4.94 from 150 votes

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!

Table of Contents:

Ways to serve shrimp salad!

shrimp salad with baby spinach on croissant on a white plate

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 golden brown deep-fried shrimp will rock your world!

Ingredients to make shrimp salad

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

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.

shrimp salad ingredients in a stainless steel bowl before mixing

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!

overhead shot of shrimp salad in a white scalloped edge bowl

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.

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4.94 from 150 votes