Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

How to Peel and Devein Shrimp (Video)

By

Many-a great meal have shrimp as their base. They’re good in just about every which way, and they are widely available thanks to the variety of species that populate the Earth’s oceans. Like any good product, though, you need to work a little bit before you’re able to use shrimp in so many different ways.

Recommended Videos

Sure, you can buy peeled, deveined, and pre-cooked shrimp at the grocery store, but that’s the easy way out. Say your new love interest really loves shrimp scampi and you are going to make it for her. Won’t you feel much better knowing that you a) found the best damn shrimp you could find and b) you made that shrimp dish from beginning to end?

Related

We thought so. In order to do that, you’ll need to know how to properly peel and devein a shrimp.

How to Peel and Devein Shrimp

1 of 3
how_to_devein_shrimp_head
Image used with permission by copyright holder
how_to_devein_shrimp_knife
Image used with permission by copyright holder
how_to_devein_shrimp_tail
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For peeling, You’ve basically got two choices. You could use your hands and peel apart the legs, pulling the shell off from the bottom up or you can take a pair of kitchen shears and run it under the shell from the top, snip it, and pull the shell off towards the legs. (Side note: If the shrimp comes with a head on, twist that sucker off before you do anything.)

What is deveining, exactly? It’s cleaning the shit out. Literally. The dark line you see that runs the length of the shrimp is the intestinal tract. While some may argue you don’t have to take it out, it could affect the taste of the shrimp.

To devein the shrimp,  take a knife and run it along the top of the shrimp. Pull the tract out and rinse.

Tools

Toadfish Outfitters Frogmore Shrimp Cleaner
Toadfish Outfitters/Facebook

If this sounds like a lot of work, you’re not wrong. Depending on how many shrimp you’ve got to prepare, this could add up. Thankfully, there is an easier way to peel, devein, and butterfly a shrimp. It’s so easy, in fact, we’ll put money down that it’s idiot-proof.

Use the Frogmore Shrimp Cleaner from Toadfish Outfitters, which peels, deveins, and butterflies a shrimp in one smooth motion. If you can open a beer, you can open a shrimp. Don’t believe us? Check out this video we did with Toadfish Outfitters and Charleston’s The Macintosh above to see just how easy it is.

Toadfish is a Charleston-based company that is dedicated to not only creating high-quality products made from recycled materials but also to making sure that we aren’t the only ones who will be able to enjoy delicious oceanic treats. Each purchase from Toadfish contributes to environmental causes that help preserve the coastal lands, ensuring that the next generation will also get to reap the beauty and benefits of the area.

Now you’re well on your way to the best cocktails, scampis, and Alfredos on the block.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
You should know how to make these incredible sauces
Mastering these sauces will make you look like a pro in the kitchen
Bechamel sauce over lasagna

A good sauce is a core component of culinary culture. Knowing how to make a handful of them can elevate your kitchen game to unforeseen heights. Often, a good sauce is the star of the show. After all, what would Thanksgiving turkey be without gravy? Or Eggs Benedict without hollandaise?

Now, we don't expect you to pull a Bearnaise sauce out of your hat at a moment's notice. But you should be able to whip up a solid tomato-based sauce for pasta, or a good teriyaki sauce for rice and veggies or skewered proteins. We know, there are great pre-made options out there, from complex fish sauce to throw-it-on-anything Japanese barbecue sauce. Yet, you know as well as we do that when you pull it off from scratch, it's more rewarding and can even taste better.

Read more
How to smoke meat like a pro: Everything you need to know
Wonder no more — here's your guide to this classic cooking technique
Person smoking meat

Smoking, which began as a traditional method of food preservation, has now become a timeless art form that has evolved with the help of technological advances and years of culinary trial and error. Despite the ubiquity of modern ways of cooking, the idea of savoring the flavors of smoked meat has kept the tradition alive, further elevating this age-old practice to a level of mastery on par with any other cooking endeavor.

To kick-start your culinary journey this year, we're providing you with a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the roundabouts of how to smoke meat, a classic cooking technique. So, what are you waiting for? Prepare your smokers and let’s get smokin.'

Read more
How to make a nutritious smoothie you’ll actually want to drink
This guide will give you more insight than you ever thought you could have on smoothies
Man preparing a breakfast smoothie in the kitchen

We've all experienced it. That moment where your partner or friend hands you a glass of some sort of unidentifiable, brownish-green, lumpy goo they call a smoothie -- expecting you to guzzle it down with delight. Not to hurt their feelings, you do, holding back tears and your gag reflex.

A huge misconception out there is that you can blend up any combination of healthy ingredients and expect the result to taste like a smoothie from your favorite local juice bar. Sadly, this is not the case. Like with any food recipe, smoothies need to follow specific guidelines to get the best end product. You also need to add ingredients with complementary flavors.

Read more