Peel-and-Eat Boiled Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
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Ready to dig in? These Maryland-style boiled shrimp are packed with flavor—peel, eat, and enjoy a hands-on seafood feast!
A summer tradition my family loves is eating at seafood shacks, where we sit around brown paper-covered picnic tables and feast on peel-and-eat boiled shrimp and crab cakes. Even better is recreating this experience with a seafood boil in the backyard. Boiled shrimp are not only incredibly quick and easy to make but also so much fun to eat! My favorite way to prepare them is Maryland-style: simmered in beer and Old Bay seasoning with homemade cocktail sauce on the side. You’ll be amazed by how much cooking shrimp in the shell maximizes flavor and helps retain moisture (it’s also less work for the cook!).
Boiled shrimp pairs nicely with cornbread, fresh corn salad, or any number of summery corn dishes.
“This is the best Maryland-style spiced shrimp I have ever had, and I’m from MD!”
What You’ll Need To Make Peel-And-Eat Boiled Shrimp With Cocktail Sauce
- Old Bay Seasoning: Adds a signature blend of bold, zesty spices that perfectly complements the shrimp. The primary spices in Old Bay are celery salt, red and black pepper, and paprika.
- Butter: Enhances the richness of the cooking liquid and adds a smooth flavor to the shrimp.
- Beer: Infuses the shrimp with a subtle malty flavor while helping to tenderize the meat.
- Water: Dilutes the beer slightly, creating a well-balanced poaching liquid for the shrimp.
- Extra Large Shrimp: These meaty shrimp hold up well to boiling. I suggest frozen deveined shrimp, as most are cleaned and flash-frozen soon after being caught. Unless you live near the coast, the “fresh” shrimp in seafood cases is often previously frozen, so you’re better off buying frozen and thawing it yourself.
- Ketchup: Forms the sweet and tangy base of the cocktail sauce.
- Prepared Horseradish: Adds a sharp, spicy kick to balance the sweetness of the ketchup. Prepared horseradish can be found in the refrigerator aisle at your supermarket.
- Lemon Juice: Brightens the sauce with a touch of acidity.
- Cayenne Pepper: Adds a subtle heat for extra depth in the sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
To cook the shrimp, combine the beer, water, butter, and Old Bay in a large pot or Dutch oven and bring to a boil.
Add the shrimp, turn the heat down to medium, and cover with a lid.
Cook for 3 to 6 minutes, stirring once so they cook evenly, until the shrimp are pink but still tender. Be careful not to overcook!
To make the sauce, combine the ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a platter. Serve hot or cold with beer, cocktail sauce, and plenty of napkins. Enjoy!
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Peel-and-Eat Boiled Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
Simmered in beer and Old Bay, these peel n’ eat boiled shrimp are easy to make and fun to eat.
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 2½ tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup beer
- 1 cup water
- 2 pounds extra large shrimp (26-30 per pound), shell split and deveined, thawed if frozen
For the Cocktail Sauce
- 6 tablespoons ketchup
- ½ tablespoon prepared horseradish (see note)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
For the Shrimp
- Combine the Old Bay, butter, beer, and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp, turn the heat down to medium, and cover the pot with a lid. Cook, stirring once, for 3 to 6 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the broth and transfer to a serving platter. Serve hot or cold with cocktail sauce.
For the Cocktail Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Note: Prepared horseradish can be found in the refrigerator aisle at your supermarket.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 220
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Sodium: 344 mg
- Cholesterol: 259 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi. Have a quick question: after you put the shrimp in, do you have to let it come back to a boil before you set the timer for 3-6 minutes?
No need to let it come back to a boil – set the time right after you’ve put the shrimp in the pot and turned down the heat. Enjoy!
This is the best Maryland-style spiced shrimp I have ever had and I’m from MD! I have never seen butter in a shrimp boil recipe – and I’ve been making it for decades. I made both your shrimp and cocktail sauce recipes as written last night. My husband and I devoured it. The butter is next level and the cocktail sauce is perfect. Thank you so much for sharing this spectacular recipe!
Delicious and super easy!
This recipe is outstanding and super easy and simple household ingredients combine well the buttery flavor or the best.
excellent and easy way to boil shrimp. I only boiled 1 pound of shrimp with the same amount of ingredients for the recipe and they still came out well.
I only made the shrimp, not the sauce, but OMG it’s amazing! I’ve been looking for a good recipe for peel and eat at home. This one is amazing! I saved it and will use it again and again!
Simple and delicious, it will be my go to recipe from now on.
This is our go-to recipe!! Perfect.
Followed the recipe to a tee. Simply put, the best boiled shrimp recipe I have made at home and better than the majority of “seafood shacks” I have eaten at.
Just delicious! I didn’t add, omit, or change a thing! My husband raved about the shrimp & the cocktail sauce! Best he’s ever had!… he has travelled far & wide and has eaten his fair share of shrimp! An awesome addition to my repertoire. Thank you!