We never got around to getting more shrimp after the recent fundraiser at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum. There was so much good food. The next morning several of us split the unused cooked shrimp, which made a delicious shrimp cocktail. But there is only so much shrimp cocktail I can take. What should I do with all this cooked shrimp? I gave some away and still have a lot left over.
These were cooked shrimp of a medium size, and since they were free, I’m not going to turn down a free meal. But the catering company that gave them to us is very good, so I’m going to guess that these were “good” shrimp. They certainly tasted good.
I looked online for some suggestions but I didn’t find anything I wanted to make. My father-in-law suggested that I bake them like I would shrimp. I would just have to watch out that they don’t get too tough from being cooked too long. So that is what I decided to do, baked leftover shrimp. In theory this should come out good so long as I don’t cook them into rubber bands.
Got some extra cooked shrimp on hand? Don’t let it go to waste! Leftover cooked shrimp offers endless possibilities for quick, delicious meals and snacks. With a little creativity, you can give shrimp new life in soups, salads, dips, pasta dishes and more.
Cooked shrimp requires refrigeration and should be used within 3-4 days for food safety. But it keeps exceptionally well and won’t lose much flavor during storage. Here are 15 recipes to help you put leftover cooked shrimp to delicious use.
Transform Shrimp into Appetizers
Quick appetizers are a perfect way to use up a few leftover shrimp. These recipes come together fast:
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Shrimp cups – Mix cooked shrimp with cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and onions. Spoon into mini filo shells and bake until golden
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Shrimp bruschetta – Top toasted baguette slices with diced tomato, shrimp, olive oil, basil and parmesan
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Shrimp lettuce wraps – Sauté shrimp with garlic and ginger. Wrap in lettuce leaves with rice noodles, mint and nuoc cham.
Toss Shrimp in Easy Pastas
Pasta makes a fast, filling shrimp dish. Try these flavorful combinations:
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Shrimp scampi – Sauté shrimp in butter with lemon, garlic and white wine. Toss with linguine and parsley.
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Pesto shrimp pasta – Mix pesto with cooked pasta and shrimp. Top with chopped tomatoes and parmesan.
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Shrimp pad thai – Stir shrimp, rice noodles, tofu, bean sprouts, peanuts and cilantro in a pad thai sauce.
Warm Up with Shrimp Soups
Add shrimp to hot broths, chowders and stews. Some options:
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Shrimp bisque – Simmer shrimp shells to make a stock. Puree with cream, sherry and cayenne for a rich bisque.
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Shrimp gumbo – Sauté shrimp, sausage, okra and vegetables. Ladle over rice for a hearty Southern stew.
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Shrimp ramen – Boil ramen noodles in broth with shrimp, mushrooms, scallions, chili oil and soft boiled egg.
Build Shrimp Salads
The mix of flavors and textures makes shrimp ideal for main dish salads:
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Shrimp louie – Toss shrimp, romaine, hard boiled egg, tomato and avocado with a creamy louie dressing.
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Shrimp pasta salad – Combine pasta, shrimp and vegetables with an Italian vinaigrette for a make-ahead meal.
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Shrimp ceviche – “Cook” raw shrimp in lemon or lime juice. Mix with onion, pepper, cilantro and serve over greens.
Whip Up Shrimp Dips
Blend shrimp into hot or cold dips for snacking:
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Shrimp spinach dip – Stir cooked shrimp into hot spinach-artichoke dip. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
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Shrimp guacamole – Fold diced shrimp into chunky guacamole. Scoop with tortilla chips.
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Cocktail sauce shrimp dip – Mix cooked shrimp with cocktail sauce and cream cheese. Chill before serving.
Stuff Shrimp Into Snacks
Get creative with shrimp as a snack filling:
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Shrimp wontons – Fill wonton wrappers with minced shrimp, scallions, ginger and sesame oil. Pan fry until crispy.
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Shrimp pops – Stuff shrimp with cream cheese into jalapeno halves. Wrap with bacon and grill or broil.
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Shrimp flatbread pizza – Top naan or flatbread with pesto, shrimp and cheese. Broil until melted and bubbly.
Make Quick Shrimp Tacos
Tacos are a fast, casual way to use up shrimp. Mix and match:
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Baja shrimp tacos – Sauté shrimp in lime juice and top soft tortillas with pico de gallo.
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Shrimp carnitas tacos – Crisp shrimp in oil and serve in corn tortillas with guacamole.
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Shrimp fajita tacos – Grill seasoned shrimp and sliced peppers. Add to flour tortillas with sour cream.
Whip Up Shrimp Sandwiches
Pile shrimp onto buns, bread and wraps:
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Shrimp po’ boy – Stuff a sub roll with fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato and remoulade sauce.
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Shrimp banh mi – Fill a Vietnamese baguette with shrimp, cucumber, pickled carrots, cilantro and chili mayo.
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Buffalo shrimp wraps – Toss shrimp in Buffalo hot sauce and fill tortillas with lettuce and blue cheese dressing.
Make Shrimp Entrees
Round out a meal with shrimp as the star over rice, quinoa or creamy polenta:
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Shrimp etouffee – Simmer shrimp in a seasoned tomato sauce with bell pepper and onion. Serve over rice.
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Coconut shrimp curry – Cook shrimp in an aromatic coconut curry sauce. Serve with naan.
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Shrimp grits – Top creamy cheddar grits with spicy sautéed shrimp and bacon crumbles.
So next time you have extra cooked shrimp, look beyond boring shrimp cocktails. With endless possibilities for reinventing leftovers, you can enjoy shrimp in new ways for meals any time of day!
Baked Leftover Cooked Shrimp
Here is one way to make use of leftover cooked shrimp. The goal is to have the shrimp hot and the topping browned. Overcooking the shrimp will leave them very tough.
- Leftover cooked shrimp: enough for a small casserole dish
- 8-10 Ritz crackers
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Take off any shells that need to be taken off, then put the shrimp in the casserole dish.
- First, melt half of the butter in the microwave. Then, mix it with half of the lemon juice. Set it aside to cool down a bit. Mix well with the shrimp.
- Make the rest of the sauce in a food processor, then put it on top of the shrimp.
- They’re already cooked, so only bake or broil them long enough for the topping to turn brown.
How to Cook Already Cooked Shrimp Safely & to Retain Flavour?
What to eat with shrimp?
Smaller shapes make for better bite-sized bits to go with your shrimp. You can make it Italian style with cherry tomatoes, balls of mozzarella, and artichokes. Or feel free to toss in other leftover veggies alongside fresh ones to create your own shrimp pasta salad. No matter what you use, it will be loaded with flavor and lots of fun to eat! 6.
What to do with leftover shrimp?
This is another one of my favorite ways to use up leftover shrimp. All you’ll do is mix the shrimp, cucumbers, salt, pepper, lime juice, cilantro, hot sauce, and onions in a bowl. Then you’ll halve and hollow your avocados and stuff them full of the yummy, protein-packed mixture.
How do you make leftover shrimp salad?
To make this leftover shrimp salad, combine your leftover cooked shrimp, diced avocado, diced cherry tomatoes, and chopped cilantro in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice (or lemon juice), olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour this over the salad and give it a good stir. Serve chilled or at room temperature. 21.
What to eat with shrimp scampi?
So is combining that shrimp with mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped celery, and scallions. A little Old Bay seasoning can give it a Maryland crab house twist if you’d like though keeping it simple is fine too. Dill is another way to make the flavors pop in this creamy shrimp salad dish for a bright and invigorating meal. 3. Shrimp Scampi