Introduction

If you’re a seafood lover like me, then the last thing you want to do is overcook your shrimp. But, if you ask someone where they buy their shrimp from, I bet they’ll go into a lengthy answer about how it all starts with this tiny creature called a prawn or something. So let’s get down to brass tacks: When do you throw those babies in the pot? Below are some general guidelines for cooking shrimp based on different cooking methods.

1 to 2 minutes

1 to 2 minutes is a very short time to cook shrimp. You’ll notice that the shrimp are undercooked and may be chewy, or even tough. The shrimp will also not have cooked all the way through, so it will have a raw flavor in parts of it if you’re eating them cold (e.g., on a salad).

4 to 5 minutes

4 to 5 minutes. That’s about how long you should cook raw shrimp. The shrimp will be cooked, but not overcooked, and it’ll be moist and tender.

If you like a little more char on your shrimp, go for 5 minutes instead of 4 minutes. If your taste buds prefer less charring (or if you’re cooking for someone who doesn’t like their food too charred), stick with 4 minutes instead of 5 minutes.

7 to 10 minutes

To cook shrimp, place the raw shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. The shrimp should be pink in the middle when done. If you prefer your seafood more well done, continue cooking until it reaches your desired doneness level (up to 15 minutes). If you overcook your shrimp by about 4 minutes or so, it will become tough and chewy instead of tender and flaky.

You can make your shrimp a little bit on the pink side or cooked all the way through.

You can make your shrimp a little bit on the pink side or cooked all the way through. The cooking times depend on the size of your shrimp, but generally speaking, if you cook them too long, they will be rubbery and tough; if you cook them too short (i.e., undercooked), they will be raw.

Conclusion

We hope that you’ve found this information on cooking raw shrimp helpful. The most important thing to remember about cooking shrimp is that it’s easy and fun! You can experiment with different types of seasonings and sauces, or go classic with just saltine crackers and cocktail sauce. Whatever your preference may be, just remember that there are plenty of options available for making delicious shrimp dishes at home–and none of them require any special equipment or techniques beyond what we’ve outlined here today