Looking for some ways to make meals more exciting? Rather than turning to familiar favorites, why not branch out into an entirely new ingredient – dried shrimp?
This little delicacy is an umami delight, offering a powerful hit of salty shrimp flavor. But, don’t think of dried shrimp as an inferior alternative to fresh shrimp. This secret ingredient is much more than that, with a unique taste all of its own.
Dried shrimp is precisely what the name suggests – shrimp that has been first cooked, then dehydrated. The dehydration concentrates some of the flavors, while also making the shrimp much smaller and extending their shelf life.
So today, we’re interested in how to use dried shrimp, which often includes rehydrating the shrimp, chopping them into small pieces and mixing them into meals. You can use dried shrimp in many classic Asian recipes, including spring rolls, tom yum soup, and pad Thai. Or, you try adding the shrimp to American recipes, like shrimp and grits, potato salad, or even collard greens.
Types Of Dried Shrimp
First, we need to talk about the two types of dried shrimp. This is crucial, as these are used a little differently from each other.
Regular Dried Shrimp
Regular dried shrimp tend to be orange and fairly firm. They might be sold shelled or with their shells still on and are edible either way. The shells simply add a little crunch and a contrasting texture.
These shrimp are most often rehydrated before being used. To do so, simply soak the shrimp in hot water until it becomes softer, more aromatic, and easier to cut. You can even use the water from soaking in some recipes.
The duration of soaking varies based on the size of the shrimp and how you plan to use them (in particular, shrimp added to a soup will need a shorter soaking time than shrimp added to a stir fry). Ten minutes is often enough, although some people soak larger shrimp for 30 minutes or even an hour or more.
Regular dried shrimp come in a variety of sizes, including very small and quite large ones. Larger shrimp tend to be more expensive and are fantastic in soups and for imparting tons of flavor. The tiny ones work better as ingredients in a dish, like mixed in with scrambled eggs or used as a dumpling filling.
Papery Dried Shrimp
Papery dried shrimp are typically small and have been extensively dried in the sun. This extended drying makes them paper thin and delicate. They also have a stronger flavor than regular dried shrimp, which is a powerful feature in some recipes.
The extensive drying gives these a longer shelf life than regular shrimp. You might even get a full year out of them, especially if you store the shrimp in the fridge.
Because these shrimp are so thin, they don’t need to be rehydrated like regular dried shrimp. However, you should still cook them before consumption.
How To Use Dried Shrimp (9 Exciting Ways!)
Add To Soup
Soups are one of the easiest ways to use dried shrimp, as you might not need to soak them first. You can generally just throw a small handful of the shrimp in with your other ingredients. The shrimp will naturally rehydrate and become softer as the soup simmers (if the shrimp are very large, a short presoak may be helpful).
This approach isn’t limited to seafood soups either. You can easily add dried shrimp to other types of soup as well, including vegetable soups and even chicken noodle soup.
Don’t worry, the shrimp flavor won’t be overpowering. You’re simply adding an interesting savory complexity to the soup, one that works well with most other ingredients.
Include The Shrimp In Gumbo
While dried shrimp isn’t common in American recipes, you will often see it as an ingredient in gumbo. The shrimp adds an extra interesting layer to the stew’s flavor base, making it even more complex and delicious.
There are two main ways to use dried shrimp. One is to simmer soaked dried shrimp in water, which creates a delicious seafood stock that can be used in your gumbo. Or, you can chop the shrimp and add them to your roux.
These approaches allow you to use dried shrimp in any gumbo recipe, not just recipes that call for dried shrimp specifically.
Use In Sauces And Dips
Because dried shrimp aren’t too intense, you can easily add them to many sauces and dips, including aioli or cocktail sauce. The shrimp provides a slight seafood flavor, while still allowing the rest of your ingredients to shine.
This is a fantastic approach if you want your dips to have a little more ‘oomph’. And why not? Traditional sauce and dip recipes can get pretty boring after a while.
Add To Eggs
Dried shrimp is an excellent addition to many egg-based dishes, including scrambled eggs. Here, you soak, drain, and chop the shrimp, then add it to your eggs before cooking (you can skip the soaking step for papery shrimp).
Start with a tiny amount of shrimp for this application, as eggs have a mild flavor and dried shrimp can be intense. Using too much shrimp could easily overpower your eggs and ruin the dish.
Stir Fry With Seasonings
The easiest way to cook dried shrimp is to rehydrate them, drain them, then fry them in hot oil. Add a few seasonings and you have a tasty side dish.
Or, you can chop those flavorful fried shrimp into smaller pieces and mix them into your favorite recipe. You don’t need to stick with recipes that call for dried shrimp either. Try using the shrimp in unexpected places. You might be surprised by how good your meal tastes.
Don’t forget about stir fries either. You’re already cooking the shrimp this way, so why not prepare an entire meal?
Toast Then Grind Into A Powder
For a versatile ingredient, you can toast your shrimp quickly in a frypan, allow them to cool, then grind them into a powder. Doing so gives you flavorful powder that can be used as a garnish or easily mixed into sauces or meals.
If you’re doing this with regular shrimp, you should soak them first. For papery shrimp, you can start with the frying step.
Once prepared, the powder should last at least a week if stored in the fridge. You could also keep it in the freezer and just pull out a little at a time when needed.
Add To A Seafood Chowder
What about using dried shrimp in a recipe that’s already rich in seafood flavor, like seafood chowder? This isn’t a redundant idea at all, as the dried shrimp adds an extra layer of seafood flavor. It even includes flavor notes you don’t get with the fresh ingredients.
Doing so is especially powerful if your seafood chowder seems a little bland.
Use In A Dumpling Filling
Dried shrimp works well as a dumpling filling, adding plenty of umami and some seafood notes. Regular shrimp would typically be soaked first, then chopped and mixed into the filling. Dried shrimp can simply be crushed or chopped into pieces without soaking.
You wouldn’t ever use dried shrimp on its own as a filling. The flavor is too strong for that.
Instead, you’ll want just 1-2 tablespoons of regular shrimp or 1-2 tablespoons of papery shrimp for every pound of dumpling filling. This creates an excellent balance of flavor.
In A Recipe
The easiest way to use dried shrimp is to find a recipe that calls for this. This way, you know the amount to use and the soaking time. That’s much better than trying to figure it out yourself, especially if you’ve never used dried shrimp before.
When doing so, it’s essential to work out which type of dried shrimp the recipe relies on. For example, in Chinese cuisine, dried shrimp is assumed to be shelled, unless shell-on shrimp is specifically mentioned. The assumption may be different for other cultures and recipes.
5 Delicious Recipes Using Dried Shrimp
Pork And Dried Shrimp Congee
Congee is a classic Chinese rice porridge. It’s often fairly bland, making it easy to tweak the flavor with other ingredients. This Pork and Dried Shrimp Congee is the perfect way to make congee more exciting.
The recipe is interesting, as it is a Chinese-style version of congee that’s made with Filipino ingredients. Doing so creates an unusual meal that bridges two cultures and offers stunning flavors. Dried shrimp is an essential part of the flavor profile, along with ginger, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, pork tenderloin, and fatty pork belly.
Chinese Stir Fry Glass Noodles With Dried Shrimp
If you’re a fan of noodles, then these Chinese Stir Fry Glass Noodles with Dried Shrimp can’t be beat. The meal is actually a very simple one, as it just relies on glass noodles, soy sauce, green onions, dried shrimp, water, and oil. Steamed sugar snap peas work well as a garnish, but these are completely optional.
The simplicity of the meal makes this a perfect intro to dried shrimp. It would also be excellent as a side dish, perhaps alongside pork or chicken.
Dried Shrimp And Sprouts Salad
This Dried Shrimp and Sprouts Salad is also straightforward, but the focus is now on sprouts rather than noodles. In fact, the shrimp and dressing in this recipe are mostly just ways to make the sprouts taste better.
If you’re not a fan of sprouts, no worries. You could easily use the dried shrimp and dressing with other vegetables.
Unakka Chemeen Fry (Dried Shrimp Fry)
This Unakka Chemeen Fry is for anyone who adores the flavor of dried shrimp. That’s because the recipe simply involves frying the shrimp in coconut oil, tomato pieces, and a collection of seasoning ingredients.
The cooked shrimp are then delicious as a snack or part of a more complex meal. For example, you could serve the fried shrimp alongside steamed vegetables and rice. Or, you might mix the shrimp in with your ramen.
Grandma’s Dried Shrimp Sambal
This recipe for Grandma’s Dried Shrimp Sambal is the perfect way to make dried shrimp more versatile. You’re basically taking the shrimp and turning it into a condiment. The sambal should last around a month and can be used in countless recipes.
However, getting to that point requires commitment, as you actually need to stir fry the sambal for roughly an hour. That’s an hour of hands-on cooking time, where you can’t simply step away or work on another task.
Dried Shrimp Vs Fresh Shrimp
Dried shrimp and fresh shrimp are completely different ingredients. So different that you can’t substitute one for the other – not even if you rehydrate the dried shrimp first.
Notably, dried shrimp have a much more intense umami taste, while fresh shrimp are subtle and a little sweet instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Choose High-Quality Dried Shrimp?
When selecting shrimp, you’re looking for a uniform size and color. For regular shrimp, the body should be vibrantly orange. If you’re looking at papery shrimp instead, make sure the shrimp is intact, with no damage to the head or the tail.
Can You Eat Dried Shrimp Raw?
The drying process should make these shrimp safer than regular raw shrimp. Even so, there’s still the chance of consuming some microbes or parasites when eating the shrimp.
Because of this, it’s always safer to cook the shrimp first. That said, dried papery shrimp are often used as a condiment or a snack, without any cooking. Just be aware that there are risks to doing so.
Do You Need To Remove The Shrimp Head And Tail?
Dried shrimp don’t need further processing. So, if the head and tail are still attached, you can safely eat both. The same is true if the shrimp still has its shell.
How Do You Store Dried Shrimp?
Dried shrimp are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They should last a month or two stored this way, giving you plenty of time to use them. It’s also possible to freeze the shrimp, which makes them last much longer.
However, if the dried shrimp came from the store and is in an unopened vacuum-sealed packet, it can be kept out of the fridge until you open the packet.
Where Do You Find Dried Shrimp?
Dried shrimp are most often sold in Asian grocery stores. They’re typically sold in the chilled or frozen sections, normally packaged in plastic. However, you can find them online as well, often through Amazon.
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