Here’s a simple shrimp salad that’s ready in minutes and can be enjoyed on toasted buns or in lettuce cups. Perfect for a light dinner or delicious lunch.

For me growing up, Shrimp Salad was always the shell macaroni, mayonnaise, and tiny canned shrimp variety. Which don’t get me wrong, Shrimp Macaroni Salad is still delicious! But for this version, I wanted a chunky, deli type simple Shrimp Salad with a fresh dressing and ingredients that compliment the shrimp without overpowering it. I found a dressing base adapted from America’s Test Kitchen with a few changes of my own that gave the sauce zing that wouldn’t get lost when served as a sandwich. Also important was to add the right textures for crunch and flavor.

A simple Shrimp Salad is super quick to prepare especially if you buy pre-cooked (but fresh) shrimp. If you buy from the meat counter, ask to smell the shrimp and if it’s fresh, it won’t smell fishy at all. If you want to cook your own shrimp, I give you directions in the recipe for how best to do that too.

Rinse your cooked shrimp in a colander, picking out any left behind tails, shell, and veins. If you’re using shrimp you cooked yourself, make sure the inside isn’t translucent anymore but not so overcooked that the shrimp becomes rubbery. In the recipe notes, I offer a cooking method that makes perfect shrimp foolproof.

The dressing is super easy and fresh without being sour. The base starts with mayo and a little Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and fresh dill. Then the flavor gets deepened with Worcestershire and hot sauce. Celery (be sure to use some of the leaves for nice flavor and excellent texture), red onion and some minced radish. The radish is optional but adds the perfect bite and crunch that I highly recommend. Plus it’s nice to have some color variety in any salad.

Good Side Dishes to Serve with Shrimp Salad

Simple Shrimp Salad is excellent served on some toasted, buttered, buns or by itself on lettuce cups. If making the sandwich option, I recommend any soft ranch or Hawaiian-type buns, buttered and then toasted under the broiler just until the edges start to brown. Toasted buns ensure a nice crunch, more flavor, and the dressing doesn’t sop into the bread.

Before adding the shrimp to the dressing, I cut them in half lengthwise, then cut each piece into thirds. Depending on the size of your shrimp and preference for the size of bite you want, you can of course cut them smaller, or even dice them. And if you’re craving that classic, Shrimp Macaroni Salad like I mentioned at the first of the post, you can adapt this recipe to accommodate that. Just double the dressing, increasing the mayo a bit for a thicker base, then mix with some cooked shell macaroni for huge success.

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5 from 11 votes

Simple Shrimp Salad

Quick and easy to prepare, you can make this recipe using precooked shrimp. If you want to cook your own, see the recipe notes for an excellent foolproof method.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten-free, salad, sandwich, shrimp

Prep Time 10

Servings people

Calories 225

Author Sally Humeniuk

Ingredients

1 pound large shrimp, 31 to 35 per pound, pre-cooked, peeled, deveined, tails removed
½ tsp hot sauce, Tabasco or similar
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Greek yogurt, plain, or sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 celery rib, minced-with leaves
¼ cup red onion, diced
3 radishes, chopped, optional
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Ranch or Hawaiian-type rolls, optional
Bib lettuce, for serving

Instructions

Rinse 1 pound pre-cooked shrimp in a colander (see notes if cooking the shrimp yourself) under cold water, removing any shells, veins, or tails as necessary. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise and then cut each half into thirds. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, add ½ teaspoon hot sauce, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 Tablespoon dill, 1 Tablespoon mustard, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 2 Tablespoon yogurt, ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 minced celery, ¼ cup onion, 3 radishes, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust salt and pepper or add more of any ingredients you want to, like hot sauce or mustard.
Add the shrimp to the dressing, tossing until all the shrimp is covered.
Serve the shrimp salad either on bib lettuce cups as a salad main dish, or on toasted, buttered buns (see next step) with the lettuce also on the bun for a sandwich.
If serving as sandwiches, slice the buns and lightly butter. Place the buns under a broiler, butter side up until just starting to turn golden around the edges.

Equipment

Colander

Medium bowl for mixing dressing

Measuring spoons

Measuring cups

Notes

If you can't find pre-cooked shrimp or want to cook it yourself, do this:
Combine shrimp, 2 cups cold water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar to medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until shrimp are pink and firm to touch and centers are no longer translucent, 8 to 10 minutes (water should be just bubbling around edge of saucepan). Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with ice and water.
Remove saucepan from heat, cover and let sit for 2 minutes. Drain shrimp, discarding peppercorns, and transfer to ice bath to cool, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to triple layer of paper towels and dry well. Continue with recipe, making the dressing and adding the cooled shrimp to it, cut as indicated above.

Nutrition Facts

Simple Shrimp Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 225 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 292mg97%

Sodium 1071mg47%

Potassium 150mg4%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin C 10mg12%

Calcium 177mg18%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Good Side Dishes to Serve with Shrimp Salad

Simple Shrimp Salad

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Instructions

Equipment

Notes

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