If the thought of shrimp cocktail gets you hyped, you're really going to love what a little Old Bay seasoning, onion, and garlic can do to a pot of crustaceans. This Steamed Shrimp Recipe is perfection in a pot and always results in perfectly cooked, abundantly flavorful shrimp! Serve alongside lemon wedges and cocktail sauce for a restaurant treat at home!
Love shrimp? Bookmark our Easy Garlic Butter Shrimp Bake for next time, and serve it over pasta for a simple family Dinner idea!
As mentioned above, this Steamed Shrimp Recipe boasts everything you know and love about that seaside restaurant classic, only now it's bulked up with more flavor thanks to one little change-up. Instead of steaming it, technically, we're going to poach it.
Why? Because there is a better way. Allowing the shrimp to briefly cook, emerged in an aromatic broth, results in shrimp soaking up all that savory essence that the onion, garlic, and Old Bay Seasoning has to offer.
HOW TO COOK THE SHRIMP
- Bring The Broth To a Boil -- Roughly chop the onion and garlic and transfer it to a large pot along with Old Bay Seasoning, a bay leaf, and seafood broth. Place over high heat and bring to a roaring boil.
- "Steam" the Shrimp -- Turn off the heat, and carefully, add the shrimp to the pot. Watch for splashing water! Seal the pot with a lid and set an 8-minute timer.
- Strain and Serve -- Once the timer is up and the shrimp have cooked through, pour the contents of the pot over a colander and remove the shrimp. Sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning over the Steamed Shrimp and serve alongside lemon wedges and cocktail sauce!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR STEAMED SHRIMP
- Pot Equipped With a Lid
- Shrimp
- Onion
- Garlic
- Bay Leaf
- Seafood Stock (or Water)
- Old Bay Seasoning
WHAT KIND OF SHRIMP TO USE
Steamed Shrimp is not the time for dinky, little crustaceans. This recipe calls for extra-large/jumbo shrimp -- the big ones that make all your efforts worth it when it comes to peeling.
Sometimes, it is more effective when shopping shrimp to go by the count rather than the descriptive name. The count you want is 16/25, which means there are 16-25 shrimp per pound.
It is important to purchase the right size shrimp as this affects how long they will take to cook. Another thing you want to remember while you're at the seafood counter is that Steamed Shrimp are cooked with the shell on, so avoid buying those that are already peeled and deveined.
To sum this up, buy extra-large/jumbo shrimp (that fall into the 16/25 count range) and make sure to purchase them with the shell on.
BROTH AND AROMATICS
Fresh onions, garlic, bay leaf, and seafood broth are perfect for adding more flavor to Steamed Shrimp! However, if you don't have seafood broth on hand, water will work just fine.
OLD BAY SEASONING
Old Bay Seasoning and seafood go hand-in-hand, and it's absolutely perfect for spicing up your broth. The seasoning mix is a combination of both spices and herbs, including (but not limited to) celery salt, red pepper, and paprika.
If you love seafood, bookmark these Seafood Recipes for next time. You are guaranteed to love them!
HOW TO MAKE COCKTAIL SAUCE FOR STEAMED SHRIMP
Steamed Shrimp are delicious on their own, but way more fun when there's a dip involved. More specifically -- cocktail sauce.
Cocktail Sauce is quick and easy to make, and you'll find this homemade rendition eons better than anything you could buy bottled up at the store.
To make it from scratch, just add all the ingredients listed below to a bowl, stir, and serve!
COCKTAIL SAUCE INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup chili sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce
3 MORE SOUTHERN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
Steamed Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 ½ tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning, plus 1 tablespoon more for sprinkling
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups seafood stock or water
- 1 ½ pound extra-large/jumbo shrimp (16/25 count), shell on
Instructions
- Add the onion, garlic, Old Bay Seasoning, and a bay leaf to a large pot. Add 4 cups of water or stock and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once the water has come to full, roaring boil, remove it from the heat. Carefully add the shrimp and cover the pot with a lid. Set an 8-minute timer and allow the shrimp to steep in the pot. The shrimp is done once it is pink and opaque.
- Pour the contents of the pot over a colander, pick out the shrimp and set aside. Sprinkle the remaining Old Bay Seasoning evenly over the shrimp and serve alongside lemon wedges and cocktail sauce.
Nutrition
Ashley says
So easy to make! I had everything I needed to make this recipe too. So good.
Jessica says
The bay leaf really made this recipe stand out from the rest. DELICIOUS!