Are you going to cook shrimp and want to know how to peel and devein them the right way? Some people might say you don’t even need to devein them, but we already know what we want to do, right?
You can clean shrimp quickly and devein them with or without shells. My mom taught me a really quick way to do it.
Have you ever wanted to enjoy juicy, tender shrimp in their shells but weren’t sure how to properly clean them? Deveining shrimp while leaving the shell on may sound tricky, but it’s actually pretty simple.
As a home cook and food blogger, I love preparing shell-on shrimp. The shell helps the shrimp retain moisture as it cooks, leading to plump, flavorful results. But you definitely don’t want to eat the vein – that bitter, gritty digestive tract running along the shrimp’s back.
Luckily with just a pair of kitchen shears and a little finesse, you can devein shell-on shrimp in no time. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it.
Why Devein Shrimp?
Before we dive in, let’s quickly cover why it’s important to devein shrimp in the first place
The vein in shrimp is part of its digestive system It can contain grit or sediment that gives the shrimp an unpleasant, bitter flavor For the best tasting shrimp, it’s best to remove this vein while leaving the shell intact.
Deveining also improves the appearance of cooked shrimp. The vein often shows through the flesh as a dark streak. Removing it gives you nicely presented, appetizing shrimp.
What You Need to Devein Shell-On Shrimp
Deveining shell-on shrimp is simple with just a couple of tools:
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Raw, shell-on shrimp – Fresh or thawed frozen shrimp work equally well. Go for large shrimp like jumbo or colossal to make deveining easier.
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Kitchen shears or sharp paring knife – You’ll need a precise, pointed tool to cut into the shell without damaging the shrimp meat. Kitchen shears offer the best control.
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Paper towels – For wiping away deveining debris.
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Bowl of cold water – To rinse the cleaned shrimp.
That’s it! Now let’s get deveining.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps to cleanly and easily devein shrimp with the shells still on:
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Start with raw, shell-on shrimp. Peel off the legs and separate the shrimp if clustered together. Rinse briefly and pat dry.
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Locate the vein along the shrimp’s curved back. It looks like a thin, dark line. Tilt the shrimp to see it clearly.
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Using kitchen shears, make a shallow cut alongside the length of the vein, about 1/8 inch deep. You only need to expose the vein, not cut deeply.
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Next, make a shallow pinprick cut at the head end of the vein. This opens up the pathway so it’s easier to remove the entire vein.
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Using the tip of the shears, lift out the vein. Grab and gently pull to slide it fully out of the cut shell. It may break into pieces – that’s ok.
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Repeat with the remaining shrimp, making a lengthwise cut and pinprick to devein each one. Work slowly and carefully.
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Rinse the deveined shrimp under cold water, wiping away any debris. Check for any remaining veins and fully remove them.
And that’s it – you now have cleanly deveined, shell-on shrimp ready for cooking. Isn’t that easy?
Tips for Deveining Shell-On Shrimp
Here are a few handy tips to get picture-perfect results when deveining shell-on shrimp:
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Work on a damp paper towel for easy cleanup. It catches any deveining debris.
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Cut top-side only for a cleaner presentation. No one will see the incision.
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For butterflied shrimp, cut deeper mid-shell. This lets you fully open up the shrimp after cooking.
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Devein right before cooking for best flavor and texture. Freshly peeled shrimp deteriorate faster.
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For poaching or boiling, leave the very tip of the vein. This helps seal in juices and flavor.
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Chill cleaned shrimp immediately and use within a day. Raw shellfish perish quickly at room temperature.
Shrimp Recipes Perfect for Deveining Shell-On
Once you get the technique down, you’ll find so many great uses for shell-on, deveined shrimp. Here are some of my favorite recipes:
Cocktail Shrimp with Shells
Chilled, poached shrimp are a classic cocktail party treat. Serve with spicy cocktail sauce for dunking.
Shrimp Boil with Corn and Potatoes
A traditional Southern feast! Boil shrimp with sausage, corn, and potatoes for a communal, hands-on meal.
Shrimp Scampi
Buttery, garlicky shrimp baked in their shells are extra succulent and flavorful. Toss with pasta or rice.
Coconut Curry Shrimp
Simmer shrimp in an aromatic Thai curry coconut broth. Ladle over jasmine rice.
Grilled Skewered Shrimp
Load shell-on shrimp onto skewers and grill until lightly charred. Brush with chili-lime butter.
Garlicky Baked Shrimp and Tomatoes
Nestle shrimp into tomato halves before roasting. Serve these tasty packages over lemony orzo.
Master Deveining Shell-On Shrimp
As you can see, deveining shrimp while keeping the shells intact takes just a few easy steps. With practice, you’ll be able to swiftly clean shrimp for all your favorite recipes.
The key is working slowly and making precise, shallow cuts right along the back vein. Take your time and don’t cut too deeply into the shrimp meat.
Should you peel shrimp shells before deveining?
If your recipe says to leave the shells on, there are different ways to devein the shrimp. For example, you can use a toothpick or make a butterfly cut with a knife. You don’t have to peel shrimp before deveining them, but it is easier to do so after the shells are off. It’s much easier to cut or pierce through the meat or even see where the vein is when the shells are taken off.
Here is how to peel shrimp with your hands:
- Option to remove the head. Twist and pull the head off completely.
- Pull off the legs.
- To peel each piece of the shell, use your thumb to separate the underside of the shell from the meat.
- Continue until all of the shells are removed.
How to peel shrimp shells fast (w/ shears)
It can take a long time to peel shrimp shells. I’ve found that kitchen shears are the fastest way to do it.
1. Remove the head by twisting and pulling it off the body.
2. Using shears, cut along the top center of the shrimp. This is where the shell is hardest and the digestive tract is located. The smaller your shear tips the easier it will be. Try not to cut deeper than 1/4″ into the flesh.
3. Once you reach the tail, peel off the shell from the meat and discard the shell.
Online, you can buy tools that make it easy to peel and devein shrimp at the same time. But I don’t like buying kitchen tools that can only be used once. Alternatively, if you don’t have kitchen shears, you can also use your fingers and manually remove the shells. A pro tip is to keep the shells to. make seafood stock.
How to Devein Shell-On Shrimp Tutorial Video
FAQ
Is it necessary to devein both sides of shrimp?
What is the black vein on the underside of shrimp?
How do you de-vein shrimp without removing the shell?
Here’s how to de-vein shrimp without actually removing the shell: Snip up the back of the shell with cooking shears, just deep enough into the meat to reveal the “vein”. Pull the vein out of the shrimp through the cut in the shell. Rinse out the shrimp where the vein used to be.
How do you remove a shell from a shrimp?
If you want to keep the shell on the body while you’re cooking it, but you’d rather not cook it with the legs and vein, use a pair of kitchen scissors to snip the shell along its back. This way you can still devein the shrimp, and peel off the shell when it’s done cooking. Pull off the head. Sometimes shrimp comes with the head still attached.
How do you devein shrimp?
To devein a shrimp, make a shallow cut along the back and then pull out the vein with the tip of your knife.
How do you peel and devein shrimp?
Peeling and deveining shrimp is an easy step that can save you some money if you’re willing to do it yourself. First, you remove the head, then pull off the legs and the shell. Devein shrimp with the help of a paring knife. Read on to learn more about how to peel and devein shrimp to get them ready to make into a tasty seafood dish.