When you're in need of a quick meal, shrimp is the way to go. It can cook as quickly as two minutes, and almost never takes longer than seven. And when prepared with a skilled hand, it makes one satisfying dish. It's true that shrimp can be disappointing when overcooked, but if you click through the slideshow below you'll learn how to make it 13 different ways with delicious results every time.
With the increasing issue of unsustainable shrimping practices, it's important to understand what to look out for when buying shrimp. Some good things to keep in mind are:
- Opt for local over imported. Shrimping regulations are stricter in the U.S. compared to other parts of the world.
- Wild is oftentimes better than farmed. And look for smaller trawling companies, because they're less susceptible to bycatch (other marine life that gets harmed in shrimping nets).
- Search for shrimp certified by an independent agency, such as Wild American Shrimp or the Marine Stewardship Council. Even though these aren't federal organizations, they still provide a level of standards.
For a quick tutorial on how to clean and devein shrimp, check out our slideshow.
What's your favorite shrimp recipe? Leave a comment.
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Roasting
Con Poulos/Food&Wine
According to the Barefoot Contessa, roasting is the best way to prepare shrimp. It caramelizes them a little bit, which brings out a natural sweetness and intensifies their flavors. To roast them, just toss the shrimp in olive oil and salt, and cook in a 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes.
Serving suggestions:
Roasted scampi
Spiced with paprika and fresh herbs
Curry-spiced, paired with oranges
Serving suggestions:
Roasted scampi
Spiced with paprika and fresh herbs
Curry-spiced, paired with oranges
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Breading
Simply Recipes
Breaded shrimp are delicious -- and once the breading is done, the shrimp take only 1-2 minutes to cook through. First peel and devein the shrimp (it's not necessary to remove the tail), dredge and coat them in a flour, egg, breadcrumb combination. Then quickly fry them until golden brown and serve them while they're hot.
Serving suggestions:Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich
Serving suggestions:Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich
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Ceviche
Simply Recipes
Ceviche is a seafood dish popular in Peru. It's made from fresh raw fish and/or seafood that's marinated in citrus, chiles and other fresh flavors. It's easy to put together, just be sure to start with very fresh shrimp. Be sure to follow your recipe's instructions carefully.
Serving suggestions:Ceviche with avocado
Serving suggestions:Ceviche with avocado
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Grilled
Grilled shrimp is the classic and simplest version of making a shrimp dish. It is fast, easy and only takes 15 minutes to make. The ingredients are olive oil, lemon juice, chili powder, kosher salt, cayenne, and 1 1/2 lb. of shrimp. This is a great dish to begin with before delving into the more complex and fancy shrimp recipes.
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Sesame Ginger
Cooking shrimp with cold sesame ginger soba noodles is a super healthy way to pack in vegetables and protein into a meal. It is made by cooking buckwheat noodles with bell peper, bean sprouts, shrimp and topped off with a ginger dressing. It takes 30 minutes to cook is best served cold.
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Mango Guacamole
According to The Healthy Maven guacamole and shrimp are the two perfect combinations for a dipping sauce or for a delicious side dish. It only takes 10 minutes to make and involves mashing up 2 avocados with red onion, garlic, jalapeno, mango, shrimp and topped off with salt and lime. This dish is perfect for game night or celebrating a holiday.
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Garlic Sauce
According to Slim Palate, garlic shrimp is the perfect combination for a meal that is full of flavor. It calls for heating ghee or avocado oil into a large pan and adding garlic and saute for the fragrance. Then mixing it with the broccoli florets, sugar snap peas, shrimp, bay leaf and the sauces. This zesty meal only takes only 25 minutes to cook.
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Pesto
Pesto shrimp is a very adventurous and healthy entree to make for the family. It is simple to make and entails broiling shrimp and tossing it with pesto sauce and then threading the shrimp on skewers. Prepping this meal takes 30 minutes and only 10 minutes to cook.
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Glazed Honey Garlic
A honey glazed garlic shrimp dish is the perfect dish to show off to friends and family. It is one of the more complex shrimp recipes and takes 90 minutes to make. It involves wisking together olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, hoisin, garlic and pepper and marinating only half of the mixture with the shrimp. Then heating up the rest of the mixture while the shrimp cooks. After the shrimp is done cooking, take the shrimp skewers and dip it into the glaze. It takes 8 minutes to cook and will provide 4 to 6 servings. Perfect for a hot, summer night.
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Shrimp Scampi
According to Just a Taste this skinny shrimp scampi with zucchini noodles dish is light, healthy and full of great vegetables. By substituting zucchini noodles for pasta, this dish becomes a low calorie option for those who love the classic shrimp and pasta version. To start, saute and season the shrimp in a pan and then cook the white wine, lemon and zucchini noodles in another pan. Combine both pans, garish with parsley and serve it hot. It takes 20 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook.
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Spicy Garlic Thai
Spicy Garlic Thai shrimp is a great, exotic shrimp dish to try this summer. It is full of flavorful ingredients such as sour lime juice, honey, hot chili flakes, green onion and fresh ginger. To make it combine the flavors and sear it into a spicy marinade glaze for the shrimp. It is a simple concoction and is ready to eat in 15 minutes.
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Sweet and Sour Crackerjack
This sweet and sour crackerjack shrimp is a zesty Chinese style of shrimp. It involves velveting, which is a Chinese speciality consisting of marinating the shrimp with egg whites, cornstarch and sherry. Then adding chili sauce, garlic, ginger and sugar. For the shrimp, add in cornstarch and peanut oil and for the sauce add ketchup, chicken broth, sugar, garlic and ginger. This takes 1 hour of prepping and 5 minutes to cook. It amounts to 2-4 servings.
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