In this post, you'll find the recipe for delicious marinated shrimp. You can use fresh or frozen shrimp and can make it ahead.
Can you believe it? In just a few days it will be Christmas, and I wanted to share with you a dish that we almost always have when our family gets together Christmas Eve.
It's marinated shrimp, and it's super easy to prepare. It's a great celebratory dish, and the best thing is that you can prepare it in advance.
First you will need several jars of button mushrooms. Drain the mushrooms.
Next you will need to some Zesty Italian Dressing. I mixed up some of this because I already had these packages, but I usually just use 2 large bottles of Zesty Italian salad dressing.
Pour the dressing over the mushrooms.
Chop a small bunch of fresh parsley and throw it in the mixture.
Wash and cut a red and green pepper into rings and then cut the rings into smaller pieces. Add these to the mixture.
Slice a medium sweet onion into thin rings, cut the rings in half, and throw them in.
At this point, add a small bottle of capers, including the juice, into the mix. (Don't do what I did-I totally forgot to add the capers when I was making this dish to show you! The capers are crucial to this recipe! It just isn't the same if you omit them!)
Let all the ingredients marinate while you're preparing the shrimp.This dish is best prepared with fresh, local shrimp but since we live inland now, we use frozen shrimp.
This is about 3 ½ pounds of frozen shrimp. After it has thawed, cook it in a pot of boiling water with some Old Bay seasoning. Take it off the heat as soon as the shrimp rise to the top of the boiling water.
Immediately drain the shrimp in a colander and add ice to cool them down. When they have cooled, peel and devein the shrimp and add the shrimp to the mixture. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for several hours.
This dish looks very pretty when placed in a clear trifle bowl.
Sometimes I like to serve it in these antique glass fish plates that I've had forever! It is so, so good!
You won't have any leftovers, I guarantee you!
📋 Recipe
Marinated Shrimp
Ingredients
- 3 ½ pounds fresh or frozen shrimp boiled, peeled, and deveined
- 4 4 ounce jars of button mushrooms
- 2 24 ounce bottles of Zesty Italian salad dressing
- 1 3.5 ounce bottle of capers
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 1 small bunch of fresh parsley
Instructions
- Drain the button mushrooms, place them in a large bowl, and pour in the 2 bottles of salad dressing.
- Cut the onion into thin slices and then cut the slices in half. Add to the dressing and mushroom mixture.
- Cut the peppers into thin rings and then cut the rings into bite-size pieces. Add these to the dressing mixture.
- Add the entire bottle of capers (including the juice) into the dressing mixture.
- Dice the parsley into small pieces and add to the dressing mixture.
- Add the cooked and peeled shrimp to the mixture. Chill and marinate for at least 3 hours before serving.
Notes
If using frozen shrimp, thaw and rinse. If using fresh shrimp, rinse well.
Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and continue to cook until the shrimp start rising to the top. Remove from the heat and drain in a colander. Add ice to the top of the shrimp to stop the cooking process. It's very important to not overcook the shrimp! This dish looks very pretty when it is served in a glass trifle bowl.
Erlene
Yum, my mother is watering just thinking about this. Shrimp and mushroom marinated in Italian dressing is delicious. Pinning.
Nancy @ Foodie Chicks Rule
This looks delicious! Going to have to try this!
Kristi
Yum! I love anything with shrimp so I will definitely give this a try. 🙂
Paula
My family would love this at Christmas! It sounds so good and who doesn't love shrimp??
Kristin salazar
Looks so good, I love shrimp
Mary Beth
I love shrimp, Jane! One of my favorite vacations ever was to Las Vegas because of the shrimp at the buffets. I gorged myself on it. I know, not a proud moment, but it made me so happy! This recipe looks and sounds absolutely delicious and I hope to try it soon. You and Leo have a wonderful Christmas sweet friend. xoxo
Julie
We eat a ton of shrimp. I get it every week from Costco. This recipe sounds delish, Jane!!
Dagmar
As I live in Germany I am not sure what you mean by bottle of Dressing and small bottle of capers. How much in ml or gramms would that be???? Please help.
Thank you
Dagmar
Jane Windham
The recipe has been updated to include the number of ounces. Hope that helps!
Glada St. Clair
This looks delicious!
Mary
We love marinated or pickled shrimp Jane! My MIL has a recipe she has made for years, love the addition of the mushrooms in yours!
Dawn
Yummy Jane. You always have colorful festive looking dishes. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Ann
This looks amazing. Fresh and tasty for sure. I actually got shrimp at the grocery yesterday. Hoping your Christmas is lovely Jane!