I’m Obsessed With Grilling Shrimp on a Waffle Iron.
If you’re looking for lean protein that’s tasty, low in fat, and affordable , you can’t go wrong with shrimp, especially if you buy frozen . I like to do just that and spread it out over several meals. I think we can all agree that when you eat a lot of one thing, the best way to keep it interesting is to try new recipes and find different ways to cook it. And my latest passion for shrimp is “frying” them in a waffle iron.
Why are waffle shrimp healthy?
A waffle iron is one of the most versatile appliances in your kitchen: it’s good for more than just making waffles. The benefits of using a waffle iron to cook baby sea bugs are fourfold: speed, ease, space, and dry cooking (versus grilling).
When I cook shrimp, I always start with a cleaner work surface; Since all the prep is done ahead of time and my waffle iron isn’t very big, I need a little space to get all my skewers ready to go. Then all that remains is to turn off the shrimp kebab in the device; Once cooked, they’re ready to snack on or top with a pile of rice.
“Dry cook” is the biggest plus for me. I love shrimp, but I don’t always love eating wet shrimp, and the waffle iron fixes that. (Sometimes I’m a seafood lover, so I get easily bored by too much ocean; historically, my fiancé cooks too much savory shrimp, so I switch to waffles when I’m in charge of dinner.) Just like with a grill, where you have grates, the indentations and grooves of a waffle press allow excess juices to drip off the meat. (This is why you should make waffles with meat in them .) This, combined with the high heat of the waffle plates, means you can quickly concentrate the flavor without a lot of moisture pooling around the seafood.
How to cook shrimp waffles
1. Thaw the shrimp
Boiling shrimp is especially useful if you want a quick shrimp snack. Because the waffle iron cooks on both sides at the same time, my medium shrimp cooked in three minutes. If you have frozen shrimp or are marinating them, defrost them in the refrigerator overnight and rub them with the dry seasoning in the morning so you’re ready to waffle them just before eating.
2. Marinate
A good marinade can be almost any mixture of herbs, spices, or even salad dressing. As I mentioned, I prefer my shrimp dry but flavorful, so after defrosting, I pat it dry with a paper towel and add it to a bowl with dry seasonings such as old bay, cayenne pepper powder, curry powder mixture, and salt. Then I add about a teaspoon of vegetable oil. This will make it easier to coat the shrimp with seasoning, but will also prevent them from sticking to the iron.
3. Shish kebab
You don’t have to skewer the shrimp, but I like to do it because it makes it much easier to remove them from the waffle iron and add them to the next batch. Plus, you have to think how fun it is to eat shrimp straight off the skewer. Use bamboo skewers and pierce the shrimp through the center—they don’t require soaking or any special treatment. You can string as many skewers 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 switch, but if you have temperature controls, set them to the highest setting. Shrimp are easy to cook, and large or medium shrimp will cook in three to four minutes. Once the iron is completely hot, place as many skewers as you can, leaving about a half-inch of space between them. Press down on the lid and apply gentle pressure for the first minute or so. Look from the side to see if they become opaque after three minutes, and if so, remove them. Swap the following skewers.
If you don’t already have a waffle iron or are looking to buy a new one, I highly recommend a waffle iron with removable plates for easy cleaning. It’s such a relief to let the waffle iron cool while I eat the shrimp and then go back and take out the plates; The appliance goes into storage, and I take care of the plates and other utensils.
While your waffle shrimp may not have the grill marks or smoky flavor of real grilled shrimp (perhaps you could add a little smoked paprika?), heating up a waffle iron is much easier than firing up a real grill. Plus, if you live in an apartment (like me) or just don’t have a grill, these waffle baked shrimp will give you a lot of flavor and a lot less mess.