What To Look For When Buying Shrimp, According To Ina Garten

Shrimp sizing sounds straightforward until you hit the seafood case and realize that "jumbo," "extra large," and "colossal" mean absolutely nothing. Ina Garten has a fix: Ignore the adjectives and go straight to the numbers. In Cook Like a Pro, she explains that the only label that actually matters is the count per pound, or the number of shrimp you get in a pound, like 16/20 or 41/50. "Labels such as 'large' and 'extra large' can be arbitrary," she writes.

That detail saves time and money. Whether you're making Ina's roasted shrimp cocktail or throwing shrimp into pasta, knowing the count ensures consistent portions and proper cook times. It also helps you pick the right size for the job: smaller shrimp for stir fries, mid-size for tacos, and larger ones for poaching or grilling. When you're working with frozen shrimp — especially if you're skipping the thaw — sizing matters even more, since properly cooking shrimp straight from frozen leaves much less room for error.

Ina Garten's shrimp-buying rule doesn't just make grocery shopping easier — it makes dinner that much better. Count per pound gives you control over texture, timing, and flavor. Too small, and the shrimp vanish into the sauce or salad. Too big, and they can turn rubbery before the rest of the dish heats up. Plus, portioning gets easier when you're not guessing what "extra large" actually means.

But even the right size can disappoint if the quality isn't there. Cloudy flesh, mushy texture, or signs of freezer burn are all red flags to look out for when buying shrimp. Plus, shrimp that have been thawed and refrozen lose moisture and snap, leaving you with a dry, mealy bite. And since you'll ruin your meals with precooked shrimp, start with raw shrimp when you can. A hot pan and a little attention build far more flavor — and when you pair that with Ina's size-savvy sourcing method, the results will match the effort.