How To Reheat Shrimp: Four Proven Methods

The boys’ announcement that they wanted to prepare dinner on their own yesterday caught me off guard.

I reasoned, “Why not use this as a useful lesson about not wasting food?” because we had shrimp the day before.

Naturally, since my lads didn’t know how to reheat shrimp, it ended up being much more. Stay tuned because I’ll explain everything below if you’re not sure.

How To Reheat Shrimp?

Four Tried-And-True Methods For Reheating Shrimp Explained

Do you have some leftover shrimp in your fridge, and you’re not sure whether they’re a viable dinner option? Of course, they are, and there’s no reason for you to eat them cold, either!

Read on to learn all about my four favorite methods for reheating shrimp – they’re easy, they’re fast, and they don’t affect their taste or texture.

Method #1: The Microwave

Step 1: Begin by placing the shrimp in a microwave-safe bowl, arranging them in a single layer without piling them up. You can use pretty much any bowl or plate you want, as long as it’s microwave-friendly, although I highly recommend using a casserole dish.
Step 2: Sprinkle a bit of water over the shrimp before you cover the dish with either plastic wrap or a matching microwave-safe lid – that’s entirely up to you.
Step 3: Place the shrimp in the microwave, adjust the heat setting to high, and let them cook for two minutes tops.
Step 4: After that, take one shrimp out of the bowl to make sure they’re hot enough. If not, you can just one more minute in the microwave, but anything longer than that, and you risk overheating them.

Method #2: The Skillet

Step 1: Let’s start with the most obvious thing – you need to heat your frying pan (a skillet, if you will) using medium heat.
Step 2: Add oil to the skillet, but don’t overdo it – the goal is to lightly cover the bottom of the pan, not to drown the shrimp in oil! On that note, steer away from a spray oil, and stick with liquid oil, instead.
Step 3: Now, arrange the shrimp on the pan, but don’t pile them up – spread them out in a single layer, so they heat up equally.
Step 4: Reheating shrimp using this method only takes around four to five minutes, and the initial cooking time should be approximately two to three minutes.
Step 5: After that, you should flip the shrimp to ensure they’re evenly cooked (reheated, to be exact) on both sides, and let them cook for two more minutes before taking them off the stove.

Also, Check-Out: Which Electric Skillets Are Most Selling On The Market?

Method #3: The Oven

Step 1: The amount of preparation for this method is minimal, so the first thing you should do is preheat the oven to around 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: While you’re waiting for the oven to reach the desired temperature, use that time to cut a piece of aluminum foil and loosely wrap the shrimp with it.
Step 3: Now, it’s time to arrange the wrapped shrimp in a single layer (that way, you’ll ensure they’re evenly heated) on an oven-safe tray and place it in the oven.
Step 4: Reheating shrimp in the oven is, by far, the most time-consuming method out of the bunch. That said, it still only takes around 15 minutes, so it’s not a big deal. It’s certainly better than having to cook dinner from scratch, you know?
Step 5: During that time, keep an eye on the shrimp, and check them from time to time, to see if they’re hot enough. After the initial 15 minutes have passed, it would be best to remove the shrimp from the oven, to avoid overcooking them.

Further Reading: What Kind Of Oven To Use?; Top 5 Countertop Convection Oven

Method #4: Steaming

Step 1: Start by filling a pot with water and placing the steamer insert on top of it, but make sure it doesn’t come in contact with the water. After all, you’re not supposed to boil the shrimp but steam them instead.
Step 2: Now, it’s time to place the shrimp inside the steamer. One solid piece of advice I can give you is to arrange them in a single layer without piling them up.
Step 3: Cover the pot, and wait for the water to boil. Once it reaches the boiling point, it should only take two to three minutes for you to notice that distinct shrimp smell, and when you do, it’s time to take them out of the steamer.

How To Reheat Shrimp Without Ruining Them?

None of the methods mentioned above are nowhere near complicated. Learning how to reheat shrimp the right way – without compromising their juicy nature and delicious taste – is where it gets tricky, though.

On that note, here are some tips that will help you nail it every single time:

Thawing First, Reheating Later – If you kept your shrimp in the freezer to extend their shelf life, then the first thing you need to do is make sure the thawing process is complete. If the shrimp are still frozen on the inside when you start reheating them, it doesn’t matter which method you use – they’re still going to have cold spots.

Related: How to Tell if a Shrimp is Affected with Freezer Burn

Know When It’s Time To Throw Them Out – I don’t need to tell you that when you’re cooking for your family, safety should always come first. Make sure the shrimp you’re reheating didn’t go bad – you don’t want anyone to get food poisoning, do you? The most prominent telltale signs will be a bad smell and a slimy texture, so keep your eye on that.
You Can Reheat Shrimp Only Once – That should be a universal tip for reheating any leftover foods – you can only do it once, before it not only compromises the taste of your dish but causes potential contamination, as well. That’s why it’s best only to reheat a small portion that you plan on eating right away. The rest can sit comfortably in your fridge for up to three days.
There’s Nothing Some Butter Can’t Fix – That’s something I discovered after a few instances where reheating shrimp resulted in a not-so-flavorful dish. Adding butter instead of oil when you’re using the skillet method or putting some on directly onto the shrimp can help enhance the flavor.
Steaming Doesn’t Work With Breaded Shrimp – Lastly, I want you to remember that not all of these methods work for all different kinds of shrimp dishes. For instance, if you’re reheating breaded shrimp, don’t even try to do it using the steaming method – it will only soften the bread crumbs and make them all soggy.

Further Reading: How Long Can You Store Cooked Shrimp In The Fridge?

How to serve them?

Now when you have done it by yourself you know that reheating shrimp is much easier than expected. When you’ve reached this point it is time to serve these yummy juicy shrimp.

If you’ve saved time by reheating leftover shrimp you may be able to prepare one a bit more time-consuming side dish. I usually go for a rice-based side dish such as lemon bitter rice or a mix of sautéed vegetables.

If your overall idea is to spend as little time as possible stuck in the kitchen you can just prepare a simple cucumber salad. In case you aren’t into raw food, some grilled corn or baked asparagus with a pinch of garlic will be just fine.

My personal favorite side dish for shrimp is potato puree. Its preparation is extremely easy and the result is more than awesome.

Ingredients:

2 pounds potatoes
3.5 ounces butter
6.7 fluid ounces of milk
The juice of a half lemon
Salt

Preparation:

As I’ve mentioned above – it is very easy.

Peel the potatoes and then dice them. The pieces have to be of medium size
Put them in boiling water
When they are ready (keep in mind it won’t take long) move them to a bowl suitable for mashing
After you’ve mashed them add the butter while the potatoes are still hot
Keep on mashing until the butter has melted and mixed perfectly with the potatoes
Then add the milk and mix them well
The result has to look airy and creamy
Now add lemon juice and salt
Mix them again
Enjoy your potato puree

A tip: If you want to cut on calories, reduce the butter quantity and use low-fat milk.

Final Thoughts

Everyone has lazy days, even me. As much as I love cooking for my family, from time to time, I do resort to heating up leftovers for dinner – and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Plus, if you have kids, it can be a great teaching moment for them, too. 🙂

Anyway, I hope this article helped you get the basics of how to reheat shrimp. As always, if you have any additional questions, leave them in the comments below!

Related: When The Shrimp Are Cooked?