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.
JJ says
Excellent recipe except for one problem…I should have doubled it! The instructions could not have been easier. The combination if flavors was perfect. Creamy and delicious. Thanks Chef!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Enjoying the shrimp salad so much that you wish had more is a good problem! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Tina M says
Delicious! My go to for shrimp salad! Five stars and it’s easy!
Sheila says
I’ve made this, added minni bow tie pasta, 😋
Chef Dennis Littley says
The bow tie pasta sounds like a tasty addition!
Betty L. says
Chef, Can already cooked/deviened frozen Shrimp be used instead of fresh? My husband was from Souther Louisiana and I always enjoyed their Shrimp Po’Boys. Just didn’t know if I could substitute them.
Thank you
Chef Dennis Littley says
You can, but I wouldn’t use them for shrimp salad. When you start defrosting them, they start to get lose their moisture which makes the shrimp soft and without much flavor. The liquid will also make the salad watery.
Dorothy says
Stuff my shrimp salad in avocado halves
Penny says
Yum yum yum.
This is an excellent recipe. I used the recommended amount of old bay and found it a little salty so I added a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to balance the saltiness. Excellent. Can’t wait to look around for more recipes on your site.
Note:
If using fresh shrimp, dehead them and use a pair of small, sharp scissors and cut their back and remove the digestive track before boiling. It removes easier raw than when it’s cooked and they are also easier to peel.
Again. An excellent recipe.
Loraine says
I love shrimp salad this was easy and fast great on toasted cheese bread or an artesian roll
JIL2 says
Is there any other spice mix that can be used instead of Old Bay? It tastes like soap, as does cilantro, to me…Thanks
Chef Dennis Littley says
Great question and yes you can leave out the old bay. Honestly salt and black pepper are enough, but you can add a little onion powder and fresh dill is also a good choice.
Bobbie Holt says
SO good and SO easy! Loved it (but left out the sugar).
Debbie Florio says
I made this as written except I used my homemade Old Bay spice mix. I suspected mine might be a little saltier than the store bough so I went with the lower measurement in the salad prep. I have to say this is the best shrimp salad I’ve had, bar none, even better than restaurants. Now I have to keep myself from picking on it until my husband gets home for lunch. Can’t wait! Going to serve it on some homemade sourdough toast.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my shrimp salad recipe! I just made some for my wife today. Her biggest complaint is getting tiny shrimp!
Julie Beenblossom says
I made the shrimp salad with left over shrimp from appetizer tray. It was delicious and I served it on a croissant for my daughter. Sliced 1/2 avocado on each plate and a lemon slice. It was quite eloquent and fun.
Cindy says
I like this on a bed of lettuce and stuff a tomato with the shrimp salad.
elizabeth larocca says
Would you make a suggestion for the mayo? Any brand that you really like?
Chef Dennis Littley says
I only use Hellmans, but any may you enjoy will be fine
Libby says
I’m in the south and we only use Dukes! This is delicious.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Dukes is always a great choice of mayonnaise. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my shrimp salad recipe.
Jeffrey Antenucci says
SO SO GOOD. Easy and fast. Second time I made it. Doesn’t hurt
I work at Whole foods Market and get to pick my own big shrimp.
Rosie Jez says
Chef Dennis, you make this shrimp salad just as delicious as I make mine. It’s the best ever – because I use YOUR recipe. TY!
Sandye says
Do you haft to add sugar?
Chef Dennis Littley says
no you don’t