Frozen wild-caught American shrimp are conveniently always available in your freezer after you’ve bought them, but do you know the proper way to thaw them before using them in your favorite dishes? There are numerous factors to consider, but once you’ve got the process down-pat, it’s quick and easy to thaw shrimp for all of your future meals!

First things first, don’t leave frozen shrimp out on the counter to thaw. Like all other perishable foods, raw shrimp left at room temperature or in warm water can become a breeding ground for bacteria. One of the many benefits of domestic, wild-caught shrimp is that they are the healthier choice, so you want to do everything you can to keep them that way.

Instead, run a trickle of cold water over the frozen shrimp; the shrimp should be ready to cook in 15 to 30 minutes, depending on size and how they were frozen. Make sure the excess water goes down the drain as the shrimp thaw.

You also can put the frozen shrimp in a covered bowl and leave them in the refrigerator overnight.

This video, from Noreen’s Kitchen, shows you how:

By the way, are you familiar with the sizing system for shrimp? If those numbers look like a mysterious code to you, Chef Todd Reilly, Culinary Program Lead Instructor at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, is here to help you crack it!

Now that you know how to choose your Wild American Shrimp by size and how to thaw them, visit our Recipes page for a variety of ways to cook them and click HERE to order them for yourself or a wholesale order straight from our processors!