How Long to Boil Shrimp

Shrimp is a popular choice of protein for all kinds of meals and almost every occasion. Once peeled, deveined and cooked, shrimp are tender, chewy and bursting with seafood flavor.

Plus, shrimp are easy to cook – even for beginners! Boiling is a great option for cooking shrimp–you just have to know how long to boil shrimp in order to make them both safe for consumption and tasty.

So, how long does it take to boil shrimp? Keep reading for a comprehensive list of boiling times for different kinds of shrimp!

The Basic Steps of Boiling Shrimp

1. Prepare your shrimp as needed–peel, de-vein and remove the heads (if your recipe calls for it). You can also leave the shrimp completely intact.
2. Fill a large pot with cold or lukewarm water.
3. Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to the medium-high setting.
4. Once the water has reached a rolling boil, add the shrimp and boil for the recommended amount of time (see below).
5. Strain the water from the shrimp, allow them to cool and serve or incorporate into other dishes.

How Long to Boil Shrimp: Fresh vs. Frozen

The starting temperature of the shrimp will determine how long it takes to boil them. You can boil fresh shrimp, frozen shrimp, raw shrimp and pre-cooked shrimp.

How Long to Boil Fresh Shrimp

Fresh shrimp cook faster than you might think! Boil fresh shrimp for 2-4 minutes until they’re pink and no longer see-through.

How Long to Boil Raw Shrimp

Raw shrimp is essentially the same as fresh shrimp – boil them for 2-4 minutes, as well.

How Long to Boil Precooked Shrimp

Precooked shrimp should be boiled for 1-3 minutes until heated through to the desired temperature.

How Long to Boil Frozen Shrimp

How long depends on whether or not you thaw the shrimp before boiling. You can boil the shrimp, straight from frozen, for 2-5 minutes, but if you thaw the shrimp completely before boiling, you can treat them like fresh shrimp.

How Long to Boil Frozen, Raw Shrimp

Frozen shrimp should cook fairly quickly in boiling water, even if they’re still raw. Boil frozen, raw shrimp for up to 5 minutes until cooked through and completely opaque.

Boiling Shrimp with or without Shells

Shrimp can come with or without the shell. You can boil the shrimp before or after the shell has been removed, but you’ll likely want to remove the shell before incorporating into recipes or consuming.

How Long to Boil Shrimp in Shell

Shrimp in the shell should be boiled for at least 2 minutes to cook them to a safe internal temperature.

How Long to Boil Peeled Shrimp

If the shrimp you’re working with are peeled, it will still only take about 2-3 minutes to boil them to perfection! You can buy pre-peeled shrimp or peel them yourself, if you’re feeling up to the task.

Boiling Shrimp by Size

How long you’ll need to boil shrimp can also be determined by their size. Shrimp come in all different sizes, from mini to jumbo, and each one cooks at different rates.

This section will go over how long it takes to boil the most common sizes (mini, small, large and jumbo shrimp) and the chart at the end will summarize the cooking times.

How Long to Boil Mini Shrimp

Mini shrimp are also sometimes called salad shrimp and typically come already cooked. However, if you happen to find some frozen mini shrimp, or want to boil them to reheat them, boil for 1 minute.

How Long to Boil Small Shrimp

Small shrimp are the next size up after mini and should be boiled for at least 2 minutes.

How Long to Boil Large Shrimp

Large shrimp are up to 3 inches long and should be boiled for 2-4 minutes.

How Long to Boil Jumbo Shrimp

Jumbo shrimp are one of the biggest sizes you’ll typically find in the grocery store, and they should be boiled for 3-5 minutes.

Table: How Long to Boil Shrimp by Size

This table contains the answer to the frequently asked question: how long does shrimp need to boil?

Size of Shrimp	How Long to Boil (minutes)
Mini	1
Small	2
Large	2-4
Jumbo	3-5

Boiling Shrimp for Specific Dishes

How Long to Boil Easy-Peel Shrimp

Easy-peel shrimp are served cooked, chilled and deveined with the head off but the rest of the shell and tail still intact. They’re often served as an appetizer or as part of a seafood buffet. Boil easy-peel shrimp for 2-4 minutes.

How Long to Boil Shrimp for Cocktail

Shrimp cocktail is one of the most popular shrimp dishes and is often served as an appetizer for special occasions. Wondering how long to boil shrimp for shrimp cocktail? Easy–just 2 minutes in a pot of boiling water, and the shrimp will be ready to chill for shrimp cocktail.

How Long to Boil Shrimp in Crawfish Boil

Shrimp are often included in crawfish boils in the American south. To successfully complete a crawfish boil, you’ll need to know how long to boil crawfish and shrimp together. This depends on how big your crawfish boil is, but the average recipe calls for at least 4 minutes of boiling time when using shrimp and crawfish together.

How Long to Boil Shrimp for a Shrimp Boil

Crawfish boils aren’t the only popular boiled dish! Shrimp boils are often more cost-effective and just as tasty. It’s not the same as a crawfish boil, though, and you’ll need to know how long to cook shrimp boil on its own. 2-5 minutes should be sufficient to cook the shrimp.