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Cooking Frozen Shrimp

Summary Discover three methods for cooking frozen shrimp that will add endless variety to your weeknight dinner menu. Read on to learn more!

One of the reasons shrimp is so popular is because it is easy to cook in many different ways. Here’s a look at three basic methods for cooking frozen shrimp—poached, sauteed, and grilled. Once you’ve mastered these techniques, you can add shrimp to almost any recipe. All these directions call for frozen, peeled, deveined shrimp with the tail on. Let’s get started.

Poaching Frozen Shrimp

We’ll start with poaching because it’s the easiest and because you don’t even have to thaw the shrimp. You can throw the frozen shrimp right into the pot! To cook poached shrimp, bring a large pot of water to boil. You’ll want about 3 quarts of water to cook 15 medium to large shrimp. Toss in ½ a teaspoon of salt. That’s all you need, but you can add other flavors if you like. Fresh lemon juice, parsley, and peppercorns are excellent additions, but anything works. Once the water is at a rolling boil, remove the pot from the heat, stir in your frozen shrimp, and cover the pot. Let the shrimp cook in hot water (off the heat) for 5-6 minutes until they are pink and opaque. They come out tender, juicy, and plump every time. What could be easier?

Sautéing Frozen Shrimp

Shrimp sauteed on your stovetop is simple to prepare. You need to thaw the shrimp first, following package directions. Once the shrimp are thawed, dry them off and toss them evenly with your seasonings. Salt and pepper are fine, but you can be creative—heat butter or oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Once the fat is hot, add your shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes on each side. It goes fast! You want pink, opaque shrimp that has curled gently into a C shape. If you have Os, you’ve cooked them too long.

Grilling Frozen Shrimp

You’ll love how easy it is to grill shrimp. This is another method that can go straight from the freezer to the grill. Place frozen shrimp on skewers. Brush both sides with butter and sprinkle with your favorite seasonings. Italian seasoning, Greek seasoning, a spicy Asian blend – they all work. Place on a medium-hot, prepared grill, and cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Don’t walk away – watch for that signature pink, opaque color to appear.

Dinner is Served

Now you have the secret to delicious weeknight meals. Toss shrimp on salads, add them to pasta sauces, pair them with taco fixing, or eat them plain with a slice of lemon and a tall, cool beverage. However you decide to serve them, you can be sure the meal will delight.

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