It’s okay to feel sad if your shrimp boil didn’t turn out as well as you’d hoped.
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But don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to use up the extra shrimp boil ingredients, from soups and salads to pastas and pizzas.
We have recipes for all these meals so you can enjoy them at home—or even share them with friends.
How to store leftover shrimp boil
To store your leftover shrimp boil, you’ll want to use an airtight container.
This can be a mason jar, Tupperware container or any other kind of sealable plastic or glass container.
When storing it in the refrigerator, make sure that the lid is on tight so that moisture does not enter and make your shrimp soggy.
If you’re freezing your leftover seafood for later use, be sure to keep it in an airtight freezer bag or Tupperware as well!
If you’re planning on using up all of this delicious food within a few days of making it, there’s no need for refrigeration—just put it in some sort of sealable container and pop it in a cool place out of direct sunlight (like on top of the fridge).
It’s a good idea to keep your shrimp boil in the fridge for at least 24 hours before you plan on eating it.
This will allow all of the seasoning to soak into the meat, making it taste even better! If you’re planning on cooking your shrimp immediately after making it, there’s no need for refrigeration—just pop it in a sealable container and store in an airtight place until ready to eat (like on top of the fridge).
8 ideas for leftover shrimp boil
Add it to a soup
If you’ve been following us on social media, you know that seafood chowder is one of our most popular recipes.
It’s also a great way to use up leftover shrimp boil.
You can add the shrimp boil to any seafood chowder recipe—just make sure you sauté it first so that it doesn’t taste raw.
To do this, cook your leftover shrimp in a little bit of oil over medium heat until they turn pink and get crispy on the outside (about five minutes).
If you don’t have time for extra steps like this one, try mixing some cooked bacon into your seafood chowder instead! It will give the soup an extra smoky burst of flavor without requiring any additional time or effort.
If you’re looking for a recipe that’s packed with flavor, this is it! The only thing you’ll have to do is heat up the ingredients and enjoy.
This chowder has just enough spice to give it some kick, but not so much that it’s overwhelming.
It’s also full of delicious shrimp and bacon—two of our favorite ingredients.
Make shrimp boil eggs benedict
Eggs Benedict is one of those “classic” breakfast dishes that you don’t want to make every day, but it is also delicious and comforting.
The shrimp boil eggs benedict recipe below is a great way to use up some leftovers from a previous shrimp boil.
To begin, poach two eggs in about an inch of water and vinegar for 4 minutes.
Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and place them on top of your English muffin halves (toast).
For the sauce, melt 5 tablespoons butter in a small pot over low heat until it just starts to bubble or foam a little bit on its own—but not brown or burn! Add 1 cup hollandaise sauce: 2 egg yolks; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; salt & pepper; pinch paprika powder; pinch cayenne pepper (optional); 15 ounces tomato paste (1 can).
Stir well until combined then set aside until needed.
Top your salad with shrimp boil leftovers
Shrimp boil leftovers are a great way to add flavor to a salad.
You can use the shrimp, potatoes, and corn from your shrimp boil to make it more filling and delicious.
To do this:
- Boil some water in a pot with all of your spices.
- Add butter and olive oil when you reach boiling point.
- Once it boils, add in the potatoes and cook them until they’re tender but not soft (they should be easily pierced with a fork).
- Drain out any excess water into a strainer or colander then place them back in the pot for about 5 minutes so that they dry out slightly before adding them to your salad.
- You can also add garlic powder at this time if desired!
- Make sure to reserve some liquid from boiling your seafood so that you have enough for seasoning other foods like these mixed greens!
Serve it over pasta
The most obvious way to use your leftover shrimp boil is to make a pasta dish.
- Shrimp boil pasta: This is easy, just cook some spaghetti and toss it with enough of the leftover shrimp boil ingredients and sauce to cover the noodles.
- You can add veggies (you probably have some left from making your main course) or serve it with a salad on the side.
- Shrimp boil pasta salad: Combine leftover cooked vegetables and seafood with cooked noodles, then mix in enough of the leftover shrimp boil sauce to coat all of it well before serving cold or at room temperature.
- Shrimp boil pasta bake: After cooking up any vegetables you want (like broccoli), prepare some al dente pasta according to package directions; drain both well; add them together with shredded cheese, chopped parsley or chives if desired for added flavor; mix in enough leftover shrimp boil sauce to coat everything evenly; top with more shredded cheese if you like extra cheesy goodness in every bite!
Make shrimp boil egg rolls
It’s not a party until some kind of leftover eats are made with the leftovers.
This recipe is for when you have shrimp boil leftovers and are craving something fun to eat that isn’t a salad or a sandwich.
They’re super easy to make and only take about 20 minutes from start to finish, so even if you’ve only got 15 minutes before you need to be somewhere, these will do just fine!
These are perfect for a party or just as a snack.
They’re also really good with some homemade tartar sauce on top!
Use it as a topping for pizza
Shrimp boil is a delicious and versatile topping for pizza.
You can use it on its own, or you can add some other seafood (like crawfish), meat (like sausage), vegetables (like red peppers) or cheese (like cheddar).
If you’re feeling adventurous, try all of the above!
The best way to make seafood boil pizza is to start with a thin crust.
The thinner the crust, the better your final product will be.
Next, add your sauce and cheese.
Add in some cooked shrimp and other seafood (if you’re using it) and then top it all off with cayenne pepper or red chili flakes.
Add it to your breakfast burritos or tacos
While the ingredients in shrimp boil are delicious, they don’t always have a home in your fridge.
If you’re looking for new ways to use up your leftover boiled shrimp and corn, here are three ideas for how to turn them into savory breakfast meals!
- Put it on a burrito:
Shrimp boil is made with sautéed vegetables and potatoes, so it pairs well with other hearty ingredients that can stand up to these flavors.
Try adding some leftover boiled shrimp and corn kernels to an egg scramble or putting them atop a tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, cheese and beans before rolling it all up into a breakfast burrito! The spicy kick from the Cajun seasoning will wake you right up in the morning—just make sure not put too much of it inside your burrito or else its taste might overpower everything else.
- Use it as taco filling:
If you have any leftovers after making tacos one night earlier this week (and we’re guessing that’s probably going happen), then consider using them as taco filling sometime soon! To make things easy on yourself while cooking tomorrow morning: cook half pack some shredded chicken breast first until fully cooked through then add some chopped cilantro leaves (optional) along with diced tomatoes before mixing together with cooked brown rice mixed until fluffy; top off each tortilla shell evenly before serving hot off stovetop when ready!
Serve it over grits
If you’re looking for a way to use up some of your leftover shrimp boil, I recommend serving it over grits.
Grits are a Southern dish made from corn with a texture somewhere between rice and polenta.
Grits are commonly served as part of breakfast or lunch in the southern United States, but they can also be used as an accompaniment for many meals.
This particular recipe uses shrimp boil because I’m sure you have some left over from last night’s dinner party (welcome to my world), but you could easily substitute bacon or sausage for the seafood if that’s what you prefer!
Conclusion
We hope this post has given you some ideas for what to do with all those leftover shrimp boil leftovers.
If you’re anything like us, you probably have a stockpile of them in your freezer right now! And if that sounds like a lot of work, don’t worry—we understand.
We love our favorite dishes so much that sometimes we just want to keep eating them forever.
But by using these tips and tricks, we found it easy enough to turn our favorite feast into a weeklong celebration of eating shrimp boil at every mealtime! Happy cooking!
