If you have ever enjoyed a nice plate of fried shrimp, only to realize you were way too full to finish it all, you may have wondered if it can be reheated later and how to do it properly. Well, please do not stress or toss your shrimp just yet!
Can you reheat fried shrimp ?
Yes, you can reheat fried shrimp. Seafood is very delicate so you will only have to lightly heat it, otherwise, you’ll change the texture too much.
The best way to do that is to flash-fry the shrimp in olive oil or butter for half a minute, just to heat it through. We’ll cover several other methods in this article, depending on what you want to do with the shrimps.
First we have to look at that shrimp, see if it’s still safe to eat. As you know, seafood is notorious for spoiling quickly.
Read also: Are Shrimp Fish, Seafood, Or Shellfish ?
How to recognize bad leftover shrimp
If you open up your fridge only to find a terrible, fishy stench, chances are you have some bad fish in there. If a very fishy, old, or rotten smell is coming off of your leftover shrimp, you may want to toss it.
Though it’s usually fine to reheat your fried shrimp, if it is more than a day or two old or if it has been left outside of the fridge for more than a few hours, you should not take the chance.
Once food gets too old – even if it has already been cooked – consuming it can make you sick, so just practice caution when reheating fried shrimp. Use your senses! They are there to help you!
So, now that we know what kind of fried shrimp can and can’t be reheated, let’s talk about how exactly you can reheat good fried shrimp!
How to reheat fried shrimps? The best ways
Just like other cooked foods, there are many ways to reheat your leftover fried shrimp. Depending on your time constraints, ingredients, and available methods, we have compiled a list of ways you may want to reheat your fried shrimp so you can enjoy it once again!
Reheat fried shrimp in the microwave
If you are not averse to using the infamous microwave, you can certainly toss your fried shrimp in there to reheat. Depending on the wattage, you should be able to reheat shrimp in 30 seconds to 1 minute, without causing it to overcook.
If you begin to smell an overly fishy scent coming out of your microwave, press stop immediately and touch the back of your finger to the fried shrimp. If the outside feels hot, it is done and ready to eat!
If it is still cold, feel free to warm it up for a few more seconds. When fish gets overcooked, it begins to smell extra fishy, so try to avoid this if possible.
Flash fry fried shrimp
Once fried foods (including shrimp) cool down, they tend to lose their nice crunchy texture on the outside. They usually end up quite soft, and sometimes, the breadcrumb coating actually falls off!
So, you can certainly refry your leftover fried shrimp to reheat it! All you have to do is heat some vegetable oil and add your shrimp carefully into the pan. Make sure you are only frying it for about 30 to 50 seconds on each side so as to not overcook it.
If you would like to add some more breadcrumbs to the outside of your leftover shrimp, the process is basically the same. Just crack open an egg and scramble it for your egg wash.
Then, pour some breadcrumbs of your choice (panko or homemade ones work great) into a separate bowl. If you would like to add some spice, feel free to sprinkle red pepper flakes into the breadcrumbs or perhaps some hot sauce!
And finally, dip your leftover shrimp into the egg, breadcrumbs, and start frying. You’ll want to recook your shrimp for about a minute on each side to ensure the egg gets cooked. Make sure to remove from heat once each side turns a nice golden brown!
Rehat fried shrimp in the oven
You can reheat fried shrimp in the oven. All you have to do is to preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and put the shrimps on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. The exact time depends on how many shrimp are you reheating. Also if they are still cold it will take a bit more time compared to the ones that are already at room temperature.
This method might not be the best if you are in a hurry.
Toss it in the frying pan with some veggies
If you’d like to reheat your fried shrimp as part of a whole new dish, try out a stir fry! Just chop up some fresh veggies – peppers, carrots, potatoes, and baby corn work wonderfully – and throw them into a frying pan for a few minutes until softened.
Feel free to add any spices you’d like here. And for the last few minutes, throw your leftover shrimp in, just to get the chill out!
Chop it up for shrimp fried rice
If you’re looking for a filling dish, shrimp fried rice is a nice option to reheat your shrimp. Simply cook whatever rice you like best, add some scrambled eggs and veggies to the mix, and throw your fried shrimp in at the end.
Again, you’ll just want to warm it up with the rice mixture for a few minutes so as to not overcook it. And be sure to add some soy sauce, there is no fried rice without soy sauce !
Sprinkle it onto a pizza
If you’re looking for a totally new spin on a classic, try making a shrimp pizza! If you’ve got leftover pizza, just sprinkle some chopped up shrimp onto your cold pizza and throw the combination into the microwave for 40 seconds or the oven for 7 minutes.
This will both warm up your new concoction and also ensure that it doesn’t get overcooked.
If you’d like to make pizza from scratch, just make the pizza first and – during the last couple of minutes – remove it from the oven to add your leftover fried shrimp. Then, cook it out and enjoy!
Warm it up on the stove
Perhaps, you don’t want to do anything too fancy, and you simply want to reheat your fried shrimp in as little time as possible. If this sounds like you, perhaps you’ll simply want to heat it up on the stove top!
So, all you have to do is grab your favorite frying pan, toss your shrimp in, and cover with some tin foil. Just keep an eye on as to not let it get too hot, and you should have some warm fried shrimp, ready to enjoy right away!
Read Also:How to Reheat Stromboli
Try it chilled in a summer roll
Yes, we know you want to reheat your fried shrimp. But, we thought it might be fun to add one way to eat fried shrimp chilled! This option is great for a warm day (making its name extra relevant) or when you just don’t have the time to reheat your leftover shrimp.
To make a nice, crisp summer roll, just spread your shrimp onto a piece of soaked rice paper with some fresh shreds of carrots, lettuce, and a few mint leaves! Then, just roll it up, grab some dipping sauce (perhaps peanut sauce or your favorite soy sauce), and enjoy!
And that’s pretty much it for reheating fried shrimp. You can use it in so many ways you’re bound to love it, even reheated.
Bottom line
There are many good ways of reheating fried shrimp. Depending on the situation you are in, some of them may not be available to you so you have to pick the best one that works for you.
Usually, when you are in a hurry or at work during a lunch break, reheating them in the microwave will work the best. I hope after reading this article you know what to do with leftover fried shrimp because it will be a shame to throw it away the next day.
