How Many Ounces Are in One Shrimp? A Helpful Guide to Shrimp Sizes

Shrimp are a beloved seafood for their sweet, succulent taste and versatility. They can be enjoyed in salads, pastas, tacos, skewers, cocktail shrimp and more. But when shopping for shrimp, you may wonder – how much shrimp am I really getting? How many ounces are in a single shrimp based on the size?

In this article, I’ll provide a helpful guide to shrimp sizes and weights. You’ll learn the standard shrimp size categories how many shrimp are in an ounce for each size, and what a typical serving looks like.

Having this background will help you pick the right shrimp size for your recipes and understand shrimp weight equivalents Let’s dive in!

An Overview of Shrimp Sizes

Shrimp are categorized by “count per pound” – meaning how many individual shrimp make up one pound. The smaller the shrimp, the higher the count per pound.

Here are the common commercial shrimp size categories:

• Colossal – Under 15 shrimp per pound
• Jumbo – 16 to 20 shrimp per pound
• Extra Large – 21 to 25 shrimp per pound
• Large – 26 to 30 shrimp per pound
• Medium – 31 to 35 shrimp per pound
• Small – 36 to 45 shrimp per pound
• Miniature – Over 100 shrimp per pound

So colossal indicates the biggest shrimp, with the fewest needed to make a pound. Miniature means very small shrimp with over 100 comprising a pound.

Keep in mind count sizes may vary slightly between different seafood companies. But this gives a general overview of shrimp sizes from largest to smallest.

How Many Ounces is One Shrimp Based on Size?

Now let’s look at how many ounces of shrimp meat you get with a single shrimp within each size range:

• Colossal – 1 to 1.5 ounces each
• Jumbo – Around 0.75 ounces each
• Extra Large – Around 0.6 ounces each
• Large – Around 0.5 ounces each
• Medium – Around 0.4 ounces each
• Small – Around 0.25 ounces each
• Miniature – Around 0.1 ounces each

As expected, colossal shrimp weigh the most per shrimp at 1 to 1.5 ounces each. Jumbo shrimp weigh about 0.75 ounces each. Then the weight per shrimp decreases as the shrimp get smaller in size.

Miniature shrimp weigh only 0.1 ounces individually because it takes over 100 to make up one pound.

If you know the count per pound, you can also calculate the weight per shrimp by dividing 16 ounces per pound by the count per pound.

So for example:

• 16 oz per pound / 12 shrimp per pound (Colossal) = 1.3 oz per shrimp
• 16 oz per pound / 21 shrimp per pound (Jumbo) = 0.76 oz per shrimp

This works for any shrimp size to determine the ounces per piece.

How Many Shrimp Are in One Ounce?

You can also look at the relationship in reverse – how many shrimp it takes to make up one ounce.

Here is the approximate number of shrimp per ounce for each size category:

• Colossal – 1 shrimp per ounce
• Jumbo – 1 to 2 shrimp per ounce
• Extra Large – 2 shrimp per ounce
• Large – 2 to 3 shrimp per ounce
• Medium – 3 to 4 shrimp per ounce
• Small – 4 to 5 shrimp per ounce
• Miniature – Over 10 shrimp per ounce

The jumbo and smaller shrimp require multiple pieces to compose one ounce. But with colossal shrimp, each individual shrimp is approximately one ounce.

Knowing the shrimp per ounce helps when portioning out shrimp for recipes or meals.

How Many Shrimp Are in a Typical Serving?

Seafood servings are often 3 to 4 ounces. Here is how many shrimp you can expect in a serving for each size category:

• Colossal – 3 to 4 shrimp per serving
• Jumbo – 4 to 5 shrimp per serving
• Extra Large – 5 to 6 shrimp per serving
• Large – 6 to 8 shrimp per serving
• Medium – 8 to 12 shrimp per serving
• Small – 12 to 15 shrimp per serving

So if you are plating colossal shrimp for an appetizer or entree, plan on 3 or 4 pieces being a proper serving size. But servings of small cocktail shrimp may need 12 to 15 pieces to make a sufficient meal portion.

Keep these shrimp counts in mind when shopping. If making shrimp tacos for the family, you may want jumbo or large shrimp to have enough pieces for leftovers. Or buy small shrimp if serving shrimp cocktails or shrimp salad appetizers for a party crowd.

Shrimp Weight With and Without Shells

One other consideration when purchasing shrimp is whether the weight accounts for shells or not. Shrimp are typically sold:

• Head on, shell on
• Head off, shell on
• Peeled and deveined (P&D)

Head on, shell on shrimp will weigh the most since you are paying for the shells. Peeled and deveined shrimp weigh less since you are only paying for the shrimp meat.

So 5 ounces of head on, shell on shrimp may equal 3 to 3.5 ounces of shrimp meat once peeled. Keep this in mind when substituting peeled shrimp in recipes calling for shell on shrimp by weight.

Key Takeaways on Ounces of Shrimp Per Size

• Bigger shrimp mean more ounces of shrimp meat per piece, with colossal being up to 1.5 ounces each
• Smaller shrimp require more pieces to make up an ounce of shrimp meat
• For a 3-4 ounce serving, plan on:
  • Colossal – 3-4 shrimp
  • Jumbo – 4-5 shrimp
  • Large – 6-8 shrimp
  • Medium – 8-12 shrimp
  • Small – 12-15 shrimp
• Account for shell weight when purchasing shrimp by the pound

Knowing standard shrimp sizes and weights will help you purchase and portion shrimp appropriately for any recipe or meal. Use this handy guide as a reference the next time you buy, cook, and serve delicious shrimp!