This shrimp salad is a blend of tender shrimp, fresh vegetables, dill and seasonings, all coated in a creamy dressing. An easy make-ahead lunch option that’s high in protein and easy to make!
I love a good shrimp dish, I can never turn down shrimp Alfredo or Mexican shrimp cocktail. This creamy shrimp salad is one of my favorite ways to enjoy shrimp, and it’s so simple that even my kids can make it.
This classic shrimp salad is an easy recipe that should be part of every home cook’s repetoire. It’s quick to prepare, can easily be doubled for a crowd, and always gets rave reviews!
How to peel shrimp
This recipe calls for raw shrimp which are cooked in seasoned boiling water. I typically buy my raw shrimp with just the tail attached, but many shrimp also come still in the shell. If your shrimp have shells on them, you can easily remove them by pulling the main part of the shell off with your fingers, then removing the tail end of the shell. You may also need to devein your shrimp. If you see a dark line running across the top of the the shrimp, you can remove it by using a paring knife to cut a slit along the top of the shrimp, then use a knife or wooden skewer to remove the vein.
How do you make shrimp salad?
This recipe is a combination of shrimp, celery, red onion, dill, mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper. All the ingredients are tossed together, then you’re ready to eat! You can serve your shrimp salad immediately, or cover it and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Tips for shrimp salad
- I use 31-40 count shrimp for this recipe because they’re bite sized. If you prefer, you can use larger shrimp, and serve them whole or cut into pieces.
- I recommend making sure your red onion is finely chopped so that you don’t get large pieces in each bite. You can also use sliced green onions instead of red onion for a milder flavor.
- It’s worth it to get fresh dill for this recipe, the flavor is superior to dried dill. If you need to use dried dill, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of dried for fresh.
- You can use low fat mayonnaise if desired.
WAYS TO SERVE SHRIMP SALAD
You can eat this shrimp salad as-is, or serve it in a variety of different presentations.
- Lettuce: Spoon your salad into a romaine lettuce leaf.
- Crackers: Serve your salad with a side of buttery crackers.
- Sandwich: Add your shrimp salad to a toasted and buttered roll along with some green leaf lettuce.
- Avocado: Spoon your shrimp into an avocado half.
- Pasta: Add 8 ounces of cooked short pasta to make a pasta salad.
- Cucumber: Spoon onto cucumber slices for an easy party snack.
- Puff Pastry: Fill up cooked puff pastry shells with the salad.
- Tomato: Hollow out a tomato and fill it with shrimp salad.
Once you try this shrimp salad you’ll find yourself making it all the time! It’s one of my go-to options for a simple yet satisfying meal.
More great salad recipes
Shrimp Salad Video
Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 lemon quartered
- 1/2 cup celery finely diced
- 3 tablespoons red onion minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the quartered lemon.
- Add the shrimp to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes or until pink and opaque. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
- Drain the shrimp then pat dry.
- Place the shrimp, celery, red onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, mayonnaise, mustard and dill in a bowl. Toss gently to coat.
- Garnish with additional fresh dill and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Mary Cazier says
Made it just like the recipe ….put it on top of avocado halves…the family loved it…Thanks
Trish says
Can you use pre cooked frozen shrimp ? How much of a difference in taste would it be?
Sara says
You can, they just tend to be a bit tougher in texture than freshly cooked shrimp!
Abigail Davis says
Made all ingredients tonight for a lunch tomorrow. Will toss just before serving. Added a tsp of Vietnamese chili garlic sauce to the mayo mix. If you like a little spice, this (or sriracha) adds a gentle kick. Plan to add chopped avocado & cilantro just before serving with a mix of chopped romaine, baby arugula and good old iceberg for the crunch. This is a super recipe–endlessly adaptable and easy to prep ahead. Thanks!
Kathy says
I’m making your recipe. I love shrimp and this is going to be made into an appetizer that I will serve on taco scoops for a bachelorette party I am attending at an Airbnb apartment in Galena IL. It will be so much fun with this great shrimp recipe!
Valerie Harwood says
Hello Sara,
Wanted to leave a comment about your Pin site. I absolutely love the way you have it set up where you can go straight to recipe or to print a recipe. That is a great option.
The best part is getting to the Shrimp Salad recipe which is really good. So good that my daughters and I are making it for a big family celebration. 40 people. Yikes! No we will be fine.
Valerie Harwood
Mardy Halk says
Help! I picked up 2 cans of tiny shrimp by accident. I thought I’d grabbed crab. What can I do with these? Would they be good in this salad?
Sara says
That should work fine, just drain well and toss very gently so you don’t break up the shrimp!
Jacquelyn says
I have been incorporating grilled shrimp into my meals as a substitute for the usual chicken, but I’ve ran out of different ways to try it! This sounds awesome; I am looking forward to making this for lunch tomorrow!
Krista says
This looks like a great lunch option! Sounds so refreshing!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
Looks delicious and so easy to make! This looks perfect!
Victoria says
Made 5 times already, I surround with lettuce leaves and baguette slices.. no leftovers and people use my bread bits to clean the bowl. Hubbie hates mustard and mayo…. didn’t tell him… put a shake of curry powder as well. Yumbles!
Jordan Hansen says
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious! I would definitely want to try serving this shrimp salad in an avocado 🙂
Beth Pierce says
This looks like such a refreshing salad! Will make a great side for a spring picnic!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
Such an amazing salad!! I can’t wait to make this!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
This is seriously getting me so excited for the summer. I would love some of this.
Steph says
Such a great summer salad! Can’t wait to make this for a BBQ this weekend!
Jennifer says
One of my favorite salad recipes to bring to a party!!! YUM!