How Many Ounces are in 5 Shrimp? A Detailed Look at Shrimp Sizes

Shrimp are a delicious and versatile ingredient that can be used in everything from appetizers to main courses. But when a recipe calls for a certain number of shrimp, how do you know exactly how much shrimp to buy? The size of shrimp can vary greatly, so the number of shrimp per pound and per serving is key in determining how many ounces of shrimp you need.

In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at common shrimp sizes, shrimp per pound, shrimp per serving sizes, and do the math to find out exactly how many ounces are in 5 shrimp based on their size.

How Shrimp Sizes are Measured

The seafood industry measures shrimp sizes by the number of shrimp per pound. On packages of shrimp, you’ll usually see a range like “21-25” which means there are between 21 to 25 shrimp in one pound. The lower the numbers the larger the shrimp size. Some common shrimp size ranges are

• Colossal or Super Colossal: Under 15 per pound
• Extra Jumbo: 16-20 per pound
• Jumbo: 21-25 per pound
• Large: 26-30 per pound
• Medium: 31-40 per pound
• Small: 41-50 per pound
• Extra Small: 51-60 per pound

While names like “jumbo” and “colossal” are sometimes used, the number ranges give a more standardized measurement of shrimp sizes across brands.

Shrimp Serving Sizes

The FDA lists the recommended serving size for cooked shrimp and seafood as 3 ounces Knowing typical shrimp counts per serving for each size is useful when meal planning,

• Colossal: 3-4 shrimp per 3 oz serving
• Extra Jumbo: 4-5 shrimp per 3 oz serving
• Jumbo: 5-7 shrimp per 3 oz serving
• Large: 6-7 shrimp per 3 oz serving
• Medium: 9-12 shrimp per 3 oz serving
• Small: 12-15 shrimp per 3 oz serving

These serving sizes are approximations. You may want to adjust up or down depending on your menu and your diners’ appetites.

Calculating Ounces per Shrimp

Now that we know typical size ranges and serving counts, we can do some math to find out how many ounces are in a certain number of shrimp. Let’s look at 5 shrimp across the different common shrimp size ranges:

Colossal Shrimp (16-20 per pound)

• There are about 4-5 colossal shrimp per 3 oz serving
• So if 5 colossal shrimp weigh around 3 ounces
• Each individual colossal shrimp weighs about 0.6 ounces

5 colossal shrimp = About 3 ounces

Jumbo Shrimp (21-25 per pound)

• There are about 5-7 jumbo shrimp per 3 oz serving
• The mid-point is 6 shrimp per serving
• So if 6 jumbo shrimp weigh 3 ounces
• Each jumbo shrimp weighs around 0.5 ounces

5 jumbo shrimp = About 2.5 ounces

Large Shrimp (26-30 per pound)

• There are about 6-7 large shrimp per 3 oz serving
• The mid-point is 6.5 shrimp per serving
• So if 6.5 large shrimp is 3 ounces
• Each large shrimp weighs approximately 0.46 ounces

5 large shrimp = About 2.3 ounces

Medium Shrimp (36-40 per pound)

• There are about 9-10 medium shrimp per 3 oz serving
• The mid-point is 9.5 shrimp per serving
• So if 9.5 medium shrimp is 3 ounces
• Each medium shrimp is around 0.32 ounces

5 medium shrimp = About 1.6 ounces

Small Shrimp (51-60 per pound)

• There are about 12-15 small shrimp per 3 oz serving
• The mid-point is 13.5 shrimp per serving
• So if 13.5 small shrimp is 3 ounces
• Each small shrimp weighs approximately 0.22 ounces

5 small shrimp = About 1.1 ounces

Key Takeaways

• Shrimp sizes are measured by the number of shrimp per pound. Lower numbers mean larger shrimp.
• Standard serving size is 3 oz cooked shrimp. Serving counts vary by shrimp size.
• You can calculate ounces per shrimp using serving info and doing the math.
• 5 colossal shrimp weigh about 3 oz, while 5 small shrimp weigh around 1 ounce.

So now you know that when a recipe calls for 5 shrimp, the actual weight in ounces can range from 1 to 3 ounces depending on the size! This info allows you to purchase the right amount of shrimp.