Easy How to Cook Shrimp with the Shell (& Garlic Butter)

Easy How to Cook Shrimp with the Shell (& Garlic Butter)

This fast and easy recipe for how to cook shrimp with a shell will have you cooking up a delicious dinner in no time at all!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: How to Cook Shrimp with the Shell On

Servings: servings

Calories: 478kcal

Author: Wendi Spraker

Cost: $10

Equipment

1 skillet
measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

For the Shrimp

1 lb shrimp
4 Tbs Butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lemon for squeezing juice

For the Sauce

3 Tbs Butter
1 tsp minced garlic

Instructions

For the Shrimp

Thaw the shrimp by placing frozen shrimp into the refrigerator the day before you prepare.
Preheat a cast iron skillet or heavy pan over medium heat on the stove top.
Once preheated, put the butter, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, old bay, salt and pepper into the pan. Heat until the butter is just melted.
Add the shrimp all at once (but do not include any juices from the container) to the preheated skillet. Stir the shrimp continuously until the shrimp is cooked through. (Flesh is opaque, the shrimp becomes a bright pink color and the tails begin to curl).
Remove from the heat, squeeze lemon over the top of the shrimp and reserve some for serving at the table with the shrimp.

For the Sauce

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan.
Add the minced garlic and allow to heat over very low heat.

Video

Notes

It's best to heat the butter in the pan, add the seasonings and then put the shrimp in the pan. Don't try to put the butter and seasonings in a bowl with the shrimp because the shrimp are cold and they make the butter hard and it becomes too difficult to stir.
The main thing to understand about cooking shrimp no matter if you start with raw, precooked, shell on or shell off, the shrimp is done with the meat is opaque and the shrimp turns bright pink and curls a bit. Take it off the heat immediately.
If you are using precooked shrimp, just understand that because the shrimp is already cooked, you simply need to warm it up in the pan so lower the temp and let it warm slowly.
If you thawed the shrimp in the bag that it was frozen in, remove the shrimp from the bag and drain well. You do not want to add that juice to the pan.
Thaw the shrimp by placing the frozen shrimp into the refrigerator the night before. If you forgot, you can thaw shrimp fast by placing the bag from the freezer section into a large bowl of cool water (not warm or hot water). Change the water every 20 minutes until the shrimp is thawed.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Shrimp - I don't know of a substitution for the shrimp in this recipe, however, you CAN substitute any format of shrimp you have, raw, precooked, head on, head off, shell on, shell off, etc. Just understand from the notes section when the shrimp is done.

Seasonings - you can substitute any seasonings you prefer in any amount you like. Try garlic and onion powders, Old Bay, Tony Cacheries, hot sauce and butter, Lemon Pepper, etc. Get the idea?

Butter - feel free to substitute an equal amount of olive oil, margarine or whatever oil you prefer.

Nutrition