Shrimp Salad

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Simple and so tasty, Shrimp Salad makes an ordinary day feel extra special. This classic recipe uses tender shrimp, fresh dill, lots of lemon juice, and crunchy vegetables in a light mayonnaise dressing. Try it today for lunch, and you’ll probably make it again by the weekend.

Shrimp salad on a blue plate.


 

I love any deli salad, especially the “bound salads.” “Bound” in this case means suspended in mayonnaise as happens with Tuna Salad, Chicken Salad, and Ham Salad.

Shrimp Salad might be the fanciest of all the bound deli salads. In this version, poach raw shrimp in a liquid broth of lemon, dill, parsley, sugar, salt, and whole peppercorns. Once cooked, plunge into ice water to stop the cooking.

Toss the shrimp in a simple yet flavorful dressing of mayonnaise (of course), shallots, lemon, dill, and parsley (similar flavor to the poaching liquid). It’s a high-protein, low-carbohydrate, flavor-packed dish. If you peel the shrimp before you poach them, you can save the shells to make a delicious Homemade Shrimp Stock, too. Or, sock the shells away in your freezer until you have more.

Enjoy Shrimp Salad in lettuce wraps, on toast, or with avocado for a simple Shrimp Avocado Salad. It’s easy, flavorful, delicious cooking perfect for special lunches, first courses at dinner parties, or picnics.

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for shrimp salad.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Shrimp: Unless you live right on the coast, the best choice is individually quick frozen shrimp (IQF) which is frozen almost immediately after being caught (usually on the boat). I used Jumbo shrimp 16/20 in the photos (this means 16 to 20 shrimp per pound), but honestly, tiny shrimp work great in shrimp salad. You can peel them after poaching if you want to make shrimp stock with the cooking liquid and the shells.
  • Mayonnaise: Choose a good quality brand such as Best Foods or Hellman’s. If you love Miracle Whip, use that.
  • Shallot: Or substitute finely minced white or red onion.

Step-by-step instructions

To make the shrimp:

  1. In a large pot or saucepan, combine shrimp, cold water, lemon juice, lemon halves, dill sprigs, parsley sprigs, sugar, whole peppercorns and salt. Cook over medium heat (a low boil), stirring often, until pink and firm to the touch, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Shrimp being cooked in a black skillet.
  1. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let shrimp sit in broth for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain shrimp and discard lemon halves, herbs, and spices. Immediately plunge shrimp into ice water until chilled, about 3 minutes. Remove from the bowl of iced water with a slotted spoon and pat dry with paper towels. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise and then into thirds.
Cooked shrimp in a clear bowl of ice water.

To make the salad:

  1. To make the shrimp salad dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, celery, shallot, lemon juice, dill, and parsley.
Shrimp salad dressing in a clear bowl.
  1. Add cooked shrimp and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper).
Shrimp salad on a blue plate.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes at least 2 cups of Shrimp Salad, enough for 2 servings, 1 cup each.
  • Storage: Technically Shrimp Salad is safe if store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. However, the salad will begin to get watery and lose quality after 1-2 days.
  • Make ahead: This Shrimp Salad recipe is best enjoyed the same day it is made.
  • Freezer: Unfortunately, shrimp salad cannot be frozen.
  • How to thaw shrimp in the refrigerator: Let the shrimp thaw overnight in the fridge, placing the bag on a tray or in a bowl in case the bag has a tiny hole.
  • How to thaw shrimp in the sink: For quicker thawing, open the bag and put them in a bowl of cold (not warm) water. Then turn on the faucet and let a thin trickle of cold water run into the bowl, letting the excess water overflow out of the bowl and down the sink drain. Depending on the amount you are thawing, the shrimp should thaw in a few minutes.
  • Serving suggestions: Enjoy this easy Shrimp Salad recipe on a bed of lettuce with a spoon and fork, on toast, crostini, and crackers, in butter lettuce cups with slices of avocado, or on a sandwich with a dusting of Old Bay seasoning.
  • Spicy: Make a spicy version of Shrimp Salad by adding minced serrano chiles and lime juice instead of lemon juice, a spoonful of Dijon mustard, or stir in minced Chipotle chiles and some adobo sauce to taste.
  • Extra lemon: If you have the flavor of fresh lemon, add lemon zest to your shrimp salad dressing. Just zest the lemon before you cut it in half for squeezing. No zester? See my post on the Best Zesters for lots of options to get that zest.
  • Wild vs. farmed shrimp: That depends on your and your grocery budget. Wild-caught shrimp have a stronger flavor, but can cost a lot more. Farm-raised shrimp from a sustainable, responsible grower is a good option if you can find it. If you’re in doubt, read the packaging carefully: shrimp farmers are proud of their sustainability efforts and will advertise it on the label. Learn all the latest news at SeafoodWatch.org.
  • Shrimp sizes: On the boat and at the factory, shrimp are sorted by size and given a number. This number lets you know how many shrimp come in a pound. For example, the numbers 16/20 tells you that there are anywhere from 16 to 20 shrimp per pound. Other times, you may see the letter U before a number, like U10. That means that there are approximately 10 shrimp (or under) per pound.
  • The higher the number, the smaller the shrimp. The lower the number, the larger (and pricier) the shrimp. Don’t be afraid to go small. Tiny shrimp are delicious choices for shrimp salad, stir-fry, or a big batch of fried rice. Save the biggest shrimp for making big impressions (think super fancy shrimp cocktail or shrimp skewers).
    • Extra colossal shrimp: U10 shrimp = under 10 shrimp per pound
    • Colossal shrimp: U15 shrimp = under 15 shrimp per pound
    • Extra jumbo shrimp: 16/20 shrimp = 16 to 20 shrimp per pound
    • Extra large shrimp: 26/30 shrimp = 26 to 30 shrimp per pound
A tuna salad sandwich on a plate with a pickle spear and potato chips.
I never get tired of an excellent Tuna Salad Recipe, and of the hundreds of versions I’ve made, this version is the best. Serve on toast, crackers, a bed of greens, or grilled as a very delicious tuna melt.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you clean shrimp?

Use sharp scissors and cut along the middle back of each shrimp, leaving the tail intact. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a slit along the dark vein on the back of the shrimp (the intestinal tract) and discard it. Rinse out the back of each shrimp and pat dry with paper towels.Cleaning raw shrimp.

Do you really need to clean shrimp?

Technically, no. The little black line on the bottom of the shrimp, also called a “vein,” is just a digestive tract. Depending on what the shrimp ate before it was caught, it could be darker than the rest of the meat and might contain sand or algae. It could have some sand in it, or algae. While some people consider it unsightly or are turned off by “shrimp poop”, it really isn’t harmful to eat. It just looks better without it.

What types of shrimp are there?

There are dozens of varieties of shrimp: rock shrimp, tiger prawns, spot prawns, and more. For our purposes, though, there are three basic types of shrimp: brown, white, or pink shrimp.

1. Brown shrimp are from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast. This is a smaller, warm water shrimp with a delicate flavor. You can identify them by their slightly purple-hued tails.
2. White shrimp can be from Mexico, Ecuador, Thailand, China, and other places in Latin America. They’re tender and sweet, with a lighter color and a greenish tail. Commonly exported, this shrimp isn’t always farmed sustainably.
3. Pink shrimp are popular because of their taste, which is mild and very sweet. They’re abundant in southwestern Florida and the southeastern Gulf of Campeche. They are light in color, but have a dark blue coloring on their tail.

Unfortunately, when you buy a bag of individually quick frozen shrimp, you don’t always know exactly what variety you’re getting. Read the package labels carefully and visit Seafood Watch for the latest details.

More shrimp recipes

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Shrimp salad on a blue plate.

Shrimp Salad

Simple and so tasty, Shrimp Salad makes an ordinary day feel extra special. This classic recipe uses tender shrimp, fresh dill, lots of lemon juice, and crunchy vegetables in a light mayonnaise dressing.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 2 servings (1 cup each)
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Calories 468
5 from 6 votes

Ingredients 

For the shrimp:

For the salad:

Instructions 

To make the shrimp:

  • In a medium saucepan, combine shrimp, cold water, lemon juice, lemon halves, dill sprigs, parsley sprigs, sugar, whole peppercorns and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until pink and firm to the touch, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Remove pan from heat, cover, and let shrimp sit in broth for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with ice water. Drain shrimp and discard lemon halves, herbs, and spices.
  • Immediately plunge shrimp into ice water until chilled, about 3 minutes. Remove from ice water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut shrimp in half lengthwise and then into thirds.

To make the salad:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, celery, shallot, lemon juice, dill, and parsley. Add shrimp and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper).

Notes

  1. Shrimp: Unless you live right on the coast, the best choice is individually quick frozen shrimp (IQF) which is frozen almost immediately after being caught (usually on the boat). I used Jumbo shrimp 16/20 in the photos (this means 16 to 20 shrimp per pound), but honestly, tiny shrimp work great in shrimp salad. You can peel them after poaching if you want to make shrimp stock with the cooking liquid and the shells.
  2. Mayonnaise: Choose a good quality brand such as Best Foods or Hellman’s. If you love Miracle Whip, use that.
  3. Shallot: Or substitute finely minced white or red onion.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes at least 2 cups of Shrimp Salad, enough for 2 servings, 1 cup each.
  5. Storage: Technically Shrimp Salad is safe if store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. However, the salad will begin to get watery and lose quality after 1-2 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 468kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 47gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 583mgSodium: 3135mgPotassium: 336mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 339IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 354mgIron: 5mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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