My restaurant-style shrimp salad makes the perfect lunch or light supper. Whether you serve it as a sandwich or as a salad, you won’t believe how easy my shrimp salad is to make and how much better it is than most of your favorite restaurants.
Just look at those big pieces of shrimp. They are so much tastier and have a better appearance than small shrimp. Using the right ingredients makes all the difference in the world!
Ways to serve shrimp salad!
My shrimp salad was delicious, served on a buttery, flaky croissant. It also makes a great sandwich filling, for a pita pocket, multigrain roll, or as a lettuce wrap. My wife’s favorite way to eat it is between two slices of good rye bread.
You can enjoy this creamy shrimp salad in several ways. Add a scoop to your favorite salad. Or, serve it on top of a bed of lettuce or salad greens. And, of course, crackers go really well with shrimp salad.
If you love shrimp, my delicious shrimp cocktail recipe and golden brown deep-fried shrimp will rock your world!
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make shrimp salad. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
What Kind of Shrimp should I use?
Since shrimp is the star of the dish, you want to make sure you buy the best shrimp you can, and for shrimp salad, I always use jumbo shrimp.
- Shrimp is either wild-caught or farmed. My first choice is always Gulf or Pacific shrimp from American waters. Farmed shrimp will be less expensive but can be a poor choice depending upon how responsible the farms are run.
- Shrimp sized under 30 per pound will have the best flavor profile and offer the best value. Small shrimp won’t have as much flavor, they are really a waste of money. My choice for shrimp salad is 26-30 sized. I use Under 15 count and 16 -20 count for shrimp cocktail and cooking.
- Shrimp get their color from what they eat. Brown shrimp will have a higher concentration of iodine and a more mineral flavor. Pink and White shrimp are generally sweeter.
- Almost all shrimp are frozen before being transported. If you see them thawed in a supermarket, they were originally frozen.
- Avoid buying peeled and deveined shrimp. Cleaning the shrimp before freezing may cause a loss of flavor and texture.
- Frozen or thawed cooked shrimp that are frequently sold in local supermarkets are not a good choice. They won’t have much flavor and the texture of precooked shrimp gets worse the longer they stay thawed.
If you have a question about the sustainability and quality of seafood, check the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.
How do I thaw frozen shrimp?
Start by thawing the shrimp in cold running water. You can also leave them in a covered bowl in your fridge overnight to thaw.
How long should I cook the shrimp?
When the shrimp are fully thawed, place them into boiling water with one tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning.
Let the shrimp cook until the water comes back to a boil up to 5-6 minutes for 26-30 sized shrimp. Larger shrimp will take 1-2 minutes longer.
When the shrimp are done cooking, remove them from the pan and place the cooked shrimp into a large bowl or container filled partway with ice.
How to Make Shrimp Salad
Follow along with my easy instructions to see how to make my delicious shrimp salad recipe in your own kitchen.
After cooking and chilling, the next step is to peel and devein the shrimp. The next step is to rough cut the shrimp, but don’t cut the pieces too small. You’re buying good shrimp and you want your guests to see nice big chunks of shrimp.
In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients together and mix well. Chill the mixture for one hour before serving. This will the flavors time to build.
What else can I add to the shrimp salad dressing?
Adding your favorite seasonings and condiments is a great way to customize this easy-to-make shrimp salad. Try adding Dijon mustard, green onions, chopped red onions, fresh dill, lemon juice, or other fresh herbs. This is about making something you enjoy eating, it’s all up to you!
If there’s any leftover on day two, you’ll find the shrimp salad bursting with flavor. The mayonnaise may look a little runny, but the flavor will make up for the appearance.
Other delicious salads you can try are my Blackened Salmon Salad and my Nicoise Salad Summer Salad.
More Shrimp Recipes You’ll Love!
Shrimp Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay to season the water
- 1 pound raw shell on shrimp 26-30 size cooked, peeled and deveined
- 2 stalks celery small dice
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1-2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- thaw shrimp in cold running water
- Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan, then add 1 tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning
- Add thawed shrimp to boiling water and cook until the water returns to a boil, no longer than 5-6 minutes.
- Drain the water from the pan and cover the shrimp with ice. Let the shrimp cool down in the ice for 15 minutes, then remove from the ice. Place the cooled shrimp in the refrigerator to continue to chill for one hour (or overnight)
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Then rough chop the shrimp leaving them in big pieces.
- Mix the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Serve with your favorite bread or roll, on a salad, or simply by itself.
MK says
Shrimp salad is one of my favorite dishes. My wife and I decided to make our own. After finding your recipe, we made it yesterday – extraordinary – thank you Chef Dennis!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m so glad you tried my recipe and you enjoyed it! My wife loves shrimp salad, but not with the small shrimp. This recipe was developed for her.
Peggy says
I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious. Best shrimp salad EVER! Thank you Chef Dennis.
Chef Dennis Littley says
You are very welcome and thank you for leaving such a wonderful comment and review!
Marta says
We loved it! Because I also put in pasta, I added red onion with the celery. I also mixed the mayo with a bit of sour cream. The Old Bay adds a wonderful spice! I’ll be making often during the summer.
Chef Dennis Littley says
That must have been a delicious shrimp pasta salad! And whats not to love about pasta!
Marcia G. King says
Could I make this shrimp salad recipe with cooked shrimp?
Chef Dennis Littley says
If you mean store-bought precooked shrimp, absolutely.
Matt says
Great simple salad recipe. Your comment on shrimp count and not being peeled and deveined are excellent recommendations. Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’re very welcome. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and find my information helpful.
Catherine says
Your recipe is perfect!!!
My favorite way to serve this shrimp salad is on lightly toasted rye bread then topped with the shrimp salad, fresh tomato slices and topped with Swiss cheese. Put under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
It was my go to order at a famous diner in Bordentown NJ until they changed hands, so then I had to start making my own. I call it a shrimp melt instead of a tuna melt.
Chef Dennis Littley says
You made my day with your comment! The shrimp salad melt sounds delicious, and I remember that diner, I had a lot of delicious meals there. I’m sorry to hear it closed.
Renee Lay says
This is my family’s absolute favorite! Thank you for sharing
Chef Dennis Littley says
You are very welcome and thank you for letting me know you’re family enjoys my shrimp salad recipe!
AIMEE E HAYNES says
This is a wonderful recipe. One of the best shrimp salads!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed my shrimp salad recipe.
Angel K says
I made this for my son’s graduation party (of course I increased the recipe to up the serving size) and when I tell you it went so fast, I’m not lying! My husband said I needed to make it again for just us. 😅
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear the shrimp salad was a hit. I hope you get to make it again soon so you and your husband can enjoy it,
Liz says
Someone made this for me to try today and I immediately had to know where she found the recipe. I’m a Maryland native, and my grandmom always made shrimp salad for me but she never wrote down her recipe. When she passed, I could never find anything like hers and didn’t think I ever would. One bite of this and I was instantly transported back to her kitchen! I’ve got something back that I’ve been missing and I’m so thankful for that!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed my shrimp salad and that it lived up to your grandmoms recipes. That is high praise indeed, and you made my day with your wonderful comment.