Easy to Make Shrimp Stock (Prawn Stock)
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Shrimp stock is the best secret ingredient you will never want to be without. This quick and easy shrimp stock (AKA prawn stock) turns your dishes from delicious to crazy insanely delicious. It doesn't taste fishy, it simply tastes rich with a lot of depth. So, the next time you're peeling shrimp, save the shells and make this recipe.
The incredible flavor and nutrients from homemade stock will have you wanting more. Try this homemade chicken stock and beef bone broth.
Next time you're making a meal with shrimp, don't throw away the heads or the shells from the bodies! Save them in a reusable container in the freezer. Once you have a large container built up, pull them out of the freezer and make a batch of this shrimp stock.
The stock itself also freezes well and is the perfect thing to store in Ā½ cup amounts so that you can easily add some to your next dish! The amount of flavor this will add to your savory dishes will have people asking for your secret!
How to make shrimp stock
Making shrimp broth is one of those things that you do for your future self, who will be absolutely delighted that you thought ahead! It's easier than you think, so your present self doesn't have to make any sacrifices either!
- Saute the shrimp ā Start by cooking the shrimp with a little oil until they turn bright red and begin to char. They will smell like delicious grilled shrimp at this point!
- Add everything to the pot: Now, add everything to the pot and cover with about 2 inches of water. Then simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Skim the top: Skim off the impurities (the white foamy stuff) with a spoon.
- Strain: Strain stock first through a large strainer, such as a colander, to remove the shrimp and veggies. Next, strain the stock a second time through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Cool: Let the shrimp stock cool completely and then store it in jars in your fridge for up to 3 days or in your freezer for up to a year.
Note that you can make shrimp stock, in its simplest form, using just shrimp and water, however, the vegetables really add wonderful flavor to this broth.
What's the difference between shrimp and prawns?
Depending on where you're from, you'll know these crustaceans as either shrimp or prawns.
While they look very much alike and taste incredibly similar, they are actually different animals. Prawns belong to the sub-order Dendrobranchiata while shrimp belong to the sub-order Pleocyemata.
As far as you need to be concerned, when used in a recipe, prawns and shrimp act exactly the same (but do consider that shrimp tend to be a little easier on the budget!)
Best of all, both shrimp and prawns work equally well to make this shrimp stock recipe or prawn stock recipe depending on which you're using!
What to do with shrimp stock
Shrimp stock, sometimes called shrimp broth or prawn stock, isn't something that you drink on its own. Instead, here are some ideas of what to make with it:
- Use it in soups: Try adding your shrimp stock to a delicious fish chowder, seafood soups, or stews. You can replace or substitute other broths or stocks where adding a gentle shrimp flavor makes sense, like this spaghetti squash shrimp scampi.
- Risotto or rice dishes: Use your prawn stock in dishes like this cauliflower rice risotto with spicy garlic prawns or try this in your favorite paella or jambalaya recipe!
More shrimp recipes
To collect shrimp shells to make this stock, try making one (or all!) of these delicious shrimp recipes:
Recipe FAQs
Can I use prawns instead of shrimp to make the stock?
Yes, you absolutely can! Prawns and shrimp can be used interchangeably and both work in this stock recipe.
Which part of the shrimp should I use?
Shrimp heads and the shells from the bodies are good to include when making stock.
How long does shrimp stock last?
Store the stock in jars in your fridge for up to 3 days.
Can shrimp stock be frozen?
Yes! This stock freezes beautifully and you will almost always find some in our freezer. We like to freeze it in small portions so we can easily use what we need.
Can shrimp stock replace fish stock?
You can use homemade shrimp stock in place of fish stock or seafood stock (store-bought or homemade). You can also use this shrimp stock in place of clam juice.
Shrimp Stock Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon neutral-flavored cooking oil (such as avocado oil)
- 1 large resealable bag full of prawn shells and heads (this does not need to be exact!)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 2 medium carrots (chopped)
- Ā½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the prawn heads, shells, and tails and saute until they turn bright red and start to brown (or char) in a few places.3 tablespoon neutral-flavored cooking oil, 1 large resealable bag full of prawn shells and heads
- Add the onion, celery, carrots, and peppercorns to the pot. Then, add enough water to cover everything by 2 inches. Bring the pot almost to a boil then reduce heat so that the water is just barely simmering. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.1 medium onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 medium carrots, Ā½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
- Remove the pot from the heat then skim off the impurities (the white foamy stuff) from the potĀ with a spoon.
- Strain stock first through a large strainer, such as a colander, to remove the prawns and veggies. Next, strain the stock a second time through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Let stock cool completely then store it in jars in your fridge for up to 3 days or in resealable bags in your freezer for up to a year.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Popular stock recipes
For more inspiration, check out all of our shrimp recipes!
I love love my magic broth. Ā Frozen in ice cube trays. Ā So simple, so easy. But an amazing enhancer for so many dishes. Ā Ā And, youāre so right, the smell is horrible when itās being cooked but so worth it. Ā Thank you!!
Hiya, as you can’t re freeze raw prawn offcuts (unprepared prawns are found in the freezer aisle here, as far as I’m aware), can you fry them first (so they’re no longer raw) and then freeze them to make a stock at a later date when the weight to pan ratio makes it worth my while? Oh and any prawn variety works I assume?
Yes, you can! We save the shells from cooked prawns to make stock and they work well, too!
Trying this recipe as I wanted to use the prawn shells come out awesome and keen to put it into a curry and try it. Iām keen to see some other recipes to make with it also. And love the idea of blending the left overs for the chickens am also going to do that. Thanks again for the recipe.Ā
My spotted prawns came headless and with roe. Ā Can I make stock using these two items and no heads?
I wouldn’t use the roe. But save the shells of the prawns and you can use those. And if you don’t have enough shells to make the stock right now, just pop them into your freezer. I usually have a bag of prawn shells in my freezer that I keep adding to until I have enough to make stock. š
Thank you Kristen! I appreciate your extra tips!
Once the stock is made, would there be any flavour advantage adding prawn paste to the sauce.
It’s very flavorful so I would think not. š
Loved it and so good not to be wasting the shells. Ā I love making curries & soups that as for a seafood stock. Ā Now i have it on hand in my freezer. Ā Thank you
You are so welcome!!
I was looking for a way to use leftover shells from some prawns we had and came across this recipe. It was perfect. Adds so much flavor to other recipes. Thank you!
That is so wonderful to hear! Thanks, Doug!
I have only used Prawn stock before making Chowder but I will certainly be incorporating it into other dishes having read all the material here.
Hi.
Used your recipe, but progressed it forward to four hours. Into a a new pot with white wine and reduced it to almost glutenous. The smell is amazing, I will most likely only need a teaspoon added to what I cook.
Kind regards
James.
Good call on reducing it!
For my chili prawn pasta I fry off the prawn heads then proceed to make the tomato sauce , simmering for a couple of hours .
Scraping off the foam cannot occur when done this way . Is that a problem?
It sounds perfect!
I kinda knew how to make this, but came here after a Google search and, yep, its exactly what i had in mind. I’ve made it and will prep to freeze it, then will go to a couple of the recipes you suggest to make with it.
I’ve always blended the prawn heads etc up for my chickens, they love it and its very good for them. After making this, I went through and picked out the prawn heads and carrot, scissored it small enough for my chooks.. great!
Don’t you love being able to make double (or triple) duty with the food you eat? It makes me so happy to know I’m not wasting food. š
I leave out the veggies but add the seasoning, and also add a teaspoon of Shrimp and Crab boil liquid. Gives it a “kick”.
Also take some of the liquid and add a bit of gelatine, allow to set. Makes a lovely jelly to go with fish or seafood.
Will try with the veggies added next time
I love the idea of adding some gelatine. I’m going to do some of that with part of the stock next time for sure. Thank you for the tip!
Great stuff. Shucked 1Kg of good aussie prawns and thought what a waste to throw away the heads. Hey presto a quick google finds your website and now I have prawn stock for future soups.
I have made shrimp stock using the shells from the shrimp. I have never had prawns, but I am sure it would be very similar. I really love the stock that you get from doing this. I have used the stock in soup and was amazed at the flavor it added. Great post.
I loooove this! And yes, the smell of fish sauce is uh… interesting, but so necessary flavor-wise. I can only imagine what your prawn stock adds to a dish. I have to keep this in my t0-do files! š
I just fish sauce in a lot of my cooking and imagine that this prawn stock must be very similar. It would nice to have a homemade version so I will have to try this out.
Hi Jura,
It is very similar to fish sauce, just not quite so strong š Hope you love it!