How to reheat Shrimp

Reheating the shrimps needs some basic understanding about the shrimp's meat. And this post elaborately discusses how to reheat shrimp without making them rubbery.

We love shrimp a lot, and love in any form whether is fried, baked or sauteed. And shrimp tastes delicious whatever spices added to it.

The shrimp also versatile, and stays excellent when breaded, or steamed or cooked with spices.

We are in central Pennsylvania and have to totally depend on the frozen shrimps. And our household feels happy and satisfied when I serve them either with chicken or shrimp.

And I have shared a few of our shrimp recipes here on our website. For your convenience I have listed them below, you may also check them if you prefer.

Shrimp recipes you may like,

• Shrimp Bruschetta
• Garlic pepper shrimp
• Hawaiian shrimp
• Shrimp pasta with cilantro lime sauce
• Sriracha shrimp pasta
• Shrimp the party appetizer
• Spicy seafood recipes

Do you find the shrimps are turning rubbery after reheating? And is it losing its original texture and the taste when recooked? I would invite you to read this post and apply these tips when reheating the next time. Hope these could help you to get better results in the next time.

I'm creating the post exclusively to talk about reheating shrimp because few of our readers are keep asking this frequently. Instead of providing information personally, I thought to come with the exclusive post to help others who have the same doubts.

Dumping a big quantity of shrimp in a single bowl and microwaving will not help you for any reason.

Can you reheat shrimp? Of course Yes, and my personal advice is not more than one time. Meaning, you can freeze the leftovers and reheat for single time usage. The multiple cooking destruct its properties and will not good for consumption.

Shrimp's meat is tender and gets cooked quickly for the first time. And this property along makes it delicate to reheat. To overcome this, proper heat should be applied evenly throughout the cooking process.

And reheating the shrimp is not a general topic, and they are available in many sizes. Each of these has to be treated differently. Let us see them now.

The shrimp is very sensitive to the heat. It gets cooked as soon as they turn opaque from translucent. To retain the moisture inside without burning the exterior, switch to lower flame once the meat is cooked to 60%.

Is the shrimp cooked already?

If you have frozen shrimp and cannot decide whether it is cooked or uncooked, then check them visually by seeing it. When the shrimp is,

• Straight. shrimps are raw or not cooked enough.
• C shaped. Perfectly cooked shrimps are C shaped. While you cooking this is the sign you should wait for. The moment they start bending and turn to C shape, it is the right time to stop cooking further.
• O shaped. This is the sign of overly cooked shrimps. And this is the time where it starts being rubbery. The more you cook the more rubbery it is. Steaming helps this type of cooked shrimp.

The shrimp cooks faster, cooking them in low to medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side would be ideal. But the time varies according to the size of the shrimp. I personally feel the larger shrimps are tricky to cook. We see them below how to do perfectly by adjusting the temperature during cooking.

How to reheat Shrimp

Step 1. Thawing the shrimp.

Thawing the shrimp is one of the important factors for best-flavored shrimp. If it thawed this way, no one could discover it as a reheated dish.

1. Refrigerating. This is the best and reliable method for thawing evenly without getting contaminated. When the shrimps are frozen, transfer to the refrigerator the day before you plan to serve.
2. Microwave. Though refrigerating is a reliable method, but it needs a plan 24 hours prior. Which is not possible always, the next quick way for thawing is microwaving. To thaw, arrange in a microwave-safe plate without overlaying. Spray water and cover and microwave for 1 minute. Then flip to the other side and follow the same procedure until they are thawed.
3. Room temperature. Fill water in a big pot. Immerse the bag of shrimp for 2 hours. Make sure the bag is sealed and should not leak. If the bag is not sealed the water can penetrate inside and make the shrimp soggy.

I would not advise leaving the bag on the kitchen counter. As it is harmful and there are more chances of contamination.

Step 2. Heating

In microwave.

This method is good for reheating shrimp scampi, alfredo shrimp, or steamed shrimp. Shrimp has a flat surface and has to be treated differently.

Pro Tip. You may see the shrimp starts splutter when overcooked, so stop as soon as you hear the spluttering sound. Reheat it just a few minutes before serving for the soft and moist shrimp.

Best for. This method best for

1. Arrange the shrimp on the plate.
2. spray water to moisture the surface.
3. Cover with the microwave-safe plate.
4. Cook for 1 minute on each side and repeat until it is done.

The easiest and comfortable way of reheating. But things can go wrong when it is not done properly.

In steamer.

This method is good for reheating steamed shrimp or for making seafood salad.

1. For this fill the outer pot with water.
   2, Place the steamer above the water level.
2. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until it is done.
3. Make sure you toss in between to make them evenly cooked.

In skillet.

This is a good and easy method for the breaded, deep-fried, shrimp scampi, or spiced shrimp.

1. Apply a thin coating of cooking oil to the skillet.
2. Heat it in low-medium temperature.
3. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer.
4. Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until it is done.
5. Drizzle cooking oil if needed.

In oven.

This is the best way to reheat breaded shrimp, deep-fried or shrimp scampi.

Pro Tip. When reheating the breaded and fried shrimp, use just the tray. When reheating shrimp alfredo, or spiced shrimp, cover it with aluminum foil to retain all the flavors and moisture.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the shrimp over it without staking.
3. Coat the shrimp with a thin layer of cooking oil.
4. Cover it with aluminum foil.
5. Cook for 15 minutes. Do not forget to flip in-between.

Frequently asked questions

The best way to reheat fried shrimp?

You all know the microwave cooks the food but not making them crispy. So the result, the soggy, falling apart crust that never sticks to the shrimp anymore.

The trustworthy method would be using the Oven or the air fryer. Follow the methods mentioned above and you get hot, crispy, perfectly done shrimp.

How to reheat shrimp alfredo?

Though the regular alfredo pasta can be reheated in any of the cooking methods. But the shrimp pasta is ideal to be reheated over the skillet.

Add little water, a quarter cup for a single serving portion. Close the skillet with the lid and cook in a lower flame. Until the shrimp is done well.

How to reheat grilled shrimp?

Grilled shrimp works best on the oven and the skillet.
You can reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Alternatively, place them in a greased pan and cook for 3 minutes on both sides in low-medium flame.

How to reheat shrimp fried rice?

This method is not only for the shrimp fried rice but applicable to all the seafood rice dishes. Rice is more delicate than the shrimp, my personal choice would be microwaving. Place the rice in a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle little water and cook for 90 seconds. Then stir gently and cook further for 90 seconds. Increase the cooking time if needed.

The sprinkled water keeps the rice and shrimp moist without being dry.

How to reheat steamed shrimp?

Steaming and microwaving are the best methods for reheating. When steaming, steam for about 2-3 minutes or until it is heated enough.

Reheating small vs Jumbo shrimp

Reheating small shrimp is simple and comes out well in each of these methods. When handling the jumbo shrimps, You may follow the same instructions but you need to flip a couple of times more.

Few more flips needed for jumbo shrimps because the heat has to penetrate inside without making them hard and chewy.