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Pickled Shrimp

4.60 from 10 votes
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Tangy, fresh, and healthy pickled shrimp are the perfect appetizer with a glass of white wine or a healthy snack. Instead of buying those tiny jars from the store, why not learn how to make your own?

Make sure that leftover shrimp shells don’t go to waste with this Shrimp Stock recipe! To use up extra shrimp why not try making Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp?

Table of Contents
  1. Pickled Shrimp
  2. How To Peel Shrimp
  3. How to Devein Shrimp
  4. Simple Ways To Alter The Brine
  5. How Long Will Your Pickled Shrimp Last?
  6. How To Serve Pickled Shrimp
  7. PIN THIS RECIPE to your APPETIZER RECIPE Boards and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
  8. Pickled Shrimp Recipe
pickled shrimp on a stack of white plates

Pickled Shrimp

Pickled shrimp is one of those things that not many people are completely familiar with.

Tangy, succulent, and sometimes even a little bit spicy, pickled shrimp are used as an appetizer or topping to provide a big hit of umami and acidity to any dish.

With nothing more than a brine flavored however you want it and some deveined and peeled shrimp, this is an incredibly easy recipe you can manipulate to your liking to make every bite of pickled shrimp taste perfect.             

pickled shrimp ingredients in small clear bowls

How To Peel Shrimp

If you look hard enough in the frozen section, you should be able to find plenty of bags of shrimp that have already been peeled and deveined.

However, if you are struggling to find any, you will need to learn how to prepare your shrimp yourself.

Firstly, you need to peel the shell entirely off of the shrimp, which is as simple as gripping underneath the shrimp and peeling the shell away from the belly – the whole thing should come as one piece if you tug it right.

Don’t throw these shells away, though Save them for the next time you need seafood stock, as you can easily make a delicious shrimp stock by simply browning the shrimp shells and then simmering them in water for an hour with some peppercorns.

How to Devein Shrimp

Deveining shrimp is a little more annoying, however.

For starters, the vein you need to remove is actually the shrimp’s digestive tract, making removing it a lot more important than just ascetics.

You want to make sure you aren’t cutting through it, though – the best thing to do is to use a knife to peel the vein away from the shrimp’s belly, being careful not to turn the knife across the vein and risk splitting it.

If you do it right, the vein should just peel off, and you can just throw it away.

 shrimp being added to the brine

Simple Ways To Alter The Brine

The brine used in this recipe might seem like it has a lot of different ingredients in it, but it is actually a pretty simple combination of savory, acidic, and enriching ingredients to make the perfect brine.

However, the precise ingredients can totally be changed around depending on your personal preferences.

For example, you could swap the apple cider vinegar for a different kind of vinegar, depending on whatever your favorite vinegar is.

You could use more or less of the other flavoring ingredients, like the dill and garlic, or you could use a totally different blend of seasoning instead of Old Bay.

As long as you keep the relative ratio of vinegar and oils the same, you can play around with the flavoring ingredients however you like to make whatever works best for you.

pickled shrimp in a large clear bowl

How Long Will Your Pickled Shrimp Last?

The joy of pickling anything is that it inherently makes it last a whole lot longer.

Instead of expiring within a day of opening like regular shrimp does, this simple pickled shrimp recipe should help your shrimp to remain safe in the fridge for a little bit longer.

While most FDA recommendations tell you to limit the length of shrimp sitting in your fridge to around 3-4 days, the best thing to do is to trust your nose and keep smelling it to assess how far along it is.

You could even go the extra mile and can your pickled shrimp using a canning machine, but that’s going to depend on just how confident you are in your canning abilities to ensure you don’t risk food-borne pathogens.

pickled shrimp being held up by wooden tongs

How To Serve Pickled Shrimp

Pickled shrimp is definitely not the kind of thing that most people are super familiar with, so you might be a little unsure exactly how to serve it.

Here are a few simple suggestions for how to use your newfound pickled shrimp.

  • On Crackers

The simplest option is to simply put a few of your pickled shrimp on some crackers and eat it as a snack. The salty crunchiness of the crackers will contrast nicely with the flavor of the acidic shrimp, making for a perfect bite.

  • In Salad

Throwing some pickled shrimp into a salad is a great way to add protein and acidity to any kind of salad recipe you want. Even if the salad is more focused on a different ingredient, a little bit of these pickled shrimp will up the flavor and umami in every bite.

  • As A Topping On Rice

For a simple lunch or a light dinner, just a few pickled shrimp served over some steamed white rice makes for a tangy, chewy, and incredibly moreish rice dish. Use it like chili crisp and mix it all the way into the rice for each bite to be bursting with shrimpy goodness.

Looking for more delicious and healthy Snack recipes? Try these out:

Candied Jalapeños

Salty, Crispy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

How To Make Kale Chips

Happy Cooking

Love,

Karlynn

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Pickled Shrimp

Tangy, fresh and healthy pickled shrimp are the perfect appetizer with a glass of white wine, or a healthy snack!
4.60 from 10 votes
pickled shrimp on a stack of white plates
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Course
Appetizer
Cuisine
American
Servings
10
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds extra-large shrimp peeled deveined, and tails left on

Brine

  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 small red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 small lemon thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons capers roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
  • 2 teaspoons shrimp seasoning or Old Bay

Instructions
 

  • Combine the brine ingredients in a large bowl or large wide-mouthed mason jar, then stir until well combined. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the shrimp.
  • Fill a medium saucepan 2/3 of the way with water and add 1 teaspoon of salt.
  • Bring the salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Place the shrimp into the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are JUST pink and opaque yet fully cooked.
  • Quickly drain the shrimp in a colander and run cold water over them to stop them from cooking further.
  • Drain the shrimp well and then add to the chilled brine mixture.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours, preferably overnight, or up to 4 days.
  • Serve chilled.

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

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Reader Interactions

Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Stina Goucher says

    This looks very good. I’m going to make a jar for my son and daughter-in-law and one for myself .. Thank you!!

  2. Margaret Ferrell says

    I’ve been making pickled shrimp for 40 years. I have never cooked them first. The brine and lemon do that for you like ceviche.1 star

    • Karlynn says

      That’s definitely not something I’d recommend, as it’s not a ceviche recipe (these shrimp are really whole; thick, not chopped) and this has oil which is NOT in a proper ceviche as it stops the acids from “cooking”. This recipe should be made ONLY with cooked shrimp for safety.5 stars

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