Sous Vide Shrimp Recipe with Time & Temp Guide

Whether poached, seared, or grilled, traditionally cooked shrimp, while delicious, can be perfect one minute and shrunk to tiny, rubbery balls the next. Fortunately, with a sous vide cooker, you don’t have to worry about this anymore, as the window between flawless and overcooked can be extended to up to half an hour. Sous vide shrimp are always plump and juicy, with none of the rubbery texture. If you’re also a true shrimp lover, you definitely need to try this sous vide shrimp recipe. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail-on or -off
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

Equipment:

• INKBIRD Sous Vide Cooker
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum seal bag
• Large pot

What’s the Best Size of Shrimp for Sous Vide?

Sous vide cooking actually works great with shrimp from small to large, but I usually choose shrimp labeled 21/25 or 16/20, which means there are 21 to 25 or 16 to 20 shrimp per pound, respectively. These sizes tend to hold their texture better than smaller shrimp and will cook up perfectly al dente with richness, tenderness, and juiciness.

However, regardless of the shrimp size, it’s best to avoid cooking shrimp with the heads still on. The heads contain a protease that can quickly break down the shrimp texture once they die, leading to a mushy result even if cooked properly. If you’re buying live shrimp, make sure to remove the heads right after freezing them. For dead shrimp, choose those packaged with the heads already removed.

Sous Vide Shrimp Temperature & Time Guide

The USDA recommended ideal shrimp internal temperature is 145°F (63°C), which is considered to be safe to eat, but if you actually cook your shrimp at that temperature, they'll become tough. So I tried gradually lowering the temperature by 5°F at a time to see how the texture changed. I’ve recorded my findings in the table below:

You don’t have to worry about foodborne illness from lower temperatures, as the cooking time is long enough to kill most harmful bacteria. Just stick to the time and temperature guidelines above, and you’ll be fine. Furthermore, the consistent temperature means you have a bit of leeway. Even if you cook your shrimp 10 minutes longer, they won’t overcook. They only start to get mushy if you leave them in for more than an hour.

The image below from Serious Eats illustrates the morphological changes of shrimp at different times and temperatures:

How to Cook Shrimp Sous Vide?

Cooking shrimp sous vide is actually very simple, and you’ll have springy, tender, and juicy shrimp in just a few minutes.

Step 1: Prepare Your Shrimp. Mix shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda 30 minutes before cooking to help make them plumper and firmer. After that, season with butter, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper.

Step 2: Preheat the Water Bath. Fill a large container with enough water and plug in your INKBIRD Sous Vide Cooker. Set the temperature to 135°F (57°C) or according to the sous vide shrimp temp and time chart above.

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Step 3: Bag and Seal Your Shrimp. Place the shrimp and thyme in a vacuum seal bag and use a vacuum sealer to remove any air. Alternatively, you can use z zip-top bag by slowly submerging it in water to push out most of air before zipping it shut.

Step 4: Cook Time. Place the sealed shrimp in the preheated water bath and cook for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Chill It Up. You can enjoy the shrimp right after you take them out of the package. Or if you prefer them to be more crispy and more springy, soak them in ice water for 5 minutes without opening the package. After that, unpack and dig in!

Can You Sous Vide Shrimp from Frozen?

You can absolutely sous vide frozen shrimp, which is one of the great things about sous vide cooking. Simply follow the usual steps, but remember to add an extra 15 minutes to the initial cooking time. The total cooking time should be at least 30 minutes, but no more than an hour.

What to Serve with Sous Vide Shrimp?

Basically, anything you can do with poached shrimp works well with sous vide shrimp, as they’re essentially just better-tasting, easier-to-make option. If you’re lacking some inspiration, here’s my typical serving ways:

• Shrimp Cocktail: Arrange the shrimp and lemon wedges along the sides of a cocktail glass, then fill the glass with cocktail sauce for dipping.
• Creamy Grits or Risotto: Serve them over a bed of creamy grits or risotto and spoon the garlicky juices from the bag over the top.
• Pasta: Toss them with linguine, olive oil, lemon zest, and Parmesan for a quick pasta dish.
• Salads: Add sous vide shrimp to green salads, grain bowls, or even a Caprese salad.
• Tacos or Fajitas: Wrap them in tortillas and serve with your favorite toppings.