Royal Red Shrimp are found deep in the ocean and are red when raw. They’re sweeter than regular shrimp with a flavor and texture more like lobster. Learn how to cook Royal Reds here.
If you get Royal Red shrimp, they are different from regular shrimp in some ways that you should know about so you can cook them perfectly.
Red shrimp are a variety of sweet, tasty shrimp that get their name from their bright reddish-pink shells. Sometimes called royal red shrimp or red snapper shrimp, these crustaceans have a unique flavor and texture that set them apart from other shrimp. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about red shrimp, including how to find them, how to cook them, and why they have such a stellar reputation among seafood lovers.
What Makes Red Shrimp Unique
Red shrimp (Pleoticus robustus) stand out from more common shrimp varieties like white brown and pink shrimp in several ways
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Size – Red shrimp are quite large, with “colossal” sized shrimp reaching 8-10 shrimp per pound The average size is 10-15 shrimp per pound
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Color – Their shells are a beautiful, translucent reddish-pink. The flesh is white.
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Flavor – Red shrimp have a sweet, nutty, lobster-like flavor. Many enthusiasts claim they are the best-tasting shrimp.
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Texture – The meat is firm with a satisfying “snap”, not mushy.
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Habitat – Red shrimp live in deep cold waters up to 2000 feet down in the Atlantic Ocean. This makes them harder to harvest than shallow water shrimp.
Where to Find Red Shrimp
The range of red shrimp extends from the northeast Atlantic coast of the U.S. down to northern South America. But the best sources for fresh red shrimp in the U.S. come from two regions:
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New England – Red shrimp caught off southern New England are sometimes called “Stonington Reds” after the fishing port of Stonington, Connecticut. The season here runs from May to December.
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Gulf Coast – The most famed red shrimp come from the Gulf of Mexico, where red shrimping grounds stretch from Florida to Texas. Peak season is August through October.
On the Gulf coast, red shrimp are synonymous with seasonal delicacy. Many seafood markets, fish markets, and restaurants showcase fresh-caught red shrimp during the late summer and fall months. Some of the best spots are found in Pensacola, Mobile, Gulf Shores, and New Orleans.
When not in season, frozen red shrimp can often be mail ordered online or found in specialty grocers nationwide. Be sure to look for Gulf-caught or New England-caught shrimp, as imported farmed shrimp cannot match the wild red shrimp’s sweet taste and texture.
How to Cook Red Shrimp
The absolute best way to enjoy red shrimp is simply steamed or boiled briefly and served whole with the shell on. This preserves the perfect texture and lets you suck the rich juices from the heads (yes, you can eat the whole thing!). Follow these tips for cooking red shrimp:
- Only cook for 1-2 minutes since they are quick to overcook
- Use shell-on shrimp if possible for maximum flavor
- Season the cooking water with Old Bay or similar spice blends
- Serve with lemon wedges, drawn butter, or cocktail sauce for dipping
Other easy cooking methods include grilling, sautéing, and baking. Red shrimp make fantastic shrimp tacos, shrimp scampi over pasta, blackened shrimp po’ boys, or tossed in your favorite étouffée or jambalaya.
You can use red shrimp in any recipe that calls for regular shrimp. Just be sure not to overcook them since they have a quicker cooking time. Their naturally sweet taste means you often don’t need much seasoning beyond salt, pepper, garlic, and lemon or butter.
Why Are Red Shrimp So Expensive?
Due to their large size, prized flavor, and the difficulty of catching them, red shrimp are one of the most expensive shrimp varieties, typically ranging from $12-18 per pound. Here are the main factors that contribute to their high price:
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Deep water habitat – Red shrimp live far offshore in very deep, cold waters of the Atlantic. Specialized boats and equipment are needed to harvest them from 500-2000 feet depths.
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Limited supply – Only about 5 million pounds of red shrimp are caught annually, compared to 300+ million pounds of other shrimp species. There are fewer red shrimp to go around.
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Difficult to preserve – The delicate flavor and texture of red shrimp makes them harder to freeze and transport compared to regular shrimp. Many are flash frozen right on the boat.
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High demand – Chefs and seafood fans eagerly await red shrimp season and are willing to pay top dollar for their sweet taste, large size, and lobster-like texture.
So while the price may be steep, devoted red shrimp lovers say every bite is worth the splurge. When you consider it takes a lot more effort to reach these deepwater beauties, it makes sense that they cost more than their shallow water cousins.
Why Are They Called “Royal” Reds?
The royal moniker comes from their size, brilliant color, premium flavor, and the difficulty of catching them, which gives them an air of royalty and exclusivity. Royal reds have a stately appearance with their large size and translucent reddish shells that deliver incredibly sweet, succulent meat.
They have a reputation as the prince of shrimp, the crown jewel of the sea, and other royal nicknames among seafood connoisseurs – especially in the Gulf south where royal red shrimp from the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico fetch premium prices at markets and restaurants.
So feel like royalty yourself when you indulge in royal red shrimp in their peak season. Just be ready to have a king’s ransom in your wallet to take home these precious crustaceans.
Can You Buy Red Shrimp Out of Season?
The good news is you can enjoy red shrimp year-round thanks to flash freezing. Commercial red shrimp boats use onboard blast freezers to freeze the shrimp immediately after catching them. This locks in the freshness and prevents the delicate shrimp meat from breaking down.
Look for frozen Gulf red shrimp or New England red shrimp in vacuum sealed packs at high end grocers or order them online. Properly frozen red shrimp are just as delicious as fresh caught when thawed. This makes them accessible to seafood lovers nationwide, not just those living near the coastal harvest areas.
The frozen product may cost less than fresh red shrimp in season, but will still command a premium price. Expect to pay $14-18 per pound online versus $22-28 per pound for fresh dockside shrimp. Either way, red shrimp are a splurge item. But devotees say their sweet lobster-like flavor and large size make them worth the price, whether enjoying them fresh or frozen.
How Do You Prepare Frozen Red Shrimp?
Preparing previously frozen red shrimp is simple:
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Thaw in the refrigerator overnight
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OR place the vacuum sealed package under cold running water for 30 minutes
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Peel and devein if desired (the vein or digestive tract is edible)
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Cook as desired – boiling, steaming, grilling, sautéing etc. Just don’t overcook!
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Season minimally to let the natural sweetness shine through
The key is gentle thawing and brief cooking to preserve the perfect texture of the shrimp after freezing. This locks in all the sweetness and flavor that red shrimp are so cherished for.
So while fresh red shrimp in season are an exceptional treat, frozen reds are an excellent option for a taste of these premium shrimp any time you like. Their unique size, texture, and sweet lobster-like taste will make you feel like royalty, no matter what time of year.
What Are Royal Red Shrimp?
When I spotted some Royal Red Shrimp at my grocery store recently, I had to snap them up. They’re really unique. They live 430 fathoms deep, which is about a half-mile, and are hard for fishermen to catch, so they’re not very profitable. There are many places to find this unique seafood, but the best place is on the Gulf Coast, between the Florida panhandle and Mississippi. You can eat Royal Reds all year because they are flash frozen on the boats, even though they are at their best in September. These fruits are in season from late summer to late fall.
They have a sweeter and more buttery flavor than other shrimp, a bit like lobster even. The coolest thing is that they’re pink even before you cook them. See:
How To Cook Royal Red Shrimp
I melted 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Then I added 1 pound of the peeled and deveined Royal Reds (note that domestic shrimp like these are rarely sold already peeled and deveined so you’ll probably need to do this yourself. Check out this great video for that over here, but note that the Royal Reds’ veins are not always black. Sometimes they’re more red, pink, or coral.
I stirred the shrimp as they cooked. This kind of shrimp cooks more quickly than regular ones. These took only 2-3 minutes at the low temperature. I moved them to a plate right away once they were all done cooking so the pan’s heat wouldn’t keep cooking them. I didn’t want to take the chance of overcooking the Royal Reds because I read that they aren’t good that way.
What else do you need to do? I added a sprinkle of salt and served them up. Isn’t it great to taste something new in its purest way? Just butter and salt on these babies.
Some people like to do a garlic butter for these or finish with lemons and parsley. You can use these in a regular shrimp recipe or serve them with a sauce, but I think you should try them plain first to see how they taste different from other shrimp.
I hope you can find them and love them as much as I do. Can’t find them? Well, I guess you better plan a tour of some Gulf Coast restaurants!.
Can’t find Royal Reds but still craving shrimp? Try some of these other popular shrimp recipes.
HOW TO CARE FOR CHERRY SHRIMP EASILY
What does red shrimp taste like?
Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus Muelleri) has a sweet delicate flavor similar to that of Maine lobster. The primary packs are whole head-on, headless shell-on, EZ peel, peeled and deveined and peeled tail on. The popularity of this shrimp is quickly growing in North America.
Where do red shrimp come from?
Red shrimp are found in the South Atlantic, and as the name suggests, it is located off the coast of Argentina. When they are caught, they are red in colour which makes them different from other kinds of normal shrimps which are commonly a blue or grey colour before turning red when cooked.
How do you cook red shrimp?
1 pound royal red shrimp or spot prawns, shells on if possible. Set a steamer insert into a lidded pot. If you don’t have one, you can put the shrimp in a colander, or you can use a Chinese steamer if you have one. Pour in enough water so you can steam, but not enough to get the shrimp wet. Cover the pot and turn the heat to high.
What type of food does Red Shrimp serve?
Their diet includes commercial food like fish flakes, shrimp pellets, fish pellets, and algae wafers. Red Cherry Shrimp diet can also include edible plant matter shed from live aquarium plants. Cherry Shrimp are also algae eaters, feeding on forms of soft green or brown algae that grow on hard surfaces, and soft bio-film algae as well.