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- About This Recipe for Smoked Shrimp
- What Type of Shrimp is Best for Smoking?
- Best Type of Shrimp Smoker to Use
- What is the Best Wood to Smoke Shrimp?
- Useful Equipment to Make Smoking Shrimp Easier
- Should I Brine Shrimp Before Smoking?
- Should I Season Shrimp Before Smoking?
- What is The Best Flavor to Smoke Shrimp?
- How to Smoke Shrimp?
- How Long to Smoke Shrimp?
- What Color is Fully Cooked Smoked Shrimp?
- Smoking Shrimp Kabobs
- Dipping Sauce Ideas for Smoked Shrimp
- You Might Enjoy
- Recipe
About This Recipe for Smoked Shrimp
The key to hot smoking shrimp is to allow the sweetness of the meat to lead while accentuating its flavor with the subtle smokey notes produced by an appropriately chosen wood. Therefore both the choice of shrimp and smoking wood are very important. This recipe guides you to select the best options.
You can serve as a full-on main course or an easy appetizer dish.
GOOD TO KNOW: The cooked shrimp can be enjoyed hot off the smoker or can be allowed to reach room temperature, then chilled in the refrigerator and enjoyed as a cold appetizer. Both ways have their merits.
What Type of Shrimp is Best for Smoking?
Shell-on and head-on shrimp, if possible fresh, make for the best smoked shrimp.
The shell protects the delicate flesh from absorbing too much smoke, and the head and shell together protect the meat from drying out while in the smoker. As a bonus, heads on and shells on shrimp just look the best when smoked and make for a fun eating experience.
The size can vary from medium-large 36/40 count to jumbo shrimp like the ones you see photographed in this post which are 9/12 count. Smoking shrimp sized any smaller than medium-large is tricky and we don't recommend it.
Best Type of Shrimp Smoker to Use
This recipe works for all types of smokers. Simply set up yours according to the manufacturer's instructions. A Traeger pellet smoker would be particularly useful.
What is the Best Wood to Smoke Shrimp?
GOOD TO KNOW: Shrimp smoked over nut woods or fruit wood chips taste best as representatives from these two categories produce smoke most suitable for seafood and fish.
Specific options for the best wood to smoke shrimp are listed below. Describing the exact flavor of any one of them is an elusive affair but rest assured each can produce smoke calibrated to complement shrimp.
Milder choices. Overall you can expect delicate smoke overtones and sweetness.
- alder wood - a classic choice for seafood with subtle smoke
- apple wood - wonderful results, readily available, the smoke has a faint fruitiness
- beech wood aka beechnut - our favorite, dense and burns slowly to produce a steady, mild nutty smoke
- maple wood - delivers sweet smoke
- orange wood - tricky to source, produces sweet and mild smoke
Bolder choices. With these expect more confident smoke presence but well-balanced.
- cedar wood - a classic choice for salmon, works great with shrimp
- cherry wood - delivers a fruity sweetness very complementary to shellfish
- hickory wood - our other favorite, but can be strong, use it sparingly or in combination with apple wood
- oak wood - well-balanced, subtle in comparison to hickory
- plum wood - sweeter fruitiness than other fruit wood options
Useful Equipment to Make Smoking Shrimp Easier
A wire rack will facilitate moving the individual shrimp, prevent them from sticking to the grates of an offset grill or similar and will also assist to better expose their bottom surface to the smoke.
Should I Brine Shrimp Before Smoking?
It depends on the shrimp. If it is large, shell-on and head-on there is no need to brine it.
However, if you are going to try and smoke smaller shrimp that have been cleaned and therefore have a slit through which moisture can escape brining before smoking makes sense. It will smoke faster but also dry faster, therefore a brine is definitely beneficial.
Should I Season Shrimp Before Smoking?
You certainly can. If you are not after the unadulterated marriage between the sweet taste of the shrimp flesh and the flavor notes imparted by the wood you can definitely opt for a light seasoning. Light is the keyword here. You have two basic options as to how to apply it.
- dry rub type seasoning blend - apply before you place the shrimp on the rack and into the smoker
- melted butter with seasoning mixed in - gently brush the butter mixture over the shrimp before smoking and once during
What is The Best Flavor to Smoke Shrimp?
To be able to taste the delicate sweetness of shrimp flesh perfumed by savory sweet smoky notes is a veritable foodie experience. As we note above, ideally the combination will lead and not be obliterated by the use of too much seasoning. Just like firewood grilled picanha steak needs only a touch of salt to taste its best.
Playing with the different types of smoking wood listed above is a great way to impart varrying notes on the shrimp.
If you are intent on seasoning them try garlic powder, paprika, a touch of black pepper.
How to Smoke Shrimp?
Prep. Set up your smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions and add the wood as specified on the package. No need to soak the wood. Rinse then blot dry the shrimp. Lightly oil a wire rack and arrange them on top.
Smoke. Place the wire rack with the shrimp directly onto the grates or smoker racks at some distance from the heat source (indirect heat is better) and smoke until done.
TIP: If you want to devein the shrimp with the shells on you can use kitchen scissors to make a lengthwise incision on the back of each shrimp. Then you can remove the dark vein and proceed to rinse the shrimp.
How Long to Smoke Shrimp?
Smoking shrimp until fully cooked takes between 30 and 60 minutes in general.
The total time depends on the actual size of the shrimp and the precise smoker temperature you maintain. Smaller shrimp smoked at 250 F will be done much faster than jumbo shrimp at 225 F.
What Color is Fully Cooked Smoked Shrimp?
Once cooked through shrimp assume an intense orange color with golden brown hues. They look darker than when steamed, boiled, sauteed etc. The billowing hot smoke does add an appetizing aesthetic nuance to their outer appearance!
Smoking Shrimp Kabobs
If you are working with smaller shrimp it certainly can be useful to assemble shrimp kabobs. Do place those onto an oiled wire rack as well. Otherwise smoke as directed by the recipe.
Dipping Sauce Ideas for Smoked Shrimp
We presented the shrimp smoked for this post with a small bowl of dill yogurt sauce for salmon and seafood we love to serve in similar culinary situations. It contrasts the flavor of the shrimp and tastes fresh and bright.
Other ideas for dipping sauces are:
creamy horseradish sauce - with just the right balance between indulgent umami flavors and spicy horseradish it is best with cold smoked shrimp
garlic butter sauce - a classic for seafood, works well here
seafood boil sauce - this concoction is a really bold option, full of flavor
quick hollandaise sauce - from scratch it literally take just minutes in your blender and its rich silkiness is wonderful for dipping smoked shrimp
Worcestershire sauce
ladolemono sauce - basically a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice to which you can add dill or other fresh herbs (great with chicken too)
You Might Enjoy
Smoked Trout Dip | Smoked Cream Cheese |Clamato Shrimp Skillet | Beer Boiled Peel and Eat Shrimp | Smoked Corn on the Cob | Shrimp Remoulade
Recipe
Smoked Shrimp with Yogurt Dill Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lbs shell-on and head-on shrimp*
- 1-2 teaspoon neutral oil to apply to wire rack
- yogurt dill sauce
Instructions
- In advance make one recipe yogurt dill sauce and chill in the fridge.
- Set up your smoker as specified by the manufacturer's instructions and bring the temperature to 225-250F. Add your choice of wood chips as instructed by the manufacturer.
- Lightly oil a large wire rack that fits inside your smoker (or two smaller ones than can fit side by side). Set aside.
- Rinse the shrimp, blot dry them and arrange them onto the wire rack. Place inside the smoker. Smoke until the shrimp are firm to the touch and appear intensely orange colored with dark golden brown hues. Depending on the size of the shrimp this can take from 30 to 60 minutes. (Check them often.)
- Transfer the smoked shrimp (still on the wire rack) onto a baking sheet and enjoy immediately, served with the sauce. Alternatively - allow them to cool down, refrigerate and serve chilled.
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