I Tried All the Canned Shrimp at the Grocery Store, Here’s the Best Canned Shrimp

I just tried multiple cans of shrimp in search of the best canned shrimp, and let me just say that canned shrimp hasn’t quite caught up to all the other canned seafood out there. Fishwife doesn’t can shrimp. I couldn’t find any fancy Portuguese canned shrimp. All I could track down were some big brand name canned shrimp. So that’s what I tasted.

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Is canned shrimp any good? Well, you’re not going to see canned tiny shrimp on a sea-cuterie board any time soon. Still, I’m a professional. And I’m sure there’s a reason you searched for “best canned shrimp.” And it’s my job to tell you the answer to your query.

What we looked for in the best canned shrimp:

Good flavor—not fishy flavor. Canned shrimp should, ideally, taste like shrimp. At the very least, they should taste like something, as long as that something isn’t old fish.
Firm and intact shrimp. No mushy ‘lil guys, please! Even if you’re talking about canned baby shrimp, the shrimp should be whole and they should be tender, not mushy.

Best Canned Shrimp

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Best Canned Tiny Shrimp

Bumble Bee Tiny Shrimp

Walmart

If you’re looking for tiny canned shrimp to toss in a salad or mix with some Marie Rose sauce and stuff into an avocado, then Bumble Bee is the way to go. While these little crustaceans don’t taste like much, they have a slightly salty flavor that’s not unpleasant. And they do hold together, which I found impressive.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Canned Medium Shrimp

Bumble Bee Medium Shrimp

Walmart

Bumble Bee also happens to make the best canned shrimp of the medium variety. They’re still small, but they’re noticeably bigger than the canned tiny shrimp. They’re a bit mushier than their tiny counterparts, but the flavor is pretty decent—salty and a little sweet. I’d mix these up with some mayo and dill and lemon and scoop them into a toasted hot dog bun for a (very) budget take on a New England-style lobster roll.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Other canned shrimp we tried:

Geisha Tiny Shrimp, California Girl Shrimp

About the Author

Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients. Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now). Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test! Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.