Food & Cooking Recipes Appetizers Peel-and-Eat Shrimp 4.5 (20) This three-ingredient appetizer makes a great party starter. Close Credit: Brie Goldman Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 5 mins Total Time: 15 mins Servings: 8 Jump to recipe There are so many reasons to love this peel-and-eat shrimp recipe. With only three ingredients—shrimp, butter, and Old Bay Seasoning—the prep couldn’t be simpler. Even better? It takes only 15 minutes start to finish and leaves you with tender, juicy shrimp dressed in a salty, kicked-up butter sauce. It's a perfect appetizer, especially in the summer when you can eat them outside with less worry about making a mess. The shrimp are perfect served as is, but it can never hurt to set out some lemon slices, a bottle of your favorite hot sauce, and some cocktail sauce for those who might like to take an extra dip. 20 Summer Appetizers for All Your Warm-Weather Gatherings Buying and Prepping Shrimp When it comes to buying and preparing shrimp for this recipe, there are a few key things to keep in mind: Size: Shrimp are sold in sizes ranging from small to colossal with several options in between. While the size will likely be listed on the package as "medium," "large," etc., you'll sometimes see them categorized by the number of shrimp that make up a pound. We recommend large shrimp for this recipe, which may be listed as 31/35 per pound or 26/30 per pound. Shell: Because we're making peel-and-eat shrimp, you'll definitely want to buy shrimp with the shell on. You can often find these sold by the pound in the freezer (typically near the seafood counter) or for sale at the counter itself. Peeled shrimp are better used for shrimp cocktail or other recipes. Thawing: If you've purchased frozen shrimp, the easiest way to thaw them before cooking is to transfer them to a bowl of cold water for about 15 minutes. If they're still a bit frosty, change out the water and let them sit for a few minutes more. Deveining: For the best eating experience, we recommend cutting up the back of the shell to remove the vein, which is the digestive tract that runs along the shrimp's back. To do so, use a pair of kitchen shears to snip from the top of the shrimp to the tail, leaving the tail intact, then use a paring knife to remove the vein. For easy cleanup, set out some newspaper or split-open paper bags on the table before serving these saucy crustaceans. Directions Credit: Brie Goldman Cook shrimp: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook shrimp until opaque throughout, 4 to 5 minutes. Credit: Brie Goldman Drain; transfer to bowl: Drain and transfer to a bowl. Credit: Brie Goldman Add butter and seasoning; toss: Add butter and Old Bay seasoning and toss to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature. Credit: Brie Goldman What to Serve with Peel-and-Eat Shrimp Peel-and-eat shrimp make a fun and delicious starter for all kinds of meals, from burgers and dogs, to ribs and chicken, to a full-on seafood fest. Since peeling and eating them can get a bit messy, these shrimp are perfect for eating outside when the weather is warm, paired with lemon slices and ice-cold beers or sweet tea. Storage Leftover shrimp can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. To prevent overcooking, we'd recommend eating leftovers cold or at room temperature, as opposed to reheating. More Shrimp Appetizer Recipes to Try Crunchy Shrimp Fritters Shrimp Cocktail With Three Sauces Low-Country Pickled Shrimp Spicy Shrimp Dip Quick Shrimp Relish Tray Smoky Shrimp-and-Sausage Gravy Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.