Shrimp, before it’s cooked, is a very unappetizing gray-blue color. This color, it turns out, is the exoskeleton (you know, the shrimp’s external skeleton).
Now, to explain how that exoskeleton turns pink we have to get scientific on you. Here we go: the exoskeleton contains carotenoids (which are pigments) called astaxanthin. It is these carotenoids that are what give salmon its pink color. Before the shrimp is cooked the astaxanthin is covered by protein chains called crustacyanin. The protein chains in fact wrap up the astaxanthin, concealing its lovely pinkish-red color.
But heat loosens the hold these protein chains have on the carotenoids and releases the astaxanthin, turning the shrimp its lovely shade of pink. This is the same reason lobsters turn red when you cook them.
One more fun fact: if you’ve ever heard that flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp, it’s because of this same carotenoid. While flamingos eat shrimp that still appear blueish gray (they don’t have the luxury of cooking them before eating), the crustacyanin protein chain dissolves in digestion ― releasing the carotenoid that makes flamingo feathers more pink.
Now that you know why, watch the magic happen with these shrimp recipes.
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1 Hawaiian Shrimp Truck Special (Garlic Lemon Butter Shrimp)Half Baked Harvest
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2 Shrimp Pasta With Broccoli PestoGimme Some Oven
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3 Big Easy Style Saucy Creole ShrimpHalf Baked Harvest
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4 Italian Shrimp And GritsA Spicy Perspective
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5 Prosciutto-Wrapped ShrimpGimme Some Oven
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6 Quinoa Tabbouleh With Lemony ShrimpAnnie's Eats
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7 Miso Butter ShrimpSteamy Kitchen
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8 Sweet Chile Shrimp TacosA Spicy Perspective
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9 Garlicky Grilled ShrimpThe Clever Carrot
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10 Shrimp Scampi Zoodles For TwoSkinny Taste
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11 Grilled Chiles Rellenos With Chipotle Peach Mojo ShrimpHalf Baked Harvest
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12 Coconut-Lime Fried Shrimp With Fiery Mango-Peach Jalapeno SauceHalf Baked Harvest
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13 Roasted Basil Butter Parmesan ShrimpHow Sweet It Is
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14 Shrimp Burgers With Chipotle Cream & Coconut Peach SalsaHow Sweet It Is
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15 Shrimp CakesSimply Recipes
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16 Peppery Garlic PrawnsSimply Recipes
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17 Shrimp And Bacon RisottoHow Sweet It Is
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18 Garlic Shrimp In Coconut Milk, Tomatoes and CilantroSkinny Taste
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19 Shrimp Po Boy SandwichSimply Recipes
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20 Fresh Corn Chowder With Bacon + Barbecue ShrimpHow Sweet It Is
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21 Spicy Beer & Butter Shrimp with Cornbread Panzanella SaladHalf Baked Harvest
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22 Shrimp Gumbo With Andouille SausageSimply Recipes
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23 Sweet Chili Shrimp Stir-FryThe Clever Carrot
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24 Thai Firecracker ShrimpSteamy Kitchen
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25 Aloha Teriyaki Shrimp BurgersSkinny Taste
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26 Shrimp DipSimply Recipes
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27 Smoky Paprika Shrimp SkewersSimply Recipes
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28 Ancho Chile, Shrimp And PastaSimply Recipes
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29 Crispy Shrimp PizzaHow Sweet It Is
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30 CioppinoSimply Recipes