Shrimp Old Bay Recipe

Name: Old Bay Seasoning Shrimp
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp (31/40 count per pound), (peeled and deveined); 1 tablespoon butter; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon reserved Cocktail Sauce; 2 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasonings; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 cup chili sauce ((tomato based such as Heinz)); 1/2 cup ketchup; 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish (more or less to taste); 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (more or less to taste); fresh parsley; lemon juice ((taste first))

This Old Bay Shrimp recipe has readers calling it “Amazing,” “Fantastic, ” “Tasty and easy,” and “Loved it!” As a shrimp aficionado who has created countless shrimp recipes and tested every trick in the book, I can confidently say this Old Bay Shrimp is next-level easy and delicious. Follow along for your step-by-step guide to bold, buttery, garlicky, lemony, perfectly spiced shrimp!

quick and easy Old Bay Shrimp (Grill or Stove top) is so juicy and flavorful and the homemade Cocktail Sauce is amazing! Serve it as an appetizer or add some sides and call it dinner!

Why you’ll love This Old Bay Shrimp Recipe

Big Flavor, Minimal Effort: Just a handful of ingredients deliver restaurant-worthy taste in under 30 minutes.
More Flavorful than Traditional: Unlike the classic Old Bay shrimp method of boiling in water and beer, this recipe seasons the shrimp from the inside out with a quick marinade for maximum flavor in every bite.
Old Bay Magic: The iconic seasoning is paired with garlic and cocktail sauce to create a quick marinade that delivers a bold, zesty, slightly spicy flavor.
Juicy & Succulent Shrimp: Expertly cooked so the shrimp stay plump, tender, and never rubbery.
Versatile Serving Options: Serve it as an appetizer, over rice, in tacos, on salads, or straight from the skillet.

What is Old Bay Shrimp?

Old Bay Shrimp refers to shrimp seasoned with the iconic Old Bay seasoning—a bold, zesty blend of herbs and spices with a signature kick of celery salt, paprika, and black pepper. Often the shrimp is boiled/steamed in its shell along with Old Bay Seasoning, beer and water.

Today, I wanted to create a quick stir-fried or grilled version to minimize the work and maximize the freshness. I also wanted to make a recipe that doesn’t require your family and guests to “peel and eat.”

In this recipe, it’s not just about sprinkling some seasoning and calling it good—it’s about infusing juicy shrimp with layers of buttery, garlicky, lemony goodness that amplifies the Old Bay flavor in the most craveable way.

top view of easy Old Bay Shrimp in a large stainless steel skillet

Old Bay Shrimp Recipe Ingredients

Let’s take a closer look at what you need to make this recipe (measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

FOR THE SHRIMP

Purchase large shrimp. Look for 31/40 count per pound, meaning there are about 31 to 40 shrimp in one pound. This size is ideal for most recipes, offering, so the shrimp stay extra juicy when cooked.
Purchase wild caught shrimp. Wild caught shrimp has superior flavor and texture over farm-raised.
Purchase raw, deveined shrimp. Look for shrimp that is raw (not precooked), peeled and deveined. Buying prepared shrimp saves you TONS of time!
Frozen shrimp is awesome! Frozen shrimp is frozen shortly after it’s caught which means it’s frozen at peak freshness. It’s also more economical than fresh which means you can keep it stocked and read to use any time.

FOR Cooking

Old Bay Seasoning: The star of this recipe, Old Bay brings a unique blend of spices that are both bold and aromatic. It’s traditionally used in seafood dishes and adds a signature kick to the shrimp.
Most grocery stores should carry it, or purchase it on Amazon HERE.
Butter: Adds richness and helps to sear the shrimp to golden perfection. The butter enhances the overall flavor and gives the shrimp a slightly crispy exterior.
Olive oil: Used in the marinade, olive oil helps coat the shrimp for a smooth, flavorful base and prevents them from sticking during cooking.
Garlic: It’s a perfect balance with the Old Bay Seasoning and elevates the dish with its fragrant, savory depth.
Salt and Pepper: Salt enhances the overall flavors, while pepper adds a slight heat and balance to the seasoning.
Homemade Cocktail Sauce: The sauce combines chili sauce and ketchup for a sweet and tangy base, while prepared horseradish adds a spicy kick. Fresh lemon juice balances the richness, and Worcestershire sauce brings depth and umami. Hot sauce can be added to adjust the heat level, making the sauce perfectly balanced and flavorful for dipping.
Make sure to purchase a TOMATO-BASED chili sauce, such as Heinz. (You can buy it HERE.) Do not use a chili pepper-based sauce, which will be super spicy.

HOW TO DEFROST SHRIMP

You will want to use defrosted (or fresh), peeled, and deveined shrimp for this Old Bay Shrimp recipe. There are two options for defrosting your shrimp:

1. To quickly defrost: Place the frozen shrimp in a fine-mesh sieve or colander. Place this sieve in a large bowl of cold tap water for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, replace the water in the bowl with new cold tap water and submerge the shrimp. Let shrimp sit for an additional 10- 20 minutes. At this point, the shrimp should be thoroughly defrosted.

2. To defrost shrimp overnight: The easier way to defrost your shrimp (if you remember in advance) is to remove your frozen shrimp to a covered bowl and let them defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

Whatever you do, resist the urge to defrost your shrimp using warm tap water (and NOT the microwave), as this will cause the shrimp to defrost and cook unevenly.

How to Cook Old Bay Shrimp

Let’s take a closer look at how to make this recipe with step-by-step photos (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

Step 1: Make Cocktail Sauce. Once you try this homemade version, you will never be tempted to buy the store version again! It’s a quick whisking of chili sauce, ketchup, horseradish sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce to taste.
Step 2: Make Quick Marinade. Add one tablespoon of this Cocktail Sauce to your shrimp, along with olive oil, fresh garlic, and Old Bay seasoning, and let marinate for 20-30 minutes.

showing how to make Old Bay Shrimp by mixing shrimp with seasonings in a bowl

Step 3: Cook Shrimp. Next, melt some butter in a large skillet and sear the shrimp for literally 3 MINUTES and you have the quickest, easiest, tastiest appetizer or meal!

showing how to make Old Bay Shrimp by cooking in a skillet

TIPS FOR cooking old bay Shrimp

Make the best Cajun Shrimp with these tips and tricks:

Make it your own! Bump up or down the garlic, add more or less seasoning, lemon juice, etc.
Purchase prepared shrimp. Use shrimp that comes shelled and deveined to save you TONS of prep time.
Don’t add shrimp until the pan is hot. Be patient and wait until the pan is smoking or the shrimp won’t sear beautifully.
Don’t overcrowd the shrimp. Cook the shrimp in batches so it has room to spread out and sear and not just steam for the best flavor and texture.
Don’t over-cook shrimp. Cook shrimp just until opaque for the juiciest shrimp- don’t be tempted to cook a second longer or the shrimp won’t be as juicy and can even taste rubbery or chalky.
If it’s opaque but not seared: This means your pan wasn’t hot enough to begin with. Next time, wait a few more minutes after preheating your skillet and make sure it’s smoking hot.
Cook shrimp with the tails on. The tail shells contain flavor that seeps out and we get more robust shrimp flavor (like cooking meat on the bone). Once your shrimp is cooked and resting you can remove the tails if desired.

Serving Stove Top Shrimp

You can turn this Old Bay Shrimp recipe into a complete meal by serving it with some stir fried veggies and rice or serving it with some of these sides:

Pasta Salads: Macaroni Salad, Italian Pasta Salad, Greek Pasta Salad, or Creamy Bacon Pea Pasta Salad
Green Salads: a big green salad, Wedge Salad, Cucumber Tomato Salad, Corn Salad, or Broccoli Salad
Fruit Salads: Perfect Fruit Salad, Grape Salad, or Pina Colada Fruit Salad
Potatoes: Creamy Potato Salad, Roasted Potatoes, or Mashed Potatoes
Rice: Cilantro Lime Rice, Coconut Rice, Red Beans and Rice or Rice Pilaf
Veggies: Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Carrots, Sauteed Brussels Spouts
Classics: Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Beans, or Creamed Corn, or Cornbread

top view of Old Bay Shrimp (Grill or Stove top) in a skillet garnished by lemons

Making a Salad With Old Bay Stove Top Shrimp

This Old Bay Shrimp can also easily transform into a salad! To Make Old Bay Shrimp Salad, cook shrimp according to directions then cut shrimp into bite size pieces. Mix shrimp with:

¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt
½ cup diced celery
¼ cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to tastes
pinch of cayenne
Old bay seasoning to taste

Cover and chill Old Bay Shrimp salad for at least two hours. The chilled salad is perfect for a light lunch or appetizer, It can be served over lettuce, in a lettuce wrap, or scooped onto crackers.

Looking for more Shrimp Recipes?

Shrimp Pasta
Shrimp Spring Rolls
Shrimp Fettuccine
Shrimp Fajitas
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
Coconut Shrimp
Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp Tacos
Kung Pao Shrimp

Shrimp Old Bay Recipe FAQs

WHAT IS OLD BAY SHRIMP and How did it originate?

Old Bay Shrimp is shrimp cooked with Old Bay seasoning. If you aren’t familiar with Old Bay Seasoning, its a world famous, top secret spice blend of rumored 18 herbs and spices that pairs deliciously well with seafood.

It is produced in the Chesapeake Bay area where it was developed by German immigrant Gustav Brunn in 1939 and was later purchased by McCormick in 1990 (and no, this is not a sponsored post, I just love Old Bay seasoning). It is named for the Old Bay Line, a passenger ship that sailed between Baltimore and Norfolk Virginia at the time.

During the 1930s, crabs were so plentiful in Baltimore, Maryland that bars actually offered them for free! In order to not only season the crabs, but to encourage patrons to purchase more beverages, several salty crab seasonings were created, including Old Bay Seasoning. Old Bay is one of the surviving spice mixes of that era. Who knew?!

CAN I MAKE MY OWN OLD BAY SEASONING?

This Old Bay Shrimp isn’t called Old Bay Shrimp for nothing -it is ALL about the complex spice blend! There are many “copycat, do it yourself” Old Bay seasoning mix recipes out there, but Old Bay survived since 1939 for a reason. In my opinion, Old Bay seasoning isn’t like making your own taco seasoning, after all, it does boast 18 different herbs/spices such as paprika, celery salt, bay leaves, thyme, cayenne, dry mustard, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, etc.

So if you don’t own the bright yellow can with a bold blue stripe, then I suggest investing in some. Not only does it go great with anything seafood and produce stellar Old Bay Shrimp, but add a sprinkle to French fries, chicken, hamburgers and sandwiches, dips, potatoes, veggies, pizza, popcorn, eggs, soups and immediately delishify your plate!

showing how to serve Old Bay Shrimp by dipping in cocktail sauce

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Total Time: 25

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 5

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Ingredients

Shrimp

1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp (31/40 count per pound), peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon butter

20 Minute Marinade

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon reserved Cocktail Sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasonings
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cocktail Sauce

1/2 cup chili sauce (tomato based such as Heinz)
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish more or less to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce more or less to taste

Garnish

fresh parsley
lemon juice (taste first)

Instructions

Cocktail Sauce

Add all of the Cocktail Sauce ingredients to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Remove one tablespoon to a large bowl or freezer bag (for your shrimp marinade). Store the remaining Cocktail Sauce in the refrigerator.

Marinade

Add all marinade ingredients to 1 tablespoon cocktail sauce and whisk to combine. Add shrimp and stir until evenly coated. Marinate at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

STOVETOP DIRECTIONS:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add shrimp and cook just until opaque, about 3 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Remove shrimp to a plate. Serve with Cocktail Sauce. NOTE: You will need to work in 2 batches unless you have an extra large skillet (as pictured in video) or your shrimp will steam instead of sauté.

GRILL DIRECTIONS:

NOTE: Soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes in water before grilling or broiling.
Thread shrimp onto skewers.
Grease grill and heat to medium high heat. Grill shrimp for 3-5 minutes on each side or just until shrimp has become pink and firm being careful to not overcook.
Remove shrimp from grill and generously brush with 1-2 tablespoons melted butter. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste if desired.

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12 Comments

Danielle M. says

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I have some some Old Bay in the spice drawer and I’ve been looking for things to do with it! This is perfect, and it looks SO delicious – I’ll have to try it soon!!

- Jen says
  
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  Awesome Danielle, I hope you love it! Its the perfect meal to dust off that Old Bay seasoning for!
  
  - Connie Catucci says
    
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    Can you do shrimp cocktails with this recipe?
    
    - Jen says
      
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      Absolutely!
      
Ruth says

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I made this the other night and it was so amazing. My daughter reheated leftovers the next day and said how good it was.

- Jen says
  
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  Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Ruth, I’m so happy it was such a hit and that even the leftovers were tasty!
  
Laurie Miller says

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I made this tonight and it was fantastic! It’s the first time I’ve cooked shrimp (I’m 65…go figure). This recipe was so tasty and easy. I paired it with creamy cheese grits, and it was soooooo good. My husband’s taking the leftovers to work for lunch tomorrow.

Thank you, Jen! Every recipe I’ve made from your website has been perfect (and, apparently, foolproof!).

- Jen says
  
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  Welcome to the world of shrimp Laurie, I’m so pleased (and relieved) your first experience was a delicious success! Your old Bay Shrimp sound fantastic with creamy cheese grits – mmmmm! Thank you for your kind words – I’m honored you’re enjoying my recipes!
  
Lauren says

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I’m a Maryland girl now living in Montana who loves Old Bay and this recipe! Relatively easy to put together and super flavorful. This time around, the shrimp will be the main course with a side of cheddar bay biscuits. Great recipe, thanks!

- Jen says
  
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  You’re so welcome Lauren! I’m so pleased this could bring a taste of home!
  
Sharon says

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We really loved it. My husband said always make this way. We enjoyed with rice and green beans.

- Jen says
  
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  Thanks so much Sharon, I’m so pleased it was a hit!