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 how I said you don’t need to thaw fish or chicken breasts before cooking them? Well, you don’t need to thaw 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.
Cooking shrimp that has been frozen can seem daunting. Many home cooks worry that frozen shrimp will turn out rubbery and flavorless. However, with the right techniques, frozen shrimp can be just as delicious as fresh. In this detailed guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to cook frozen shrimp like a pro.
Why Cook Frozen Shrimp?
There are several advantages to using frozen shrimp rather than fresh:
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Convenience Frozen shrimp can be kept on hand for months in the freezer, ready to be thawed and cooked whenever you need a quick protein No last-minute trips to the market required.
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Consistency The freezing process stops the clock on shrimp freshness Frozen shrimp sold at markets is frozen at its peak so you always get maximum flavor and texture
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Value Frozen shrimp is often sold in bulk at lower prices than fresh per pound You can buy exactly as much as you need
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Sustainability: Most frozen shrimp is farmed or wild-caught responsibly. Quality brands ensure sustainability.
So don’t be afraid to grab a bag of frozen shrimp for your next recipe! When handled properly, frozen shrimp cooks up tender and delicious.
Thawing Frozen Shrimp
For the best results, frozen shrimp should be thawed before cooking. There are a few safe ways to quick thaw shrimp:
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In the refrigerator overnight: Place frozen shrimp in a bowl and let sit in the fridge 8-12 hours. Once thawed, use within 1-2 days.
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In cold water: Place shrimp in a colander and run under cold tap water for 10-15 minutes until pliable.
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As part of cooking: Add frozen shrimp at the very end of recipes with liquid like soups or curries. The shrimp will thaw and cook in the hot liquid in 3-5 minutes.
Never thaw shrimp at room temperature or in hot water—this encourages bacteria growth.
How to Cook Shrimp from Frozen
Once your shrimp is thawed, there are many cooking methods that work well:
Pan-Seared
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Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Season with salt, pepper, and spices of choice.
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Heat a skillet with 1-2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat.
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Add shrimp in a single layer and cook undisturbed until pink on one side, about 2 minutes.
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Flip and cook 1 minute more until opaque throughout.
Sautéed
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Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add aromatics like garlic, shallot, or chile pepper and cook 1 minute.
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Add thawed shrimp and sauté until pink and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side.
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Toss with sauce ingredients like lemon juice, herbs, or butter.
Grilled
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Toss thawed shrimp with oil and seasonings of choice.
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Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Oil grates.
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Grill shrimp 2-3 minutes per side until charred and opaque.
Baked
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Toss thawed shrimp with oil, seasonings, and chopped aromatics.
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Spread in a baking dish or sheet pan. Bake at 400F for 5 minutes.
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Broil 2-3 minutes until shrimp are opaque and lightly charred.
Poached
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Add 2 cups water, aromatics, and seasonings to a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
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Once boiling, remove pan from heat, add thawed shrimp, and cover.
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Let stand off heat for 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
Air Fried
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Pat thawed shrimp dry and toss with oil and desired seasonings.
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Air fry at 400F for 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway, until opaque.
Follow these guidelines, and your frozen shrimp will cook up plump, tender and flavorful every time. Experiment with global seasonings and sauces to enjoy versatile frozen shrimp in tacos, pasta, salads, and more. With the right techniques, frozen shrimp can be an easy, delicious addition to home cooking.
Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking Frozen Shrimp
While cooking frozen shrimp is easy, there are a few common mistakes that can lead to poor texture and flavor:
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Not thawing properly: As mentioned above, shrimp should be thawed before cooking for the most even results. Never thaw at room temperature.
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Overcrowding: Do not crowd too many shrimp into the pan at once or they will steam rather than sear. Work in batches for the best texture.
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Overcooking: Shrimp cooks very fast, usually under 5 minutes. Check frequently for doneness and remove from heat as soon as the flesh is opaque.
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Not drying: Pat shrimp very dry before cooking. Any excess moisture will cause splattering and steaming.
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Adding shrimp too early: When making shrimp scampi or shrimp creole, wait to add shrimp until the very end to avoid overcooking.
Follow these tips, and you’ll be rewarded with plump, juicy shrimp cooked from frozen every time!
How to Buy Sustainable Frozen Shrimp
When purchasing frozen shrimp, choose retailers and brands that practice sustainability to support healthy oceans and fisheries. Here’s what to look for:
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MSC or ASC certification: These labels indicate the shrimp was sustainably wild caught or responsibly farmed. This ensures populations and ecosystems are protected.
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Pacific White Shrimp: Most U.S. frozen shrimp comes from highly regulated farms in the U.S., Thailand, Indonesia and Ecuador. Pacific white is the most common variety.
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Antibiotic-free: Choose brands verified to be antibiotic-free to avoid overuse in aquaculture. Antibiotics can harm ocean ecosystems when overused.
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Best choices: Select retailers that promise to source only sustainable seafood, like Whole Foods, Publix, and Target. Ask questions about sourcing if uncertain.
Following these guidelines helps preserve shrimp populations and marine habitat while supporting ethical harvesting. We can all make a positive impact through our purchases.
Cooking Times for Different Shrimp Sizes
Shrimp is sold by “count per pound” which indicates size. The lower the count, the larger the shrimp. Use these cooking times as a guide:
Extra Jumbo (U10): 2-3 minutes
Jumbo (16-20): 2-3 minutes
Extra Large (21-25): 1-2 minutes
Large (26-30): 1-2 minutes
Medium (31-35): 1-2 minutes
Small (36-45): 1 minute
Always check a few shrimp for doneness as sizes vary. Remove immediately once opaque throughout to prevent overcooking.
5 Delicious Frozen Shrimp Recipes
Take your frozen shrimp meals from bland to bold with these easy, flavor-packed recipes:
1. Lemon Garlic Baked Shrimp
Juicy shrimp baked with lemon, garlic and herbs for a quick and impressive dinner.
2. Spicy Coconut Shrimp Curry
Frozen shrimp sautéed in an aromatic Thai red curry coconut sauce. Serve over rice.
3. Cheesy Shrimp and Grits
Comfort food heaven—tender shrimp in creamy cheddar cheese grits.
4. Shrimp Fajitas
Marinated shrimp sizzled with bell peppers and onions for a fast Mexican fiesta.
5. Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
A New Orleans classic that’s budget-friendly with frozen shrimp as the star.
The possibilities are endless for preparing frozen shrimp in globally inspired recipes. Get creative with your favorite flavors!
The Takeaway
Cooking delicious shrimp from frozen is easy when you follow a few simple guidelines:
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Always thaw frozen shrimp before cooking using safe methods like the fridge or cold water.
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Choose high-quality frozen shrimp and brands that practice sustainability.
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Pat thawed shrimp very dry to prevent splattering during cooking.
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Use quick, high-heat methods like sautéing, grilling or searing.
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Don’t overcrowd the pan and don’t overcook—remove shrimp as soon as they turn opaque.
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Experiment with spices, sauces and global flavors to jazz up frozen shrimp.
Following these tips, you can say farewell to the days of soggy, rubbery frozen shrimp! You’ll be enjoying restaurant-quality seafood at home.
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. After that, put them in the freezer. Now you have everything you need for a quick meal.
What kind of shrimp work best? Medium to large shrimp. And make sure they’re already deveined. It will say deveined on the bag. You won’t be able to take out the veins yourself while they’re frozen, and it will be hard, if not impossible, to do so after they’ve been 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. You should hear a bunch of frozen shrimp moving around inside the bag if you shake it. 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. I’m going to roast them from frozen tomorrow on a pan with asparagus for a quick 10-minute dinner that only needs one pan.
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.
To poach shrimp that has been frozen, you do EVERYTHING the same way you do it when the shrimp has been thawed. 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. Really, I don’t think they were ready yet because I left them in a little longer and they were perfect after that. So, if you’re not sure if it’s been long enough, try leaving them for another minute or two. They won’t get too done at that point because the water has cooled enough. So it’s best to leave them in for longer.
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.
Set up an ice bath if you want to serve the shrimp cold (like in shrimp cocktail) or save them for later use. Put two cups of ice cubes in a large bowl and fill it halfway with cold water.
Once the shrimp are cooked, drain off the hot liquid and add them (but not the aromatics) to the ice bath. This will make them cold. 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.
If you want to serve them plain, just squeeze some lemon juice over them and they’ll be fine.
I have a lot of great shrimp recipes for you to try, from my Easy Shrimp Tacos to the classic Shrimp Cocktail.
If the peels are still on, you can serve them that way or take them off before cooking.
