Shrimp salad may seem totally retro, but there’s a reason why it’s a consistent lunchtime favorite. To give the classic an upgrade, we’ve added red onion, celery, fresh dill, and a lighter mayo dressing (no gloopiness here) with Dijon and lemon zest for zing. If you’re looking for a summer lunch or potluck addition, then trust us—shrimp salad checks all the boxes.
What People Are Saying:
“Wow! This recipe is AMAZING. The best shrimp salad I’ve ever tasted (including deli-made) and so easy to pull together.” – RedProcessor
“Great, fast, easy recipe. The shrimp turned out perfectly and it was a breeze to put together! Thanks” – Paula
How To Make Shrimp Salad
INGREDIENTS
- Shrimp: Since shrimp is the focus of this recipe, you really want to focus on the quality. Trust us—it’s worth spending a little extra for quality shrimp in this salad. While we always prefer to buy fresh, if you don’t live in an area that has access to fresh seafood, frozen is usually your best bet. We suggest looking for peeled and deveined shrimp to make your life that much easier!
- Red Onion & Celery: Finely chopped onions and celery add a little crunch and extra flavor to this shrimp salad. We found ¼ of an onion and 1 stalk of celery were the perfect balance, but take the creative liberty to adjust the amount or size of the veggies to match your preference.
- Dill: Is any seafood salad complete without a little dill? Save your dried herbs for another day because using fresh dill is key to cutting through the creaminess of the mayo and livening up this salad.
- Mayonnaise: Our mayo-based dressing masters the balance between being creamy without being gloopy. Use your favorite good-quality mayo.
- Lemon & Dijon Mustard: We brighten things up by including the juice and zest of a lemon, and add a bit of complexity with some dijon mustard. The result is a light, refreshing dressing that ties our whole salad together without overpowering it.
- Bread or Lettuce: We love serving this shrimp salad over some romaine or butter lettuce for a refreshing summer salad, inside lettuce wraps for a quick lunch, or between slices of toasted bread for a dinner-worthy main.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Toss shrimp with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before placing on a large baking sheet and baking in a 400°F oven until shrimp are completely opaque, about 5 to 7 minutes. Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice and zest, and dijon until well combined. Then, season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the cooked shrimp, red onion, celery, and dill until evenly coated.
Serve in a lettuce wrap (like we did in the video above) for a light, warm-weather lunch or enjoy between slices of toasted bread or in a roll for a show-stopping shrimp salad sandwich.
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
Recipe Tips
- What should I serve with shrimp salad? For sides, we suggest pairing this salad with other refreshing, fruit and veggie-based sides like our grilled avocados, our best homemade coleslaw, or our cucumber, tomato, & onion salad.
- Can I use leftover shrimp? This recipe was built with fresh, baked shrimp in mind, but it’s a great way to give leftovers–like shrimp cocktail–a new life.
- Why does this recipe bake the shrimp? While there are many different routes you can take to cook shrimp, we chose to bake them. This shrimp salad is full of light, fresh ingredients, so baking the shrimp will impart a lightly roasted flavor to balance it all out.
Storage
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, shrimp salad will last for 2-3 days.
