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Grilling Shrimp - Shell on, or shell off?

Dragonfly

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When grilling shrimp, do you prefer shell on, or shell off? Why?

I would think shell on would help hold in the moisture and prevent accidental over-cooking.

What else do ya do?
 
Dragonfly said:
When grilling shrimp, do you prefer shell on, or shell off? Why?

I would think shell on would help hold in the moisture and prevent accidental over-cooking.

What else do ya do?
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If I'm eating peel-and-eat recipes, shell on. For fried, tail only on. For shrimp incorporated in a recipe such as shrimp scampi or shrimp in pasta, shell off. For the most part, the way one would present it on a plate is probably the way to cook it.

Shrimp won't be dried out if it's not overlooked. It takes just minutes. I don't think leaving the shell on would protect the flesh at all. JMVHO. I don't cook raw shrimp that often.
 
Dragonfly said:
When grilling shrimp, do you prefer shell on, or shell off? Why?

I would think shell on would help hold in the moisture and prevent accidental over-cooking.

What else do ya do?
Click to expand...


The best shrimp I ever ate were real shrimp, not prawn from the Log Cabin in Deland, FL boiled with the shell on in a spicy mix. They served them with fresh onion corn fritters.
 
Dragonfly said:
When grilling shrimp, do you prefer shell on, or shell off? Why?

I would think shell on would help hold in the moisture and prevent accidental over-cooking.

What else do ya do?
Click to expand...

Shell on is always tastier, I find. But I hate the mess of shelling them at the table, if they aren't the very large ones.
 
We have a local Bar & Grill called Little Tomoka that serves these huge butterfly prawn- char grilled with the tails on that are cooked in a herb and butter garlic blend that are to die for. Just four of them fill a plate with rice pilaf, hush puppies and coleslaw.
 
If you are boiling or steaming shrimp shell on, for other recipes, shell off usually works better.
 
Dragonfly said:
Grilling.
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Sorry, by themselves shell on, unless you are coating them in something.
If, for example you are wrapping them in bacon, shell off.
 
Shell on for grilling.

Reason being, the tender flesh of the shrimp will usually stick to the grill surface during the grilling, and you'll end up losing some portion of the meat when you turn them.
With the shell on, you still get the cooking action and grilled flavor, but the thin shell protects the flesh from being stuck and left behind.

Off-topic, here is how I prepare shrimp for other dishes:
In a gumbo: shell off and tail on
Jambalaya: shell off and tail off
Low country boil: shell on
Fried: shell off and tail on
Shrimp and grits: I'm not a poser with skinny jeans and an iPad, so I don't prepare this dish
Shrimp and green onion omelette: shell off, tail off, sautéed in butter
Mexican tres amigos: shell off and tail off, and don't try to put a lime slice in my beer

Okay, I'm gonna shut up now.
 


No, you made a good point, shell on for grilling or boiling but served shell off. And that's what I did as a Chef. Never make the diner work for the delight of cooked shrimp by not at least de-shelling them, regardless of how they were cooked. But they keep their moisture and flavor when cooked shell on.
 
For grilling I like shell on except when in a kabob. It is tough to find fresh shrimp in PA so I generally use the frozen but deveined. I prefer kabob to just grilled only because fresh shrimp are not readily available. However fresh shrimp is the only way to go if you are lucky enough to live somewhere they are readily available. I think fresh makes more difference than shell on or off.
 
Almost all the grilled shrimp I eat is incorporated into a kebab, so it's generally without the shell. As for just shrimp by itself, I always opt for either fried (only tail on) or steamed (shell on). My personal favorites are fried shrimp and shrimp in a low-country boil.
 
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You oughta try visiting Georgia sometime. We don't get nearly enough credit for our sea food.
 
Jesse Booth said:
You oughta try visiting Georgia sometime. We don't get nearly enough credit for our sea food.
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I have. Your right. When traveling to Houston from PA in the winter we always took the coastal route which took us through Georgia. It was the half way point where we would stop and get a room and a good meal.
 
Jesse Booth said:
You oughta try visiting Georgia sometime. We don't get nearly enough credit for our sea food.
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Let's not overlook some of the best fried chicken in the country as well.
 
Dragonfly said:
Thinking something like this:
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I like the pineapple and teriyaki baste. The onion, bell pepper, squash, and cherry tomatoes make the meal. My doctor frowns on the bacon so I just don't mention it.
 
I pretty much always cook them shell off. Never considered grilling them with the shell on.

Are the easier to de-shell once cooked?

Do you devein them prior to cooking or after?

Is the shell edible? I normally use the shells to make a stock so they have some flavor. I've just never tried eating them.
 
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