🗂️Keep in Mind I’m Obsessed With Grilling Shrimp on My Waffle Iron

[_=*Croft*=_]

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For lean protein that’s tasty, low fat, and affordable, you can't go wrong with shrimp, especially if you buy frozen. I like to do just that, and stretch it out over many meals. I think we can all agree that when you’re eating a lot of one particular thing, the best way to keep things interesting is to try new recipes and to find different cooking methods for it. And my latest shrimp obsession is to “grill” it using my waffle iron.

Why waffled shrimp works​

The waffle iron is one of the most versatile appliances in your kitchen—it's good for so much more than making waffles. The benefits of using a waffle maker to cook your wee sea bugs is four-fold: speed, ease, space, and a dry cook (which compares to grilling).

When I waffle my shrimp, I always start with a cleaner counter space; as the prep is all done beforehand, and my particular waffle maker is not very large, I need some room to have all my skewers ready to go. Then it’s just a matter of switching out the skewers of shrimp in the appliance; once cooked, they’re ready to snack on or lay across a pile of rice.

The "dry cook" is the biggest selling point for me. I love shrimp, but I don't always love eating wet shrimp, and the waffle iron remedies this. (I’m a sometimes seafood lover, so I can get easily grossed out by too much ocean; my fiance historically makes too much saucy shrimp, so I’ll switch to waffling when I’m in charge of dinner.) Similarly to grilling, where you have grates, the divots and grooves of the waffle press allow the excess juices to drain away from the meat. (This is also why you should waffle some meat.) That, coupled with the high heat of the waffle plates, means you can quickly concentrate the flavor without much moisture collecting around the seafood.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

How to waffle your shrimp​

1. Thaw the shrimp​

Waffling your shrimp is especially good if you’re in the mood for a quick shrimp snack. Since the waffle iron cooks from both sides simultaneously, my medium shrimp finished cooking in three minutes. If you have frozen shrimp or you’re marinating it, thaw them in the fridge overnight and give them a seasoning dry rub in the morning so you’ll be ready to waffle them just before eating.

2. Marinate​

A good marinade can be nearly any seasoning mix, spice blend, or even salad dressing. As I mentioned, I prefer dry but flavorful shrimp, so after thawing I’ll pat them dry with paper towel and add them to a bowl with dry seasonings like old bay, cayenne pepper powder, a curry powder mix, and salt. Then I’ll drizzle on a teaspoon or so of cooking oil. This makes it easier to coat the shrimp with the seasonings but also prevents them from sticking to the iron.

3. Skewer​

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

You don’t need to skewer the shrimp, but I like to because it’s so much easier to remove them from the waffle maker and switch in the next batch. Also, you must consider how fun it is to eat shrimp straight off the skewer. Use bamboo skewers and poke through the centers of the shrimp—they don't need soaking or any special treatment. You can skewer as many as will fit, but don’t add more than the length or width of your waffle iron.

4. Waffle​

My waffle iron only has an on-off toggle, but if you have temperature controls, then put them up to the highest setting. Shrimp cook easily, and large or medium shrimp will cook through in three to four minutes. When your iron is fully preheated, lay down as many skewers as you can fit with about a half-inch of space between them. Press the lid down and keep some pressure on it for the first minute or so. Peek in the side to see if they’re looking opaque after three minutes, and remove them if so. Swap in the next skewers.

If you don’t have a waffle iron already or you’re looking to buy a new one, I highly recommend one that has removable plates for easier cleaning. It’s such a relief to let the waffle iron cool down while I eat my snack shrimp, then come back and pop out the plates; the appliance goes into its storage spot and I take care of plates with the rest of the dishes.


Cuisinart 2-in-1 Waffle Maker with Removable Plates, WAF-RP10NAS
$79.99 at Amazon
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Shop Now
$79.99 at Amazon

While your waffled shrimp may not have the grill marks or the smoky flavor of actual grilled shrimp (perhaps you can add some smoked paprika?), heating up the waffle iron is a lot easier than firing up a real grill. Plus, if you live in an apartment (like I do), or you simply don’t have a grill, this waffle-griddled shrimp gives you lots of flavor and a lot less mess.
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