If you like shrimp and aren’t allergic to it, you should make your own Homemade Shrimp Stock for your next soup or risotto that has seafood in it.
So, don’t freak out. Unless you absolutely, 100%, hands-down HATE shrimp. Or are allergic. However, if you love shrimp and are not allergic to it, you should definitely make your own shrimp stock for your next seafood soup or risotto.
Shrimp broth (or stock) is surprisingly easy, or as easy as you want to make it. It can be as basic as shrimp shells and water for a quick light stock. Orrrr go on and gussy it up with onion, carrots, celery, herbs and spices. You get to choose your own adventure here.
Making your own shrimp broth at home is easier than you think! This flavorful broth is perfect for enriching seafood risottos, soups, stews and more. With just a few simple ingredients and steps, you can have delicious homemade shrimp broth ready in under an hour
As a food blogger and home cook, I love finding ways to make everything from scratch. Not only does it save money, but your dishes will taste so much better with homemade ingredients made with real food Store-bought broths often contain preservatives and other additives you won’t find in homemade versions
In this article, I’ll walk you through the entire process of making shrimp broth step-by-step. I’ve included tips and tricks I’ve learned from my years of experience cooking to help you make the best shrimp broth you’ve ever tasted. Let’s get started!
What You’ll Need
Making homemade shrimp broth is simple. You likely have most, if not all, of the ingredients on hand already. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Shrimp shells – You’ll need shells from about 1-2 pounds of raw shrimp. Save shells when you peel shrimp for other recipes.
- Aromatic vegetables – Onion, celery, carrots add flavor.
- Fresh herbs – Parsley, thyme and bay leaves enhance broth.
- Whole spices – Peppercorns, coriander etc.
- Oil – For sautéing aromatics.
- Water – 6 cups should yield 4-6 cups broth.
- Large pot with lid – At least 4 quart capacity.
- Fine mesh strainer – To strain finished broth.
That’s it! Now let’s get cooking.
Step 1: Sauté the Shrimp Shells
The first step is to sauté the raw shrimp shells in a little oil over medium heat. This extra cooking step helps intensify the shrimp flavor and develops a deeper, richer taste.
- Add 1 Tbsp oil to a large pot and heat over medium.
- Add shrimp shells and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Shells will turn pink.
Sautéing the shells first really makes a difference in the final broth flavor. Don’t skip this step!
Step 2: Add Aromatic Vegetables
Next, add the aromatic veggies – onion, carrots and celery. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until they begin to soften.
- Add 1 onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks, chopped.
- Cook for 5 minutes more until softened.
The onion skins add a lovely golden color to the broth. No need to peel!
Step 3: Add Herbs, Spices and Water
Now it’s time to add the herbs, spices and water. This step draws out all the flavor from the shells.
- Add parsley sprigs, bay leaves, 1/4 tsp peppercorns and 1/2 tsp coriander seeds.
- Pour in 6 cups water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Simmering extracts the most flavor from the shells. 15 minutes is plenty – don’t overcook.
Step 4: Strain the Broth
The final step is to strain out all the solids from your shrimp broth.
- Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl.
- Carefully pour the broth through to remove shells/veg.
- Discard the solids or add to a compost pile.
Make sure to press down on the solids to extract all of the flavorful liquid.
Tips for the Best Homemade Shrimp Broth
Follow these tips and tricks for the ultimate homemade shrimp broth:
- Use the shells from wild-caught shrimp for superior flavor.
- Squeeze lemon into the broth for extra brightness.
- Add wine instead of some of the water for depth.
- Use seafood stock in place of water for an intensified flavor.
- Simmer shells up to 30 minutes for a more concentrated broth.
- Freeze broth in ice cube trays for easy use later.
- Store broth for up to 4 days refrigerated or 4 months frozen.
How to Use Shrimp Broth
Homemade shrimp broth is endlessly versatile. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
- Seafood risottos or paella
- Shrimp soups and stews
- Cooking rice or grains
- Flavoring pasta dishes
- Seafood chowders and bisques
- Poaching or steaming seafood
- Reducing into a sauce for seafood
It can be used anywhere you want to add intense shrimp flavor. Get creative with it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use leftover cooked shrimp shells?
Yes, you can use shells from leftover cooked shrimp. They will impart less flavor, so you may want to increase the cooking time to extract more flavor from the shells.
Can I freeze homemade shrimp broth?
Absolutely! Portion shrimp broth into freezer bags or containers and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Is shrimp broth interchangeable with fish or seafood stock?
Shrimp broth has a pure, clean shrimp flavor while fish stock will provide a more generic seafood flavor. Use shrimp stock when you really want to highlight the shrimp taste.
Can I use shrimp heads in the broth?
Yes, shrimp heads contain tons of flavor. Feel free to include them in your broth if you have access to whole head-on shrimp.
What kind of shrimp should I use?
Wild-caught shrimp have the most flavor. But you can use any raw, shell-on shrimp. Even farmed shrimp shells will work.
How long does shrimp broth last in the fridge?
Homemade shrimp broth will keep for 3-4 days refrigerated in an airtight container. Freeze for longer storage.
The Final Takeaway
Whipping up homemade shrimp broth is one of the easiest ways to add incredible flavor to seafood dishes. The entire process takes less than an hour and requires minimal ingredients. Keep a stash of broth in the freezer so you always have it on hand. I hope you’ll give this tasty shrimp broth recipe a try soon. Your seafood recipes will never be the same!
To Make Homemade Shrimp Stock You Will Need:
- light olive oil
- shells from 1 to 2 pounds of shrimp
- onion
- carrot
- celery
- garlic
- parsley
- bay leaf
- whole coriander
- black peppercorn
- water
Believe it or not, this is my first stock or broth recipe to be posted on SS. I do have others broth recipes, both a vegetable broth and chicken broth– which can be found in my book. But after recently having the most amazing soup at a local restaurant, I tasted my way through it, bite by bite. Which then inspired me to make and test out a recipe for homemade shrimp stock.
Because I’m pretty sure it was in the soup that I ate.
So I bought a few pounds of wild caught, headless, shell-on and tail on shrimp. I removed the shells, tails and de-veined about 25 to 30 shrimp total. Don’t be scared of shelling and deveining! The whole process takes a while. If you’ve never done it before, this post shows you how I did it. If you’re more familiar then this process should take about 25 minutes. I listen to my favorite station on Pandora while doing this which makes it much more bearable. Once you’ve successfully peeled and deveined all the shrimp, rinse the shells under cool water. I also rinse the shrimp too, but separately.
First, I put a teaspoon of safflower oil in the bottom of my heavy-bottom pot. Then I added the shrimp shells that had been rinsed, along with the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Then simply cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, add the coriander seeds, bay leaves, peppercorns, and parsley sprigs. Also add 6 cups of cool water. Now just cover–leaving the lid askew–and bring to a boil. Once at a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
That’s because the onion peels will help the broth turn a beautiful rich golden color. I always leave the peels on when making homemade broth or stock.
That’s it! See how easy AND how pretty!?
Pour most of the vegetables through a mesh strainer that is set in a large bowl. Then, pour the rest of the homemade shrimp stock through it. Let it cool down, then put it in pre-measured freezer-safe containers or ice cube trays so it’s easy to divide up when you’re cooking later.
You can use homemade shrimp stock in replace of store-bought fish broth/stock and even clam juice. It’s amazing and I’m super excited to use it in my upcoming soup recipe. If you have a lot of shrimp shells left over, DO NOT throw them away! It only takes minutes to make a quick stock. If you’re not in the mood the freeze the shells and make the stock later on.