Peel and Eat Shrimp
by Sommer Collier — on Oct 21, 2026 
If I’m not at the beach, I’m somewhere thinking about the beach. And usually, I’m daydreaming about a big plate of succulent shrimp with plenty of zippy cocktail sauce! That’s why I perfected my easy Peel and Eat Shrimp recipe, so I can enjoy a little taste of the coast wherever I am. I quickly poach the shrimp in their shells in a flavorful broth of fresh lemon, beer, and Old Bay seasoning. The result is tender, delicious shrimp that are just as much fun to peel as they are to eat. No coast required!
I’m not just a Southern woman… Whenever I get the chance I’m a coastal gal, too! And there’s nothing like sitting down at an open air beachfront bar with a pile of peel and eat shrimp and an ice cold beer. Thankfully, this is an easy experience to recreate in just a few minutes at home! Today I’m sharing with you my fabulous recipe with easy step-by-step instructions to make restaurant-style boiled shrimps with the shells on. While there isn’t an ocean breeze included, you’ll still feel like you’re enjoying a relaxing day on the water as you sit back, casually peel each shrimp, and dunk them into cocktail sauce (using my famous homemade cocktail sauce recipe, of course) or any of your favorite seafood dipping sauces.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Locked-In Flavor – I create a simple Old Bay and beer broth to quickly poach the shrimp. And what really locks in that incredible seafood flavor is cooking the shrimp in the shells. This protects them from overcooking and helps the meat retain its soft juicy texture, without getting rubbery.
Quick and Easy – Most seafood recipes are pretty quick to make, like a classic shrimp boil, since the shrimp only take a few minutes to cook. My peel and eat shrimp recipe is no different… The whole process, from making the broth to poaching and serving the shrimps, is less than 15 minutes! So in addition to helping keep the shrimp flavorful, leaving the shells on means there’s little prep work.
Perfect to Share – My recipe calls for somewhere between 50-60 shrimp. This is enough for roughly 5-10 servings, depending on if I am serving them as a snack or dinner. Whatever the case, there should be plenty for all! I put out a few various seafood dipping sauces, too.
Key Ingredients and Tips
First, let’s talk about the obvious start here… Raw shrimp. The key to making an incredible peel and eat shrimp recipe is to first buy the largest and freshest shrimp you can find, raw of course, in shells. However, I always like to find the ones that the fishmonger has already butterflied and clean the tops. Yes, the shells are still on, but they’re cleaned. This also makes them very easy to pull the shells off as you eat them. You do not have to find this kind, you can just find raw shrimp in shells.
- Beer – I use a light crisp beer to enhance the smoky Old Bay flavor without overpowering the delicate shrimp taste. Red Stripe is my favorite beer to make peel and eat shrimp. But other lighter beers like Corona, Coors, or Budweiser, or even Pabst are also great options.
- Lemon wedges – Yup that’s right, I throw the whole wedges right into the pot! I do save a few, however, to serve with the cooked shrimp.
- Old Bay – You know it, you love it! Old Bay is THAT classic vibrant shrimp seasoning, made with a “secret” combination of 18 spices that include but are not limited to paprika, celery salt, pepper, and cinnamon. (Surprising, right?)
- Garlic – I peel and smash whole garlic cloves. Like the lemon wedges they are getting tossed into the broth so no need to make them pretty.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep Broth – I start by placing a large 6 quart pot on the stovetop over high heat and get out my skimmer. (To fish the shrimp out later.) Then I add the water and beer, followed by the whole lemon wedges, smashed garlic cloves, and Old Bay seasoning. I leave the mixture come to a boil, then stir, and leave it alone for 3-4 minutes as it continues to boil. This essentially cooks off the alcohol from the beer, so you get all of that flavor without any actual booze.
Add Shrimp – Now I carefully slide the raw shrimp into the boiling broth. I do a quick stir and let the shrimp cook for only about 2 minutes.
Skim them Out – Watch them closely and use the skimmer to pluck out the shrimp as soon as they go from opaque gray to light pink. Don’t let them curl up! Remember, “O” stands for overcooked.
I immediately plate the shrimp… And we’re ready to peel and eat!
How to Peel and Eat Shrimp – To get the meat out as cleanly as possible, I start by picking up a shrimp by the tail in my left hand (or right hand if you’re left-handed), and grab as many of the legs as possible with the fingers on my right hand. Pull the frilly legs out and up towards the head of the shrimp to remove them. Repeat until all of the legs have been removed. Now you should be able to peel away the pieces of shell on either side of where the legs were, popping the cooked shrimp meat out of the casing. Keep firmly holding onto the tail, and as you pop the shrimp out of the shell it should also pull the meat out of the tail in one whole piece. Then dip the shrimp in your favorite sauce and discard the shell.
Serving Suggestions
When I make my peel and eat shrimp recipe I serve them with those leftover lemon wedges, and an extra bowl or plate on the side for the discarded shells. There is already a lot of flavor going on here but I also love to have the Old Bay shrimp with fabulous homemade dipping sauces! Here are a few of my faves for seafood…
- Cocktail Sauce (seriously, the BEST)
- Seafood Mustard Sauce
- Remoulade Sauce
- Comeback Sauce
- Spicy Tartar Sauce
Storage Notes
I suggest eating poached shrimp within a day or two cooking, with or without the shells on. Otherwise they start to lose their tender meaty texture. If you do have leftovers transfer them to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator.
I would avoid reheating them at this point. Which is fine, because these shrimp are delicious chilled or at room temperature! If you prefer them closer to room temp, take the container out of the fridge and let them sit on the counter for 15 minutes or so.
You can also use any leftover shrimp to make quick batches of other recipes like my Cajun shrimp toast, hot shrimp dip, or cheesy shrimp quesadillas!
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer to use fresh shrimp but I know that’s not always possible. Purchasing frozen shrimp is totally fine, but thaw them before using! My favorite method to thaw them is to place the frozen shrimp in a colander (with a lid if possible) over a bowl and keep it in the fridge overnight. Any excess water will drain into the bowl.
I mean yes, technically. But I’m personally not a fan. Poaching the shrimp in a beer broth will soften the tails, but they’ll still be fairly sharp and crunchy. So ‘cmon, just use them and handles and then toss those aside!
Help Me Spread the Word about this Fabulous Free Recipe! Sharing this recipe link on Pinterest and Facebook is super impactful, and I greatly appreciate it! Find the share buttons below the recipe form.
More Seafood Recipes
Peel and Eat Shrimp
Ingredients
- 3 pounds jumbo raw shrimp in shells
- 6 cups water
- 12 ounces light crisp beer like Red Stripe
- 1 lemon cut into quarters
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning + extra for garnish
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- For servings: extra lemon wedges and cocktail sauce
Instructions
- Set a large 6 quart pot over high heat. Pour in the water and beer. Then throw in the lemon wedges, old base seasoning, and smashed garlic cloves.
- Bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, stir and allow the broth to boil on its own for 3-4 minutes.
- Carefully add the shrimp to the pot and stir. Poach the shrimp for approximately 2-3 minutes, or until they are fully pink and firm but still in the shape of C’s, not O’s.
- Use a skimmer to quickly pull the shrimp out of the broth. *The cooking time will be determined based on how large the shrimp are. If they're enormous, they may take a couple more minutes. However, if they're small, they might cook in one minute!
- Serve the peel and eat shrimp hot or place them over a bed of ice to cool them, and serve with cocktail sauce. I like to garnish them with a little extra old bay seasoning, fresh chopped parsley, and extra lemon wedges. Cocktail sauce is a must!
