How Many Shrimp Should You Buy For A Dinner Party?

There's something very satisfying about throwing a dinner party. You get to share a delicious meal with some (hopefully) great people, and watch your ideas come to life at the table. But as lovely as that sounds, there are usually a few hurdles along the way, like figuring out exactly how much food to make for each person. This is especially tricky when it comes to something like shrimp, as shellfish typically has a short shelf life, so you don't want to end up with a lot of leftovers. At the same time, it would be a little embarrassing to have people trying to divy up the last shrimp.

We asked food blogger Allie Hagerty of Seasoned & Salted and One Bowl Bakery for her expert opinion on the matter and she said that when serving shrimp as an appetizer, the magic figure is about ⅓ pound (three to five large shrimp), per person. However, if the main course is shrimp-focused, you'll need a little more. Hagerty says, "Pasta, rice, or stir-fry main: about ½ pound per person."

As for something like grilled fish tacos, aim for ½ pound per person if you don't have a lot of side dishes, but if you're making something like Mexican street corn or fiery pinto beans to serve with them, ⅓ pound should do.

When you buy a bag of shrimp, it usually has a figure on it like "16/20" or "26/30," which indicates how many of those sized shrimp make up a pound. For example, 16/20 means you'll get 16 to 20 shrimp per pound from that particular bag. The higher the figure, the smaller the shrimp.

The size you get is really up to preference, but some people like to use smaller shrimp, like 51/60s, for pasta and mini shrimp (61/70) for shrimp salad. Jumbo shrimp (10/12) are often utilized for classic shrimp cocktail. Hagerty likes to use large shrimp, which fall somewhere in the middle. "I really prefer to use 16/20s for everything I do like making cocktail shrimp, grilling, or appetizers," Hagerty says. "Personally I use that size for pasta too, but I have seen people use 21/25s for pasta!"

If you are making a delicious shrimp pasta for a dinner party, it does take a little extra prep. "Never serve shell-on shrimp with a saucy pasta, dressed salad, etc.," Hagerty warns. "The tails should be removed first, otherwise your guests will get their hands dirty when trying to take them off!" This might be worth considering when you buy your shrimp, as the shell makes up some of the weight. A 16/20 shrimp can end up looking more like a 21/25 after it's peeled, so maybe size up at the store or weigh your shrimp after shelling.