Want to serve an amazing homemade poached shrimp platter for your next party, date night, or like me – just love easy poached shrimp! Well, I have got the easiest recipe for you to learn How to Make the Best Poached Shrimp!
I cannot believe it has taken me so long to share my easiest appetizer, snack, tailgate winner, ever! Poached shrimp is a great base recipe and you can pair this easy shrimp recipe with amazing dipping sauces that are always a hit! 
Every time I see a poached shrimp platter at the grocer, I look at the price and cringe! It is so much easier and affordable to purchase fresh shrimp from the market. Frozen shrimp will work too!
I am going to show how to make poached shrimp that is just delicious! You will not believe how easy poaching shrimp is and you won’t be buying any pricey platters anymore.
Making your own poached shrimp makes great shrimp cocktail, pesto shrimp, or whatever dipping sauce you choose! Delicious! I can make about 3 pounds of shrimp for 1 pounds of the store made platters!
Now that my oldest daughter has moved out on her own, her lack of cooking skills is quite apparent! I love her to death, but she cannot cook! She always stayed in the kitchen and chatted with me, awesome a taste tester, but can’t make a thing besides reservations!
My girl was going to buy one of those pricey shrimp platters for a party. She didn’t know how to make it herself! This got me thinking. Learning how to poach shrimp is so easy, I mean it, so easy! Once you make poached shrimp the possibilities are endless!
My daughter can now poach the most delicious shrimp and so can you!
How can I defrost frozen shrimp quickly?
I always keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer. To defrost quickly, in a large bowl, add the frozen shrimp and run cold water on the shrimp. Stir occasionally, after 5 – 8 minutes, drain the water and add more cold water. Stir shrimp, they should be defrosted in about 15-20 minutes.
What is the overnight method of defrosting shrimp?
On the rare occasion, I plan ahead, and I want to defrost frozen shrimp. Place the frozen shrimp in a bowl in the fridge. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. In the morning, shrimp are ready to cook.
What is poaching?
In cooking, poaching always means the food will be quickly cooked in a liquid, such as water, milk, or wine that is flavored with spices or citrus. The food is generally used in various other recipes. It’s very common poaching shrimp, chicken, salmon are all popular poa food.
How long can shrimp be kept in the fridge before cooking?
Whether you are defrosting shrimp or keeping fresh shrimp in the fridge, use within 1-2 days. In other words, once you have defrosted the shrimp, be ready to cook and enjoy!
My family and I love shrimp and seafood recipes. If you enjoy this one you should also try:
Easy Shrimp Scampi and Spaghetti
Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Orange Dipping Sauce
Lighter Linguine with Clam Sauce
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Thank you so very much for being apart of Everyday Eileen!
Tools to make Poaching Shrimp easy:
My dream Dutch Oven. This is also a great Dutch Oven, I love and use this one often and it’s quite affordable!
I love using whole peppercorns and Himalayan salt, this salt and pepper combo is a favorite!
Shrimp is an awesome treat and I love keeping it cold on this platter!
How to Poach Shrimp:
- If the shrimp is not already cleaned and deveined, do so! Here is a great tutorial if you aren’s sure how! I try to purchase already clean and deveined shrimp.
- In a large pot, add water, lemon juice, toss the lemon in as well, bay leaf, black peppercorns.
- Bring the water to a boil and add the shrimp.
- Cover the pot with a lid and remove from heat. Let the shrimp poach in the hot water about 5 minutes.
- Move shrimp to an ice bath or place shrimp in the refrigerator to cool.
How to serve the Best Poached Shrimp Recipe
- Serve poached shrimp with dipping sauces like Homemade Cocktail Sauce.
- Poached shrimp goes well in pasta salads
- Shrimp can be served as a light dinner or lunch over lettuce or in a hoagie bun.
When you make Poached Shrimp, take a pic and tag me on Instagram @everyday_eileen or #everydayeileen. We love seeing your recipes and I try to repost the pics.
I love any comments or questions below!
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How to Make Poached Shrimp
Learn how to make perfect poached shrimp every time. This technique is easy and you will always have perfect shrimp. This is great for shrimp cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined see note 1
- 5 cups cold water
- 10 whole black peppercorns see note 2
- 5 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 1 large lemon, halves (use the lemon that you juiced)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
In a large pot, over medium-high heat, add water, black peppercorns, fresh parsley, garlic, lemon juice, Kosher salt, bay leaf. Bring the water to a boil Add the shrimp and remove the pot from the heat and cover with a lid.
Let the shrimp poach in the liquid about 5 minutes. Shrimp will be cooked through. The shrimp will be bright pink and they curl.
Remove the shrimp to a bowl filled with ice to cool. Or remove the shrimp to a bowl and place in the fridge to cool.
Serve shrimp with a dipping sauce such as cocktail sauce, make shrimp salad, add to pasta salads, etc.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I use large shrimp 31 - 35 which averages about 33 shrimp per pound.
Note 2: If whole black peppercorns are not available, use 1 teaspoon black pepper.
Note 3: Keep the shrimp well covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
- Weight Watchers 0 point
Pin How to Make Poached Shrimp:
we are huge shrimp lovers right here in Florida and consume it very frequently . that is cool to poach it then use it for making cocktail shrimp which i love!
I am glad you enjoy the poached shrimp. I have a recipe for cocktail sauce coming out soon! Enjoy!
Poached shrimp looks delicious, I haven’t tasted poached shrimp. I need to . It looks really easy.> beast dish for gathering or game day.
Swathi, you must make poached shrimp! I think you will enjoy!
I like that you poached the shrimp directly in the peppercorn an lemon juices so that they get perfectly seasoned as they cook. These sound super tasty and I’d love to try your technique!
Thank you Jenni! I am so glad you enjoy the poached shrimp recipe!
Poached prawns are great – must-have kinda think in my freezer. I keep them for times when I need to add a quick something to my salad and make it a main dish. Or my quick noodle soup. Thanks for the step by step. So helpful. Looks amazing.
Your welcome Veena! I am glad you enjoy the tutorial!
We love our shrimp any way we can get it!! We’ve made boiled shrimp quite a lot because we think it makes a great appetizer. You give some great tips so that the shrimp is tasty and doesn’t turn out to be rubbery.
Thank you Marisa! I am glad you found the tips useful!
We are big shrimp lovers here in Florida and eat it very often . This is cool to poach it then use it for makiing cocktail shrimp which I love!
I am glad you enjoy the recipe Claudia! Poaching is so easy and enjoying with cocktail sauce is delish!
such an easy recipe for an impressive dish! I have a feeling those grocery stores are thinking they can swindle us by making poached shrimp seem much harder to make than they actually are 😉
You got that right Michelle! Poaching shrimp is so easy! Enjoy!
oh my yes, this is definitely a tailgate winnner!! I love how fast and easy it is to cook shrimp and your instructions are solid.
Thank you Dahn! Yes, these shrimp are perfect for tailgating! Enjoy!
I so very rarely make shrimp, but your step by step photos make me think I should make the effort more often. Looks amazing, Eileen!
Thank you Kylee, I hope you use the tutorial and enjoy the poached shrimp!
Thank you Kylee! Yes, do make the shrimp! You will remember how easy it is to make and enjoy!