How to poach shrimp! Our gentle poaching method guarantees perfectly cooked and flavorful shrimp. In this article, we share our favorite shrimp poaching liquid and how to poach shrimp of various sizes.
If you have never poached shrimp before, it’s time to start. This quick and easy method is one of my favortie ways to cook shrimp.
Poached shrimp can be used in salads (like this creamy shrimp salad), rice bowls, pasta, shrimp cocktails, and more!
Key Ingredients
- Shrimp: In my photos, I’ve poached large shrimp, which take about 3 minutes, but I have included a suggested cooking time below for other shrimp sizes.
- Water: We use a large pot filled with 8 cups of water to poach shrimp.
- Lemon: For fresh flavor, cut a lemon in half and toss it into the poaching liquid.
- Garlic: I love a hint of garlic. Add 2 peeled and gently smashed cloves to the poaching liquid.
- Bay leaf: Classic with shrimp and add a lovely herbal aroma to the liquid.
- Salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning: I season the water really well so that my shrimp are perfectly seasoned when they come out of the poaching liquid. I love salt, pepper, and some homemade Cajun seasoning.
*Keep in mind that our poaching liquid recipe can accommodate multiple pounds of shrimp, but we recommend cooking 1 pound at a time.
How to Poach Shrimp
Our method for poaching shrimp is very similar to poaching salmon, chicken, and eggs.
Prepare Poaching Liquid: Add 8 cups (2 quarts) of water to a large pot. Place the pot on the stove over high heat. Add the lemon halves, garlic, bay leaf, pepper, salt, and cajun seasoning. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil.
Prepare the Shrimp: Depending on how you plan to serve them, you can peel the shrimp (or leave the shells intact). For this shrimp salad recipe, we peel and devein the shrimp before poaching them. For a shrimp cocktail, you might want to peel and devein the shrimp but leave the tails on.
Poach the Shrimp: When the water has reached a rolling boil, remove the pan from the heat and immediately submerge the shrimp into the water. Set a timer for the recommended cook time (for medium-to-large shrimp, we poach the shrimp for three minutes; more cook times are below).
Note: If you plan to poach another batch of shrimp, ensure the poaching liquid returns to a rolling boil before removing the pot from the heat and adding the second batch of shrimp.
To Finish: Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate, and then place it into the refrigerator to cool. Alternatively, you can plunge the shrimp into a prepared ice-water bath.
Recommended Cooking Times
The number of shrimp per pound typically indicates shrimp sizes. Here’s a list of standard shrimp sizes and their corresponding count per pound. Please note that these are estimated cooking times; see our tips for telling when the shrimp are ready to come out of the poaching liquid below.
- Small shrimp (71-90 per pound): 1 to 2 minutes
- Medium shrimp (41-50 per pound): 2 to 3 minutes
- Large shrimp (31-40 per pound): 3 minutes
- Jumbo shrimp (21-25 per pound): 4 to 5 minutes
- Colossal shrimp (16-20 per pound): 5 to 6 minutes
- Super Colossal shrimp (8 to 12 per pound): 6 to 7 minutes
How to Tell When the Shrimp are Done
Color: Shrimp turn from translucent to opaque when cooked. As they cook, many varieties change from a grayish or bluish-gray color to a pink or orange hue.
Shape and Texture: When cooked, shrimp will curl into a loose “C” shape, while overcooked shrimp take on a “O” shape. They should also feel firm and springy to the touch. If the shrimp is still floppy, it needs more cooking time.
If you still aren’t sure, take a shrimp out and cut into it to test it. Leave the shrimp in the poaching liquid for 20 to 30 seconds if it seems undercooked.
Poaching shrimp is a quick and simple cooking technique. By following our method, you can confidently poach shrimp to perfection. Whether you use the poached shrimp as a standalone dish, incorporate them into salads or pasta, or make shrimp cocktail, the possibilities are endless.
Easy Poached Shrimp
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
How to poach shrimp so they turn out perfectly cooked and flavorful. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your shrimp. The recipe below assumes large shrimp, but we have provided guidance for other sizes of shrimp in the article above.
You Will Need
1 pound large shrimp (31-40 per pound), see notes for cooking more than one pound
2 quarts water
1 lemon, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 bay leaf
3 twists pepper grinder
1 ½ tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, optional
Directions
1Depending on your serving preferences, you can choose to peel the shrimp or leave the shells intact. For salads, we peel and devein the shrimp before poaching. For a shrimp cocktail, you may want to peel and devein the shrimp while leaving the tails on.
2Add 2 quarts of water to a large pot and place it on the stove over high heat. Squeeze a little lemon juice into the water and drop the lemon halves into the pot. Add the garlic, bay leaf, pepper, salt, and Cajun seasoning. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil.
3Once the water reaches a rolling boil, remove the pot from the heat and immediately submerge the shrimp into the hot water. Use a timer to set the recommended cooking time. For large shrimp, we poach them for three minutes. The article has cooking times based on shrimp size.
4Using tongs or a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate. Allow them to cool by placing them in the refrigerator or plunge them into a prepared ice-water bath.
5If you plan to poach another batch of shrimp, make sure the poaching liquid returns to a rolling boil before adding the second batch.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Our poaching liquid recipe can accommodate multiple pounds of shrimp, but we recommend cooking 1 pound at a time. If you plan to poach more than one pound of shrimp, after poaching the first batch, ensure the poaching liquid returns to a rolling boil before removing the pot from the heat and adding the second batch of shrimp.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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