5 Delicious Shrimp Appetizer Ideas for the Holidays

Yes, you can buy cooked shrimp, tail-on, and a jar of any brand of cocktail sauce and call it a day. No one will complain, no one will say you weren’t a good host. Thumbs up. You did the expected.

But maybe, maybe you’d like to do something different, do the UN-expected? Be original. Be memory making. We, can make that happen.

We have five easy recipe ideas for your consideration.

Before starting, just a few tips.

1. Keep in mind one important point: most people overcook shrimp. In a hot pan, less than a minute on both sides is about all it takes to cook a large 16/20 shrimp, and the same size takes only about 2 minutes in a simmering broth or acidified (lemon) water.It’s also why a hot oven is called for. A 400°F oven cooks shrimp quickly while allowing the other ingredients the heat they need to brown (e.g., bacon).

2. Shrimp are sold by the count per pound. As such, a 16/20 size on the bag means there are between 16 and 20 shrimp per 1-pound bag. The higher the number, the smaller the shrimp.
3. All of these recipes are best with 16/20, raw, tail-on, peeled & de-veined shrimp. Do not begin any of these recipes with a pre-cooked shrimp.

Let’s get started.

Classic Shrimp DeJonge

Shrimp DeJonge was around forever. It began its fame in a Chicago restaurant run by the DeJonge brothers. This appetizer is prepared in a casserole dish and served with tongs or a fork for your guests to serve themselves.

Make a casserole dish with approximately 36 shrimp

• 1 cup of Italian bread crumbs

• ½ cup of sherry wine

• 2 sticks of salted butter, melted

• 2 teaspoons of fresh garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon of sea salt or kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon

• ½ teaspoon of crushed marjoram or oregano

• 2 pounds of 16/20 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh Italian parsley

Instruciton

1. Thaw shrimp, then cook 2 to 3 minutes ONLY, in approximately 1 quart of simmering water to which the juice of ½ lemon is added. Drain well.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
3. Mix bread crumbs, sherry, butter, garlic, salt, tarragon, and marjoram (or oregano), together in a bowl.
4. Place shrimp into a lightly buttered baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over top of the shrimp, then garnish with the chopped parsley.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Shrimp Scampi Skewers

Shrimp Scampi is another classic dish whose roots began in Europe. It’s typically served over pasta (linguine or vermicelli), but in this rendition, we’ve added the pasta as a cheese-stuffed tortellini on a skewer, right alongside its shrimp partner. These skewers can be made up well ahead of time and then placed in a casserole dish, with the sauce to cook just before serving.

Makes approximately 2 dozen shrimp

• 1 pound of small cheese tortellini

• Salted water, as needed (reserve ¼ cup afterward)

• 1 ½ pounds of 16/20 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

• ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons of fresh garlic, chopped

• ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/3 cup of white wine (Chardonnay or similar)

• ½ lemon, juiced

• 4 tablespoons of butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

• ¼ cup of chopped fresh Italian parsley

• ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese

• 2 dozen 8- to 9-inch bamboo skewers

Instruciton

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cheese tortellini and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain and cool the tortellini.
2. Skewer the raw shrimp and the tortellini on the bamboo skewers, you can have as few as one shrimp and 1 tortellini or more if you wish. Finish the skewers and set them aside
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is just golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the shrimp skewers and cook, turning over once or until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side at the most. Remove the shrimp skewers to a serving dish. Add the wine and lemon juice to the skillet’s liquids and simmer until slightly reduced, 2 minutes.
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and slowly whisk in the chunks of the butter and about 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water from the tortellini.
5. After the last of the butter has been added, season with salt; stir in the parsley and pour over the shrimp skewers.
6. Finish this appetizer by sprinkling the grated Parmesan cheese evenly over all the skewers.

Bacon-Wrapped Lemon Pepper Shrimp

Makes approximately 2 dozen shrimp

• 1 ½ pounds of 16/20 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

• ½ teaspoon of granulated garlic

• 2 teaspoons of lemon pepper seasoning

• 1 pound of hickory-smoked bacon, regular sliced

• 2 limes, cut into wedges

• For garnish: chopped parsley

Instruciton

1. Thaw shrimp, then toss with the garlic and the lemon pepper seasoning. Set aside.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 400 F
3. Cut the bacon strips in half and lay out, side by side on a baking sheet.
4. Bake the strips in the oven until slightly less than half way done. They should be somewhat rendered of their fat but have no color and be flexible/pliable.
5. Allow the bacon strips to cool, then wrap 1 of the ½ cut strips of bacon around the thickest part of each shrimp, securing the strip with a tooth pick.
6. After all are wrapped and secured with the toothpicks, arrange them on a baking sheet (do not crowd them), and return them to the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or, until the bacon is fully cooked and the shrimp are fully opaque and cooked through.
7. Sprinkle with chopped parsley then serve a squeeze of lime and  your choice of a dipping sauce or, enjoy them just all on their own!

Boom Boom BBQ Shrimp

There are a number of restaurants who have some kind of Boom or Bang shrimp on their appetizer menu. This recipe is kind of a hybrid and we think you’ll love it!

Makes approximately 2 dozen shrimp

For the shrimp:

• 1 ½ pounds (roughly 16 to 20) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 2 cups of panko bread crumbs

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

• 2 extra-large eggs

• ½ cup of milk or water

• 2 or more cups of vegetable oil (for frying)

Instruciton

1. Place the panko crumbs, flour, and eggs beaten with milk or water in three separate bowls to prepare the breading.
2. To bread the shrimp, hold each shrimp by its tail, first dredge it in flour, then dip it in the egg mixture, and then roll it in the panko breadcrumbs. Repeat for all shrimp, then place them on a plate to reserve.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium-sized saucepan to 350°F. Then, deep-fry the shrimp, a half dozen at a time, until golden brown. This should take only 2 to 3 minutes per batch. As each batch is finished, rest it on an absorbent paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

For the Boom Boom Sauce:

Stir together the following:

• ½ cup of mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon of honey

• 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard

• 2 teaspoons of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce

• ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke

• ½ teaspoon of paprika

• ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

• A pinch of sea salt or kosher salt

Serve this dish with a bowl of the Boom Boom sauce surrounded with the shrimp.

Cajun Shrimp & Guacamole Crisps

Our last shrimp appetizer recipe idea can be prepared / assembled either hot or cold. We like it best served cold which will allow you to prepared them slightly in advance. Cattleman’s has a number of Cajun Seasoning blends to choose from, it is also called “Cajun Blackening Seasoning”.

Makes approximately 2 dozen shrimp

• 1 ½ pounds of 16/20 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

• ¼ cup of vegetable oil or melted butter

• 3 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning blend

• 1 ½ cups of prepared guacamole

• ¼ cup of sour cream (for garnish)

• 1 dozen grape tomatoes, halved (for garnish)

• 1 bunch of cilantro (for garnish)

• 2 dozen Carr’s Table Water Crackers

Instruciton

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss the raw shrimp in the vegetable oil and the Cajun seasoning blend. Remove the shrimp tails first.
2. Heat a medium size non-stick fry pan on high heat, when VERY hot, add the shrimp to the pan, spacing them apart from one another by 1 inch. Caution, it WILL CREATE A GOOD DEAL OF SMOKE. Cook for 1 minute on each side, then transfer to a plate or platter. You will need to do this in a couple of batches.
3. Chill the shrimp and reserve a bit of its resulting juices which you can stir a tablespoon or so into the guacamole later if you wish.
4. To assemble, begin with a cracker, then a mounded tablespoon of guacamole on which you will place 1 shrimp.
5. Place a teaspoon-sized dollop of sour cream on top of the shrimp, then a half grape tomato and a small sprig of cilantro.

Serving shrimp during the holidays can be a creative opportunity with delicious results. We hope you’ll try one of these recipes and enjoy!

From all of us at Cattleman’s, we wish you and your family a joyous holiday season!