Steamed Shrimp Recipe | Ready In Minutes! - The Anthony Kitchen (2024)

If the thought of shrimp co*cktail 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 co*cktail 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

1. 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.
2. "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.
3. 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 co*cktail 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 theshell 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.

HOW TO MAKE co*ckTAIL SAUCE FOR STEAMED SHRIMP

Steamed Shrimp are delicious on their own, but way more fun when there's a dip involved. More specifically -- co*cktail sauce.

co*cktail 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!

co*ckTAIL 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

• Cajun Blackened Chicken
• Crawfish Pie
• Crawfish Etouffee