How to Make Shrimp Stock

Making your own homemade shrimp stock is easy, and makes great use of all those shrimp shells! I love that nothing goes to waste with this recipe, and you are left with a delicious flavorful shrimp stock to use in your shrimp stews, shrimp bisques, and other seafood recipes!

Shrimp stock before straining in a large pot.

Level up your seafood dishes!

Homemade stock is so flavorful and really enhances the flavor of seafood dishes, especially in this Shrimp and Corn Bisque. It’s easy to do and can even be made from vegetable scraps. So next time you make Blackened Shrimp, Chimichurri Shrimp Tacos, or Shrimp Deviled Eggs, save those shrimp shells!

Recipe Quick Notes

Lauren’s Take: It’s a great idea to buy shell on shrimp for your shrimp recipes, and save the shells for stock! It’s super flavorful and easy to make. Plus it can be hard to find seafood stock in stores, so making your own is a plus. 

Taste: Almost good enough to drink on its own! It has a rich shrimp flavor balanced by the mirepoix, tomato, herbs, and sherry. 

Time: It takes just over an hour to make this stock.

Testing Notes: I’ve tested this recipe by both sautéing and roasting the shrimp shells. While roasting the shells does add a slight extra flavor, I don’t think it’s necessary. Sautéing them instead saves time and having to wash an extra pan. 

Expert Tips

My best tip for making homemade shrimp stock is use the heads! They have so much flavor.

  • Use the heads! That’s where most of the flavor comes from. If you have the option, buy head on shrimp. 
  • Use salt, but sparingly. A pinch of salt is necessary to bring out the flavors of this shrimp stock, but only use a pinch or two. You don’t want the dishes you use the stock for to become over-salted. 
  • Uncooked only. Only use uncooked shrimp shells to make stock. 
  • Less is more. Shrimp stock only needs to simmer for about 30 minutes. While beef and chicken stock benefits from a long simmer time to bring out all the flavor from the bones, shrimp stock starts to lose its flavor if you boil it for too long.
  • Roast if you want to! Instead of sautéing the shrimp shells, you can roast them. Roast the shells at 400°F (205°C) for about 10 minutes, then add them to the stock. 

Ingredients & Substitutions

See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.

  • Shrimp shells with heads – Shrimp heads have tons of flavor, so get head on shrimp when possible. You can still make stock with just the shells, but the heads will make a more flavorful stock. 
  • Mirepoix – You’ll need an onion, carrot, and celery stalk. You can use vegetable scraps instead if you have some on hand, like the stem ends of onions, carrots, and celery or celery leaves. 
  • Tomato paste – Caramelization of the tomato paste adds a depth of flavor and gives a little extra color to this shrimp broth. 
  • Cooking sherry – Sherry helps to deglaze the pot and add extra flavor. Substitute with white wine or water if needed. 
  • Parsley stems – I use parsley stems in this homemade shrimp stock so I can save the parsley leaves for other recipes. 
  • Peppercorn – It’s better to use whole peppercorns in homemade stock instead of cracked black pepper since the small bits of pepper would sink to the bottom. 

Variations

Homemade stock can be made with many different ingredients. Change up the seafood, vegetables, or herbs to have a different flavor profile or match the recipe you are using the stock for. Using vegetable scraps is a great way to use up what you have on hand and reduce kitchen waste. 

  • Seafood stock – Turn this into a seafood stock! Add in other shellfish shells like lobster or crab. 
  • Different vegetables – Change up the vegetables, or add in more scraps. Try fennel, sweet peppers, corn cobs, leeks, mushrooms, or tomatoes. Just make sure to wash vegetables before adding them in. 
  • Different herbs – You can also change up the fresh herbs. Try fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, or more bay leaves. 

Equipment needed

How to Make Homemade Shrimp Stock

Making homemade stock is easy and tastes way better than store bought! Here’s how to make your own seafood stock. 

Shrimp shells in a colander with chopped onion, carrot, celery, and parsley on a cutting board.

Step One: Prep

Peel and reserve shrimp shells. Chop veggies into 2 inch chunks. Smash and peel garlic. 

Browned onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a pot.

Step Two: Sauté

Sauté onion, celery, carrot, and garlic with a pinch of salt in olive oil until starting to brown.

Sautéed mirepoix and shrimp shells in a pot.

Step Three: Brown

Add in shrimp shells and cook for a few minutes until the shells develop some color and start turning brighter pink.

Shrimp shells, heads, and vegetables in a pot to make stock.

Step Four: Caramelize

Add tomato paste and allow it to darken, then deglaze the pot with sherry, scraping up the browned bits. 

Making shrimp stock in a large pot

Step Five: Simmer

Add water, parsley stems, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Cook at a gentle simmer for about 30 minutes. 

Pressing the juices out of shrimp shells with a wooden spoon.

Step Six: Strain

Pour stock through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup. Press down on ingredients to extract all the liquid. 

Ready to try your hand at more homemade stocks? Try this homemade ham stock! It would be great in Red Beans and Rice!

Storage & make ahead

Storage: Cool completely, then store homemade shrimp in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1-2 days. It’s best to use it right away to prolong the shelf life of the recipe you are using it in. 

Freeze: Freeze shrimp stock in ice cube trays or souper cube trays for ease of use. Store in the freezer for 2-3 months. 

Make ahead: You can make this shrimp stock a day in advance of when you want to use it.

Ways to Use Shrimp Stock

Now that you have this delicious flavorful stock, let’s use it! Here are some ideas on how to use shrimp stock. 

Jar of homemade shrimp stock next to vegetables.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you rinse shrimp heads before making stock?

Yes. It’s a good idea to rinse off shrimp shells and heads before using them to make homemade stock. This can rinse off any residue/sand/dirt that is too small to be strained out later. 

Can you freeze shrimp shells to make stock with later?

Yes! You can freeze shrimp shells to use later for stock. Store your shrimp shells in a freezer bag until you have enough to make stock with. 

More Seafood Recipes

A container of homemade shrimp stock next to mirepoix on a cutting board.

Rich Homemade Shrimp Stock Recipe

Homemade shrimp stock is so flavorful, and easy to make! It adds extra flavor to the seafood dish you add it to. It’s a great way to use up those shrimp shells.
5 from 41 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 20 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • shells from 2 pounds shrimp with heads
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 large celery stalk
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons cooking sherry
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 handful of fresh parsley stems
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Instructions
 

  • PEEL: Peel shrimp, and set aside in the refrigerator for later use. Rinse shells in a colander with cold water. Set aside to drain well.
    shells from 2 pounds shrimp with heads
  • PREP: Peel and quarter onion. Rinse celery and carrot, and cut into 2 inch chunks. No need to peel carrot. Smash and peel garlic cloves. Remove stems from parsley.
    1 small onion, 1 medium carrot, 1 large celery stalk, 2 cloves garlic, 1 handful of fresh parsley stems
  • SAUTÉ: Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Sauté onion, celery, carrot, and garlic with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes until veggies start to brown. Add in shrimp shells and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, pinch of salt
  • CARAMELIZE: Make a well in the center of the pot and add in tomato paste. Gradually stir into the other ingredients and cook for about 1 minute until paste is darkening.
    1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • DEGLAZE: Deglaze the pot with sherry and stir in. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes to let alcohol burn off, scraping up any browned bits (fond) in the pot.
    2 tablespoons cooking sherry
  • SIMMER: Add in water, parsley stems, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring up to a gentle simmer, and cook on low uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir and gently press down on ingredients occasionally.
    6 cups water, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • STRAIN: Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour stock through a fine mesh strainer into a heat safe large measuring cup or container. Press down on ingredients in the strainer with a wooden spoon to extract all the liquid. It should yield about 4 cups.
  • USE: Use shrimp stock in your favorite seafood recipes, or save for later use.

Notes

  • This stock is best with shrimp heads and shells. 
  • Save the parsley leaves for other dishes, or use them in this recipe too. 
  • Substitute sherry for white wine if needed. 
  • Storage: Cool completely, then store homemade shrimp in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
  • Freeze: Freeze shrimp stock in ice cube trays or souper cube trays for ease of use. Store in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Equipment

  • Large stockpot or dutch oven
  • Fine mesh strainer
  • Large 4-5 cup measuring cup

Nutrition

Calories: 20kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 0.4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 31mgPotassium: 79mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1311IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 0.2mg
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Meet Lauren

I’m the blogger, recipe developer, food photographer, and otherwise food obsessed gal behind Lauren From Scratch. I was born and raised in New Orleans and lived in South Louisiana most of my life. Growing up around Cajun country has instilled a love of food that runs deep in my bones. I am passionate about food and teaching you how to make mouth-watering Louisiana inspired dishes in your own kitchen!


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5 from 41 votes (41 ratings without comment)

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