Steamed Conch

Tender, buttery, and full of flavor, this steamed conch is cooked with shrimp, fresh vegetables, butter, and a little Scotch bonnet for heat.

Growing up in Tobago, fresh conch was something I was familiar with, whether cooked in soup or prepared in different ways across the Caribbean. This Jamaican-style steamed conch is one of my favorite ways to cook it, with plenty of vegetables and water crackers added at the end to soak up that flavorful broth.

If you’re new to cooking conch, I also have a full guide on how to clean, tenderize, and prepare conch meat before you get started.

What is steamed conch?

Despite the name, Jamaican steamed conch isn’t cooked in a steamer. The conch is tenderized, seasoned, and cooked in a flavorful broth with vegetables, butter, herbs, and pepper.

For this recipe, I add shrimp along with carrots, okra, tomatoes, bell peppers, and a little Scotch bonnet. Water crackers go in at the end, where they soften and soak up some of that buttery broth.

Steaming isn’t the only way I cook conch either. You can also try my conch salad, conch soup or curry conch if you’re looking for more ways to use it.

Why you will love this dish

• Tender conch with plenty of flavor. The conch is seasoned well, then cooked with herbs, vegetables, butter, and a little Scotch bonnet.
• You get shrimp too. The shrimp cooks right in that flavorful broth alongside the conch.
• Plenty of vegetables. Okra, carrots, tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers make this a full pot, not just seafood swimming around by itself.
• Those water crackers. Added at the end, they soften and soak up some of the broth. Don’t skip them!

How to make steamed conch

Ingredients

Seafood

• Conch – Cleaned and tenderized before cooking. I boil mine until tender for this recipe.
• Shrimp – I use large shrimp along with the conch.
• Green seasoning – Used to season both the conch and shrimp.

Vegetables and aromatics

• Onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and okra
• Fresh thyme and pimento seeds
• Scotch bonnet pepper – I use a few slices because this dish needs a little kick.

For seasoning and cooking

• All-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper
• Vegetable oil, tomato paste, butter, and water
• Pepper sauce – Optional for more heat.

To finish

• Water crackers – Added at the end so they soften and soak up some of that flavorful broth.

How to tenderize conch

For this recipe, I boil the cleaned conch for about an hour, or until it can easily be pierced with a fork. Once it’s cool enough to handle, cut it into bite-sized pieces before seasoning.

There are other ways to tenderize conch, including the split method I sometimes use. You can find the different methods, along with how to clean and prepare fresh conch, in my How to Prepare Conch guide.

Instructions

1. Tenderize and season the conch.
   Boil the cleaned conch until fork-tender, about 1 hour. Let it cool, cut it into bite-sized pieces, then season with green seasoning, all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
   
   Season the shrimp separately with the remaining green seasoning.
   
2. Prepare the vegetables. Combine the thyme, onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, okra, and a few slices of Scotch bonnet. Have everything ready before you start cooking because the rest comes together pretty quickly.

3. Sauté the conch.
   Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned conch and sauté for about 5 minutes, then cover and let it steam for another 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Add the vegetables and broth.
   Stir in the prepared vegetables, then add the water, tomato paste, pimento seeds, shrimp, and butter.
   
   Cover and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through and the carrots and okra are tender. Add a little more water if needed as it cooks.

5. Finish with the water crackers.
   Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, adding pepper sauce if you want more heat. Remove the pot from the stove and layer the water crackers over the top.
   
   Gently stir the crackers into the broth so they soften and soak up some of that liquid. Serve the steamed conch hot.

What to serve with steamed conch

I usually serve steamed conch with plain rice, which is perfect with all that buttery broth. You can also serve it with:

• Bammy – A great option for soaking up the broth.
• Fried plantains – The sweetness works well with the pepper and savory flavors.
• Ground provisions – Try it with boiled green bananas, yam, dasheen, or whatever you have on hand.

And don’t forget those softened water crackers already in the pot. They’re part of the goodness too.

Storage and reheating

Store leftover steamed conch in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat, warm it gently on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of water if the broth has thickened, and stir occasionally until heated through.

You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave in short intervals. Avoid overheating, since conch can become tougher the longer it cooks.

Related seafood recipes

If you’re looking for more seafood recipes to try, here are a few favorites:

• Fish in Coconut Milk – Fried fish simmered in a creamy coconut curry sauce.
• Saltfish Accra – Crispy saltfish fritters that make a great snack or appetizer.
• Baked Jerk Crab Legs – Buttery crab legs baked with jerk seasoning.
• Caribbean Mussels in Coconut Milk – Mussels cooked in a creamy, flavorful coconut milk sauce.
• Seafood Creole with Shrimp and Crab – Shrimp and crab in a seasoned tomato sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions