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The best and easiest way to cook shrimp? Poaching them in water that’s been infused with aromatics! Poached shrimp are super tender and full of flavor, plus it’s a super easy method that’ll give you perfectly cooked shrimp every time.

Angled, overhead photo of a tray holding poached shrimp on a bed of ice, with lemon wedges and sauce.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

This method is pretty much foolproof! This recipe will give you beautiful poached shrimp that are perfectly cooked every time! Tender, juicy, perfectly pink. Never tough or rubbery.
Poached shrimp are ridiculously easy to make! All you’ll need is a pot, water, fragrant aromatics like garlic, peppercorn, lemon and fresh herbs, and you guessed it, shrimp. You’ll let the water infused for a bit, poach the shrimp for 3 little minutes, then shock them with an ice bath. Easy and quick too!
This is a great way to meal prep shrimp. Poach them ahead of time to use in many different way. From shrimp cocktail, to tacos, on top of a salad, or simply as a snack. Shrimp are very nutritious, not only are they high in protein, they’re also low fat, low carbs and low calories.

Chef’s Tips

Make sure the shrimp are completely defrosted before poaching if you buy them frozen. To thaw shrimp, you can let them defrost overnight in the fridge by adding them to a sealed bag placed in a bowl. Or for a quicker method, defrost the in the sink or bowl. Place the frozen shrimp in a sealed Ziploc bag, add the bag to cold water and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, moving them around here and there. Cold water only, warm water isn’t safe to use to defrost seafood and could cause harmful bacteria growth.
I used jumbo shrimp for this recipe, which gives you about 21 to 25 shrimp per pound. It’s the perfect size for shrimp cocktail, but this method works for any shrimp size. To give you an idea, extra-large shrimp will give you about 26 to 30 shrimp per pound, and large 31 to 35 shrimp per pound. Whatever you prefer or have on hand. You can buy pre-cleaned shrimp or clean them yourself, if you do it yourself (directions are a the bottom of the recipe), save those shells to make a homemade shrimp stock.
While I chose fresh parsley and fresh thyme to flavor my poaching water, feel free to use any fresh herbs or aromatics you like. Fresh rosemary or dill, chopped onion will work great too!

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5 from 1 vote

Poached Shrimp

Prep: 15

Cook: 20

Total: 35

Tender poached shrimp in water infused with garlic, peppercorn, lemon and fresh herbs. Ready in 3 minutes before being transferred to an ice bath for cooling.

Cheryl Malik

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4 servings

Ingredients

▢ 4 cups water
▢ 3 cloves garlic smashed
▢ ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
▢ ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
▢ juice of 1 medium lemon approximately 2 tablespoons
▢ 1 pound peeled, tail-on jumbo shrimp deveined; or peeled, tail-on extra-large shimp, deveined
▢ 3-4 sprigs fresh parsley
▢ 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

Get Recipe Ingredients

Equipment

Large pot with lid
slotted spoon
Large bowl
ice
Paper towels
Plate or bowl

Instructions

In large pot, add water, garlic, salt, peppercorn, lemon juice, leftover juiced lemon halves, parsley and thyme. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, uncover pot, turn heat back up to bring water to low rolling boil, about 1 minute. Add shrimp to pot, add cover back on, then remove pot from heat, and let shrimp sit for 3 minutes or until they turn pink.
While shrimp are poaching, fill large bowl with ice and water. Then with slotted spoon, transfer shrimp from pot to ice bath. Let shrimp sit to cool down completely, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Once shrimp are cool, transfer to paper towel lines plate or bowl, and pat shrimp dry. Enjoy as desired.

Notes

How to clean shrimp: Using a small knife or shears, make a small cut through the shrimp’s back shell for easy removal. Leave the tail on if using for shrimp cocktail, or removed if preferred. Then slightly slice the back of the shrimp open and remove the vein using the knife or your fingers. Flip the shrimp, then repeat to remove the vein on the other side. That’s it. To make it even easier, you can buy pre-cleaned shrimp.
Storage: Store poached shrimp refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Information

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Poached Shrimp

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Chef’s Tips

More Delicious Shrimp Recipes To Try