How to Thaw Frozen Shrimp

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posted on 8 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Shrimp are a delectable seafood item that can be used in a variety of dishes. Most shrimp are individually quick frozen (IQF) soon after being caught. Only buy thawed shrimp if you’re sure it’s fresh and has never been frozen! You can defrost frozen shrimp quickly by submerging it in cold water. Alternatively, you can place frozen shrimp in a covered bowl and allow them to thaw in your refrigerator overnight. You can also put frozen shrimp in boiling water for 1 minute to thaw them.

Steps

Using Cold Water

Place the frozen shrimp in a colander or sieve. Remove the desired amount of frozen shrimp from the freezer. Reseal the bag and replace the remaining shrimp in the freezer, if necessary. Place the frozen shrimp in a colander or a mesh sieve.

Put the colander in a large bowl of cold tap water for 10 minutes. Fill a large bowl with cold tap water and place it in your kitchen sink. Put the colander inside the bowl so that the shrimp are completely covered in cold water. Leave them submerged for 10 minutes.

Replace the water with fresh, cold water. Remove the colander or sieve full of shrimp from the bowl of water. Dump out the water and refill the bowl with fresh, cold, tap water. Place the colander or sieve full of shrimp back in the water. Again, you want to make sure the shrimp are completely submerged.

Let the shrimp thaw for another 10 to 20 minutes. Allow the shrimp to sit in the cold water for another 10 to 20 minutes. At that point they should be completely defrosted but still cold.

Remove the shrimp from the water and pat them dry. Remove the colander or sieve from the bowl and let the water drain out. Take the shrimp out of the bowl and pat them dry with a paper or kitchen towel before cooking and using them in your recipe or dish.

Thawing in the Refrigerator

Remove the shrimp from the freezer. If you only want to use a portion of shrimp you bought, remove the desired amount from the bag, then reseal the bag and place it back in the freezer. You can also thaw the entire bag of frozen shrimp at one time.

Place the shrimp in a covered bowl. Put the shrimp in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a tight-fitting lid or with plastic wrap. Make sure the bowl is sealed tightly.

Thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator overnight. Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator. Allow the shrimp to gradually thaw overnight, or for about 12 hours. They’ll be ready to use in your dish the next day.

Rinse and dry the shrimp. Put your shrimp in a colander or sieve and rinse them under cool, running water to remove any ice particles. Then, use a paper or kitchen towel to pat the shrimp dry.

Use the shrimp within 48 hours. Once your shrimp are thawed, you should use them within 48 hours to ensure they are still fresh and safe to eat. You could also refreeze them within this period, if you’d like.

Using Boiling Water

Boil water in a large pot. Fill a large pot with enough water to completely cover the amount of shrimp you wish to thaw. Place it on a stovetop burner at medium-high heat and allow the water to come to a boil.

Add the shrimp to the water and leave them for 1 minute. Once the water is boiling, carefully place your frozen shrimp in the water. Allow them to sit in the boiling water for 1 minute. If your shrimp are stuck together, separate them before placing them in the boiling water.

Remove the shrimp from the boiling water. Turn off your burner. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp from the boiling water.

Pat the shrimp dry before cooking them. Place the shrimp on a paper or kitchen towel and pat them dry. Boiling your shrimp for 1 minute does not cook them, it simply defrosts them, so be sure to thoroughly cook your shrimp before eating them.