Pickled shrimp is a bright, tangy, Southern-style dish that’s perfect as an appetizer, party platter, or refreshing summer snack. It’s packed with flavor — citrusy, spicy, garlicky — and comes together quickly.
Here’s a fantastic, classic pickled shrimp recipe you can make at home:.
🦐 Pickled Shrimp: Tangy & Spicy Southern Style
⭐ Ingredients
For the shrimp:
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1 ½ lbs large shrimp, peeled & deveined
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1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning or seafood boil seasoning
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1 lemon, halved
For the pickling brine:
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1 cup thinly sliced onions
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¾ cup olive oil
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½ cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
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1 small lemon, thinly sliced
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2–3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
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2–3 bay leaves
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1–2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to heat preference)
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1 teaspoon celery seeds
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1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
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1 teaspoon sugar (optional, balances acidity)
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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Fresh dill or parsley (optional, for brightness)
🧂 Instructions
1️⃣ Cook the shrimp
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Bring a pot of water to a boil.
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Add Old Bay and half a lemon.
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Add shrimp and cook 2–3 minutes until just pink.
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Immediately drain and plunge shrimp into ice water to stop cooking.
2️⃣ Prepare the brine
In a large bowl or jar, combine:
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Sliced onions
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Olive oil
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Vinegar
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Lemon slices
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Garlic
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Bay leaves
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Pepper flakes
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Celery seeds
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Peppercorns
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Salt and sugar
Whisk to combine.
3️⃣ Assemble
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Add cooled shrimp to the brine.
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Mix gently to coat.
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Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
4️⃣ Serve
Enjoy chilled on:
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Crackers
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Toast
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Mixed into salads
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As a bright appetizer
The flavor gets even better after 24 hours!
🧊 Storage
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Keeps up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
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Do not freeze — texture becomes mushy.
🌶️ Want variations?
I can give you:
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Cajun pickled shrimp
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Mexican-style citrus pickled shrimp
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Low-oil or no-oil version
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Sweet-heat Caribbean version
Just tell me your style!
