pittman says
So easy, right, Deborah? :)
Suzy says
Best and easiest way to cook shrimp! It turns out perfectly every time. Thank you!
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Suzy!
Eveie says
I tried this and it works great. My prawns ended up taking 10 min it’s amazing!!! No more trying to get my prawns defrosted first then cooking.
Christine Pittman says
Great! Thanks for sharing, Evie!
Zoe says
This worked perfectly! I had a bag of frozen raw king prawns and needed them for some prawn soft shell tacos. They were so juicy and perfectly cooked! Thanks for this tip, I will use it going forward. I’m in the UK and we don’t tend to call them shrimp!
Christine Pittman says
That’s wonderful, Zoe! Glad you enjoyed your prawns. :)
JJ says
Do the frozen shrimp have to be raw, or can they be precooked?
I can only eat wild shrimp (not farm raised). And the only frozen, peeled, deveined ones I can find are pre-cooked.
Christine Pittman says
Yes, this recipe is for cooking raw shrimp that are frozen. If you have cooked frozen shrimp, put them in a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold tap water. Stir occasionally. The shrimp should be defrosted in under 20 minutes.
Bambam says
Thank you for perfect instructions- no longer “leather” shrimp. Merry Christmas
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome! Merry Christmas!
Maria Polk says
🤩 that is easy and perfect thank you
Christine Pittman says
You’re very welcome, Maria!
Christine Pittman says
We have fixed the issue! There are still some ads on the screen when you click the print button, but those ads do not print on the paper. Unfortunately, when you print now, the font is rather large and a recipe takes up multiple pages. We are working on this though and hope to have it fixed soon. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention.
Christine Pittman says
Danny, we just had our site redesigned and there are some glitches. We were unaware of how bad this one was though! We are working on it now. Thanks for the heads up and we hope you’ll give us another visit soon.
Carol says
Can I grill store bought frozen, peeled and deveined shrimp without defrosting them 1st?
Christine Pittman says
Carol, I have never tried grilling frozen shrimp. Typically when I grill shrimp, I put them on skewers first so that they don’t fall through the grates. If the shrimp are frozen, you wouldn’t be able to use the skewers. If you have some kind of grill mat, or if you’re using a wood plank, then it should work. Arrange them in a single layer and cook until the shrimp are opaque and pink. I’m not sure how long though. If you try it, come back and let us know how it goes!
Karen says
I absolutely agree that poaching shrimp is the best The only thing I’d like to add is that adding a teaspoon or so of pickling spice and a bit of sugar along with the lemon is another flavor option.
Christine Pittman says
Thank you for sharing with us, Karen!
Lori LeBlanc says
Making spring rolls tonight and needed my frozen shrimp cooked quickly. This recipe is fantastic! I did use an entire bag of large shrimp, so it took 7 minutes, but it was easy to leave in until I knew they were cooked. This will be my go to! Thank you!
Sushi Chef Lori
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Lori! Thanks for sharing with us.
Greg says
I don’t know what I did wrong here, but my shrimp were not cooked through trying this method
Christine Pittman says
I’m sorry to hear that, Greg. If you have specific questions, we can try to problem solve with you!
Allie says
I am alllll the way from Malaysia and is very glad I found this recipe. It works and they are oh so nice! Cooked, plump shrimp. Not mushy or hard. Now I can add shrimp in anything! Thank you!
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Allie! Enjoy the shrimp!
Brenda Lippe says
Do I have to thaw shrimp to cook in a pan with other vegetables? I want to fry them up with veggies and make a sauce and serve over pasta and I don’t want to wait forever to defrost the shrimp. I’m only using about 20 shrimp.
Kellergirl says
Brilliant! thank you. hadan emergency need for shrimp this PM, had frozen, but bag said to thaw completely prior to cooking. This popped up when I Googled “can I boil frozen shrimp?”. PERFECTION! thanks so much.
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome! Happy to save the day. :)
Helene M says
I can’t believe I am today years old before I learned how to poach shrimp from frozen. I have used this a few times in the past few months and added shrimp to pasta and salads. This is so easy and so tasty. I would like to know how to use old bay seasoning to replicate some tasty shrimp from a local restaurant
Christine Pittman says
Thank you, Helene!
Stephanie M says
This technique worked really well! It was the best shrimp texture to ever come out of my kitchen. Thanks for the tip!
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Stephanie! Now you can enjoy shrimp more often.