Shrimp Cooked in Beer
This easy recipe for shrimp cooked in beer pairs tender peel-and-eat shrimp with a buttery lemon dipping sauce for a festive seafood supper that’s ready in just 15 minutes!
Some recipes are practically guaranteed to turn an ordinary dinner into a party, and this shrimp cooked in beer is one of them. Pour everything into one big bowl, pass around the buttery lemon dipping sauce and let everyone peel, dip and happily make a mess!
The shrimp cook right in their shells with beer, garlic, parsley and Old Bay, so they’re tender, flavorful and ready in just 15 minutes. Cover the table with newspaper—or even better, take the whole delicious operation outside—and prepare for some festive finger-food fun. 🍤🍺🌿
Jump to:
- 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- ⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🍤 Ingredients you need
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
- 🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe
- 🤔 Recipe FAQs
- 🍽️ What should I serve with this recipe?
- Shrimp Cooked In Beer
- 💫 Variations on this recipe
- 😍 Other shrimp recipes we love!
- 🤔We want to know what you think!
- 🥣 Come on into our kitchen!
🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- What It Is: Peel-and-eat shrimp simmered with beer, garlic, parsley and Old Bay, served with a buttery lemon dipping sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Servings: 4 servings
- Calories: 448
- Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Good For: Easy summer dinners, casual entertaining, backyard suppers and any meal that’s better eaten outside. 🍤🌿
⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🍺 The beer adds subtle flavor: The shrimp simmer right in the beer, picking up a gentle malty flavor without tasting overly boozy.
- 🍤 Cooking in the shell keeps them tender: The shells help protect the shrimp as they cook and add even more seafood flavor.
- ⏱️ It’s wonderfully speedy: This festive seafood supper is ready in just 15 minutes.
- 🧈 The dipping sauce makes it special: Melted butter, fresh lemon juice and Worcestershire create a bright, savory sauce for every shrimp.
- 🎉 It turns dinner into a party: A big bowl of peel-and-eat shrimp encourages everyone to relax, gather around and dig in.
- 🌿 The happy mess belongs outside: Serve it on the patio with plenty of napkins and a bowl for the shells—cleanup has never been more fun!
Now, a word to the wise: this dish is messy, and I mean that in the best possible way. The shrimp cook in their shells, so pile them into one big bowl, give everyone a little container of lemon butter dipping sauce and put an empty bowl in the middle of the table for the shells.
Peel and eat, baby—no forks required! I usually cover the table with newspaper to catch the drips, but taking the whole operation outside is even better. One way or the other, this supper always puts everyone in a merry, festive mood. 🍤
🍤 Ingredients you need
📝 Ingredient notes
- Shrimp: Use large or extra-large shell-on shrimp, which are easiest to peel and less likely to overcook. Fresh or frozen shrimp will both work; thaw frozen shrimp completely before cooking.
- Beer: A light lager or pilsner adds flavor without overpowering the shrimp, but you can use any beer you enjoy. For an alcohol-free version, substitute nonalcoholic beer or seafood broth.
- Old Bay seasoning: Look for this classic seafood seasoning blend in the spice aisle. It gives the shrimp a savory, gently spicy flavor.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice gives the butter sauce its bright flavor, so this is one time I would skip the bottled version.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter will work. Taste the sauce before adding any extra salt because the Old Bay and Worcestershire are already salty.
💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Place the shell-on shrimp, garlic, parsley, Old Bay and beer in a large pot. Give everything a stir and bring it to a boil over high heat.
STEP 2: Simmer until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about two minutes. Immediately scoop them onto a large platter or into a wide bowl so they can cool slightly without continuing to cook.
STEP 3: While the shrimp are cooling, make the dipping sauce. Stir together the melted butter, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, then divide it among individual small bowls.
STEP 4: Serve the shrimp in their shells and let everyone peel their own. Put an empty bowl on the table for the shells and pass around plenty of napkins—or individual damp washcloths for extra-fancy cleanup!
🥣 Equipment we used for this recipe
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Large Pot: A roomy pot gives the shrimp plenty of space to cook evenly in their beer bath.
- Spider: No, not that kind! 🕷️ This large mesh spoon makes it easy to scoop out all the shrimp quickly so they don’t overcook.
- Prep Bowls: These are perfect for giving everyone an individual serving of lemon butter dipping sauce.
🤔 Recipe FAQs
You can, but large or extra-large shrimp are easiest to peel and less likely to overcook. If you use smaller shrimp, begin checking them sooner because they will cook more quickly.
Any kind is fine! If you have a favorite, definitely use that one, and if you aren’t a beer drinker (raises hand!) I would use a lighter beer. It’s going to add just a subtle flavor so don’t worry too much about it.
Old Bay is a seafood seasoning that is a mixture of celery salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika and a few others. You can find it in the spice aisle of your grocery store, and it adds a delightful flavor to your shrimpies. And if you want to try your hand at mixing up your own, here’s a recipe for the homemade version!
If you are like my mama, you will find a wonderful recipe for making shrimp broth from the empty shells. But if you are like me, before you toss them out put them in a sealed plastic bag or container of some sort so your trash doesn’t get, um, aromatic.
Yes, although cooking shrimp in their shells adds flavor and helps keep them tender. Peeled shrimp will cook faster, so watch them closely and remove them as soon as they are pink and opaque.
Drop it in the comments below and I will answer you pronto!
Shrimp. Beer. More beer (or a margarita) on the side. Happiness! It just may be my favorite seafood supper ever…hope you love it too!
🍽️ What should I serve with this recipe?
Turn this peel-and-eat shrimp into a full outdoor feast with creamy potato salad, a fresh tomato salad and a pile of crispy onion rings. Finish with an easy strawberry cheesecake tart for one very happy backyard supper! 🍤🌿🍓
Let’s grab the napkins, head outside and get peeling! 🍤🌿
Shrimp Cooked In Beer
This easy recipe for shrimp cooked in beer pairs tender peel-and-eat shrimp with a buttery lemon dipping sauce for a festive seafood supper that’s ready in just 15 minutes!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 pounds shrimp in the shell (get the large kind)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 8 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- One 12 ounce can beer
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- Juice from one lemon
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Put the shrimp, garlic, parsley, Old Bay and beer into a pot, give it all a stir and bring it to a boil over high heat.
- Let the shrimp simmer until they are opaque (about 2 minutes) and then scoop them out onto a platter or bowls to cool off a little.
- While the shrimp are cooling, make the dipping sauce by stirring together the melted butter, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Divide the sauce into individual containers (I like to use tiny prep bowls for this).
- Serve up the shrimp in the shell, letting people peel their own. Put a bowl in the middle of the table so folks have a place to toss the shells, and instead of napkins, hand out individual wet washcloths for their hands.
Notes
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- Shrimp: We recommend getting your shrimp from the seafood counter at your grocery store (rather than frozen ones) ideally on the day you are making this dish, or at the most one day before. We like large or extra large shrimp!
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- Old Bay: Look for this seafood seasoning mix in in the spice aisle of your supermarket
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- Beer: We tend to use a lighter beer for this recipe, but you can use whatever kind of beer you like. The shrimp will take on a little of the taste of whatever beer you choose.
💫 Variations on this recipe
- 🌶️ Spice it up: Add extra Old Bay, red pepper flakes or a few dashes of hot sauce to the beer.
- 🍋 Make it extra lemony: Add strips of lemon peel to the pot and a little zest to the dipping sauce.
- 🧄 Bring on the garlic: Double the garlic cloves for even more savory flavor.
- 🌿 Change the herbs: Swap the parsley for fresh thyme, dill or a combination of your favorites.
- 🦐 Use peeled shrimp: Peeled and deveined shrimp work too; just watch them closely because they cook more quickly.
- 🍺 Try a different brew: Use a wheat beer, pale ale or nonalcoholic beer to give the shrimp a slightly different flavor.
- 🧈 Give the sauce a kick: Stir hot sauce, Cajun seasoning or a little Dijon mustard into the lemon butter.
😍 Other shrimp recipes we love!
Looking for more seafood deliciousness? Here is our complete collection of seafood recipes!
🤔We want to know what you think!
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below.
I had very little time and needed to make lunches for the next 2-3 days. Came home after Trunk or Treat (arrived home around 7:20), and by 7:50, I had fed my cats (!!! had to do that!!!), cooked the shrimp (followed your recipe), made basmati rice in a cooker, made the butter lemon sauce by cheating with the microwave, poured the sauce over the rice, poured the shrimp on top. It is now ready to dish out for meals. It is very easy, very tasty, and beautiful! Even in a plastic container!
Kathi! Thank you for this – you made my day! I love your variation on this recipe (and yes! Feeding the kitties is top priority!) :)
This was definitely a crowd pleasure! Delicious and an easy summer recipe.
Janet! So glad your crowd loved these – happy summer!
Can you make this with pealed and deveined shrimp as well?
Hi Stacy! You can, although the shells do add some flavor. But that’s absolutely an option! :)
Do you put the cooked shrimp in a sink of ice water to stop the cooking?
Hi Robert! You definitely can, but I find that rinses some of the scrumptious spices away. If you cook up the shrimp until they are just barely done and then spread them out to cool, any extra cooking that goes on won’t impact the texture. Great question though! ?