This classic shrimp salad is a recipe that you need in your back pocket this summer! It’s quick to prepare, easily doubled for a crowd, and you only need a handful of ingredients to whip this up as a last-minute meal.
You’ll also love how versatile this recipe is. You can stuff it into wraps, serve it in lettuce cups, stuff it in a roll, and more. It’s such a refreshing, nutritious, and filling recipe that everyone will devour it right away. In addition, shrimp salad packs really well for lunch or for gatherings like picnics! If you want another salad recipe that can feed a crowd, then try my kale salad recipe, cucumber tomato salad recipe, or brussels sprout salad recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Shrimp — I use medium-sized shrimp so they are more bite-sized. If you only have large shrimp, then you can use them as-is or cut them in half after cooking. If you have pre-cooked shrimp, just make sure they are fully thawed before combining with the rest of the salad ingredients.
Onion — a red onion adds a nice pop of color to the salad and provides a wonderful crispy texture.
Celery — celery adds a great texture to the salad as well!
Dill — I highly recommend using fresh dill over dried dill for this shrimp salad.
Mayonnaise — be sure to use good quality mayonnaise for the best flavor.
Dijon mustard — Dijon mustard adds a tangy flavor and creaminess to the salad.
Lemon — freshly squeezed lemon juice is ideal. The flavor is more bright and fresh compared to bottled lemon juice.
How to Make Shrimp Salad
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook until opaque and cooked through.
2. Drain well, then transfer the shrimp to the ice bath. Let stand for 2 minutes. Drain well again.
3. To the bowl of cooled shrimp, add the onion and celery.
4. Add the dill.
5. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon, salt, and pepper.
6. Toss to combine. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients for your shrimp salad. Since the ingredient list is short, it will make a difference in the taste and overall quality of the recipe.
- Be careful not to overcook the shrimp! Have the ice bath ready, as overcooking shrimp can ruin the texture. You want to avoid rubbery or tough shrimp in the salad.
- Try to dice the onion and celery as uniformly as possible so you get a bite of everything with each spoonful.
- Don’t skip chilling the salad. Refrigerating the salad helps to blend the flavors and leads to a more refreshing bite.
- Shrimp salad is delicious on its own but is also great served over a bed of lettuce, with crackers, in a sandwich, or in a wrap.
- You can buy deveined and peeled shrimp to save time.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use fresh or frozen shrimp, but you must fully thaw the frozen shrimp before using it. Before cooking, you can quickly thaw frozen shrimp under some running cold water. Frozen shrimp is always a great choice if you’re unsure if the shrimp at your grocery store is fresh, as frozen shrimp are flash-frozen once caught, which helps preserve their freshness.
You can make this salad a day in advance. Make sure to store it in an airtight container and refrigerate the salad, as you do not want to leave this out for too long at room temperature.
If you want, you can grill the shrimp to add a bit of smoky flavor to your salad.
I do not recommend freezing leftover shrimp salad as it’ll change the texture and flavor of the dish.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Shrimp Salad
Video
Equipment
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined (450g)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise (50g)
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- ½ lemon juice and zest (1½ tablespoon juice, ½ teaspoon zest)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion (65g)
- ½ cup finely chopped celery (60g)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Fill a large bowl with ice water.
- Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook until opaque and cooked through about 2 minutes. Drain well, then transfer the shrimp to the ice bath. Let stand for 2 minutes. Drain well again.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, dill, lemon, salt, and pepper. Add the cooled shrimp, onion, and celery. Toss to combine. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients for your shrimp salad. Since the ingredients list is short, it will make a difference in the taste and overall quality of the recipe.
- Be careful not to overcook the shrimp! Have the ice bath ready, as overcooking shrimp can ruin the texture. You want to avoid rubbery or tough shrimp in the salad.
- Try to dice the onion and celery as uniformly as possible so you get a bite of everything with each spoonful.
- Don’t skip chilling the salad. Refrigerating the salad helps to blend the flavors and leads to a more refreshing bite.
- Shrimp salad is delicious on its own but is also great served over a bed of lettuce, with crackers, in a sandwich, or in a wrap.
- You can buy deveined and peeled shrimp to save time.
