Perfectly Grilled Shrimp Starts With A Step You Probably Skip

Shrimp are some of the easiest seafoods to work with thanks to their mild flavor and quick cooking time. There are plenty of different methods for perfectly cooked shrimp; you can bread and fry them, boil them, or, for an extra burst of flavor, grill them over a flame. But to grill those shrimp perfectly every time, don't skip the step of drying them out; it's one of those big mistakes that will change the texture of your seafood.

When shrimp hit the heat, you want as little moisture on the exterior as possible. That's because if you cook meat or seafood with a moist exterior, that excess water turns to steam. This prevents a golden sear and instead replaces the shrimp's exterior with a softer texture. You might be surprised at the best method to remove moisture: let the shrimp air out in the refrigerator. This is thanks to refrigerator air being so dry. While you're used to covering refrigerated foods in plastic wrap or storing them in airtight containers to prevent air exposure, in the case of prepping shrimp, you want to do the opposite. One user on the r/AskCulinary subreddit suggested it's the quickest way to dry out the shrimp's exterior for perfect grilling, and others echoed this. "Putting them in the fridge on a rack for as long as possible really helps dry out the surface of any meat," the user suggested.

To ensure the dryest shrimp, make sure your refrigerator is free from condensation or excessive moisture. This starts with only opening the refrigerator as needed, and never leaving it open for an extended period of time. Beyond that, an overly crowded refrigerator can lead to excess moisture from damp products like fresh fruits and vegetables, so you can separate the moist produce by storing those fruits and veggies in the crisper drawer, and make sure they're not wet when they go into the fridge. Don't overcrowd the fridge with other foods, either, as this can affect the fridge's ability to properly circulate air.

To ensure your fridge offers the right environment help meat and seafood dry out quickly, you can also add products that help absorb any excess moisture. Place an open container of baking soda in the refrigerator to help with moisture absorption; as a bonus, it also keeps odors under control. For a more intense solution, Dollar Tree sells calcium chloride, which you can place in the fridge as well to help keep the air as dry as possible. Once you use these methods, check on the shrimp within a few hours, as you don't want them to get dry to the point of no return.