HOW TO DRY SHRIMP AT HOME

This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

How to Dry Shrimp at Home. When most people think of shrimp, they aren't imagining it in dried form. Though not widely popular in American cuisine, they are often found in Chinese, Latin American, and West African cuisines.

Dried shrimp can be incorporated into a dish as the main ingredient or ground up and used as a seasoning. I mainly grind them in a spice grinder or blender and use them as a seasoning for dishes like West African Gumbo or Guatemalan shrimp chirmol. They are also the "secret ingredient" in my creamy shrimp bisque as well. If you're feeling adventurous, you can snack on these crispy shrimp in whole form. Just grab your favorite all-purpose seasoning, toss it with the shrimp, and munch on them.

To make these worth your while, I recommend brining them for any added flavors and then drying them in a food dehydrator. You could dry them in our oven, but the results won't be quite the same. Vacuum-sealed, these shrimp will last up to one year.

Photo by Larry White

Cooks Tips:

• Swapping out the Brine Ingredients: For different flavor profiles in your dried shrimp, try mixing the ingredients up a bit. A few good options are dried chilies, lime leaves, dill, Sichuan peppercorns, or even the classic old bay seasoning.

• What can you do with Dried Shrimp? They can be used to flavor soups, stews or broths in the same way that you would use bay leaves or kombu. You can also grind them into a powder by using a spice grinder and then sprinkle over your favorite rice, noodle or stir fry dishes. The shrimp powder also makes a great additional for seafood gumbo, shrimp Pad Thai and the Mexican favorite shrimp pozole.

• How to Make Dried Shrimp Powder: Place the dried shrimp on a sheet-pan in one even layer. Cook in a pre-heated 400 degree F oven for around 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then grind in a spice grinder or old coffee grinder until a powder is achieved. Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place.

• Optional Brining: This recipe calls for brining the shrimp before drying. This is an optional step and is for purely adding flavors. Feel free to skip this step as needed.

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Brine Time: 4 to 6 hours

Poach Time: 5 minutes

Dry Time: Varies depending on the size of the shrimp.

Equipment Needed:

•  Food Dehydrator

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp, shells left on

• 1 quart water

• 1/4 cup kosher salt

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 bay leaf

• half of one lemon, sliced

• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Directions

1. Either on the stove top or microwave bring the one quart of water to a simmer. Remove from the heat, add the salt and sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the lemon, garlic and bay leaf. Place in the refrigerator until the liquid is chilled.

2. Add the shrimp to the brine and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.

3. Drain the shrimp and place them in a pot. Add enough water to cover the shrimp. Bring the water to a slow simmer and cook until they are just cooked through, about 5 minutes.

4. Drain the shrimp well and discard the other ingredients. Place the shrimp onto your dehydrator trays, ensuring the shrimp are not touching one another.

5. Set the dehydrator to 145 degrees and dry them for one hour.

6. Reduce the temperature to 120 degrees and continue to dry them until they break apart easily. The drying time will vary depending on the size of your shrimp.

Lastly, if you make this Homemade Dried Shrimp Recipe, be sure to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes that you've made.