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This easy-to-follow guide will help you peel and devein shrimp at home with minimal fuss and mess – a simple way to make your seafood look as good as it tastes.
When bought from a fishmonger or anywhere but a grocery store, shrimp look very different from their cooked form. Often, shrimp with minimal preparation are cheaper than ready-to-cook shrimp, so if you want to save some money, knowing how to peel and devein them yourself is a useful kitchen hack.
Follow my simple steps to peel and devein shrimp and enjoy these delicious crustaceans in dishes like garlic butter shrimp, air fryer shrimp, shrimp stir fry, and more!
Ingredients
- Shell-on Large Shrimp: For any shrimp recipe, you can usually substitute fresh for frozen in a pinch. If using frozen, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before you peel and devein shrimp. Or, if you’re short on time, submerge the frozen shrimp in a sealed bag in a bowl of COLD water and let sit for a few minutes.
How to peel and devein shrimp
Cut the Head: Using your fingers, pull the head of the shrimp away from the tail – see the pictures below. Put the heads in a bowl and set aside. You can also use a sharp paring knife.
Remove the Shell: Using a sharp knife, make a shallow opening in the shrimp’s back, then gently peel away the hard shell until you just have the soft shrimp tail. You can keep the bottom of the tail on for a nice presentation (best if you’re serving whole for dipping) or discard it.
Devein: From the shallow slit you cut, use your fingers to gently pull out the dark vein from inside the shrimp. You can also use tip of your knife if you prefer. Discard the vein and repeat, then place the peeled shrimp in a bowl for cleaning.
Rinse and Pat Dry: Once they’ve all been de-shelled and deveined, clean the shrimps thoroughly in a bowl of cold water, and make sure to pat them dry before using. This will get rid of any extra dirt, grit, or debris.
FAQs
Whilst not edible, the shrimp heads and shrimp shells can be kept for making fish stock, seafood stock and broths as they have plenty of flavor in them. Once you’ve made this, then you can discard the excess.
Not necessarily. With smaller varieties of shrimp or ready-to-cook shrimp, it’s not always necessary to peel and devein shrimp. It will depend on the size of the shrimp and how much prep has happened before you buy it.
How to store
- In The Fridge: Raw shrimp should be sealed in an airtight container or a Ziplock bag with a little water. Store in the coldest part of the fridge and it’ll keep for a day or two. I only recommend doing this if you plan to use the shrimp shortly after peeling and deveining.
- In The Freezer: If you used already defrosted shrimp, don’t freeze it again. Otherwise, spread out the shrimp on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flash freeze until they’re solid. This stops the shrimp from sticking. Add your frozen shrimp to a freezer-safe airtight container or Ziplock bag and place it in the freezer. Date and label the container – it’s best used within three months, but can technically last up to a year.
Easy shrimp recipes to try
For more inspiration, check out my collection of the best seafood recipes.
If you try this method for cleaning shrimp, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
How To Peel And Devein Shrimp
Equipment
- Sharp knife paring or deveining knife
Ingredients
- 12 shrimp shell-on, large
Instructions
- Using your fingers, pull the head of the shrimp away from the tail. Put the heads in a bowl and set aside.
- Using a sharp knife, make a shallow opening in the back of the shrimp, then gently peel away the hard shell until you just have the soft shrimp tail. You can keep the bottom of the tail on for a nice presentation (best if you’re serving whole for dipping) or remove.
- From the shallow opening you cut, use your fingers to gently pull out the dark vein from inside the shrimp. You can also use tip of a knife if you prefer. Discard the vein and repeat until all of the shrimp have been prepared.
- Once they’ve all been de-shelled and deveined, clean shrimps thoroughly under water before using, and make sure to pat them dry. This will get rid of any extra dirt or debris.
How To Store
- In The Fridge: Raw shrimp should be sealed in an airtight container or a Ziplock bag with a little water. Store in the coldest part of the fridge and it’ll keep for a day or two. I only recommend doing this if you plan to use the shrimp soon after you peel and devein.In The Freezer: If you used already defrosted shrimp, don't freeze it again. Otherwise, spread out the shrimp on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flash freeze until they’re solid. This stops the shrimp from sticking. Add your frozen shrimp to a freezer-safe airtight container or Ziplock bag and place it in the freezer. Date and label the container – it’s best used within three months, but can technically last up to a year.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
