This creamy shrimp salad is the perfect lunch and makes a wonderful summertime dinner. Ready in 25 minutes, it's also very easy to make.
Main-dish salads are a lifesaver in the summer. They are quick, not too heavy, and fresh-tasting. Just as importantly, they save you from heating the oven. Much like crab salad, octopus salad, and lobster salad, this delicious shrimp salad is flavorful and easy to make. I dress it in a creamy dressing of mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and garlic.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Shrimp: It's best to use medium shrimp (50 per pound) since they are bite-sized and easier to eat in a salad.
- Mayonnaise: I prefer avocado oil mayonnaise.
- Mustard: Dijon mustard is creamier and less vinegary than yellow mustard. I love the flavor it adds to this salad.
- White wine vinegar: Or use fresh lemon juice if you prefer.
- Vegetables and aromatics: Minced red onion, minced garlic, minced celery, and chopped cilantro.
Variations
- If you like spicy food, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the dressing. You can also add seeded, thinly sliced jalapeno peppers.
- Two tablespoons of bacon bits add flavor and richness.
- I often add a couple of chopped, hard-boiled eggs, as shown in the photo below.
- Scallions are a good substitute for red onions.
- Avocado is a nice addition to this salad. You can peel and cube one small avocado and add it last, mixing it in gently. The image below is a recent lunch I made. I snapped a quick photo, so it's not as styled as most of my blog photos, but I wanted to show you how yummy this salad is when you add eggs and avocado:
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Boil the shrimp briefly until pink and opaque. Transfer them to a bowl filled with cold water. This will stop the cooking process and help chill them.
In a salad bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Add the cooked shrimp, red onion, celery, and cilantro.
Mix gently, then serve.
Easy and delicious. I made it twice so far - one time with vinegar and the other with lemon juice. We think lemon juice is better.
Julia
Read more comments
Easy and delicious. I made it twice so far - one time with vinegar and the other with lemon juice. We think lemon juice is better.Recipe Tips
- I recommend using medium shrimp (50 pieces per pound) in this recipe. Since they are bite-sized, they are easy to eat in a salad. Large shrimp (40 pieces per pound) work, too. If using extra-large shrimp (20 per pound), you'll need to cook them for a bit longer - 3 minutes. Once cooked, you can chop them into bite-sized pieces, but leaving them whole is OK.
- You obviously want the shrimp peeled and deveined, but unlike warm shrimp recipes such as baked shrimp or grilled shrimp, you also want the tails off in this recipe. So, if your shrimp are tail-on, it's best to remove the tails. You can do this before or after boiling them.
- Although it's fine to serve this salad immediately, it improves after 30-60 minutes in the fridge and another gentle stir. As it rests, the flavors meld and the onions macerate, becoming softer and milder.
Recipe FAQ0s
Yes, but choose a high-quality brand, thaw them for 24 hours in the fridge, and drain them well on paper towels to prevent them from being mushy.
In fact, one of my best-kept secrets is that occasionally, I make life super easy by using the 365 brand frozen shrimp and dressing the shrimp and vegetables in this 365 brand ranch dressing instead of mixing my own dressing. It's incredibly easy and surprisingly good! And yes, the dressing ingredients are not ideal. I'm aware. 🙂
Yes. You can replace the mayonnaise with ½ cup of sour cream or ⅓ cup of olive oil. If using olive oil, place the dressing ingredients in a jar, seal it well, and shake vigorously until the dressing emulsifies.
If you enjoy Asian flavors, you can make the version shown in the image below. Mix 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of dry white wine, and a tablespoon of sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the cooked shrimp with ¼ cup of green onions and ¼ cup of cilantro. Mix, chill, and serve. It's delicious and pairs well with Asian cucumber salad.
Please don't. Distilled white vinegar is too acidic.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, as shown in the photo below, for up to three days. I don't recommend freezing them. 
Serving Suggestions
I like this salad as is, on a plate, eaten with a fork. But if you want to serve it with something, here are a few ideas:
- Serve it on a bed of shredded lettuce or sautéed spinach.
- Stuff it inside a lettuce sandwich wrap or spoon it on top of large lettuce leaves and use them as wraps, as shown in the photo below.
- Serve it on thick slices of almond flour bread.
- It's excellent on halved cheese muffins.
- Instead of stuffing a tomato with crab salad, stuff it with this salad.
- Serve it on top of avocado halves, as shown in the image below. To make room for the shrimp salad, scoop out some avocado flesh before filling the halves. This is a great appetizer!
Recipe Card
Creamy Shrimp Salad
Video
Ingredients
Shrimp:
- 1 pound raw shrimp - medium or large, peeled and deveined, tails off; 40-50 per pound
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon white wine vinegar - or fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon fresh garlic - minced
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or a pinch of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Additional salad ingredients:
- ¼ cup red onion - minced
- ¼ cup celery - minced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro - chopped
Instructions
Cook the shrimp:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and the shrimp. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook the shrimp, uncovered, until pink and cooked through, for about 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked shrimp into a bowl filled with cold water to stop the cooking process. You don't want them overcooked.
Make the dressing:
- In a salad bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, vinegar, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Mix the salad:
- Add the cooked shrimp, red onion, celery, and cilantro. Gently mix to combine.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a couple of hours. Remix the salad before serving.
Notes
- It's OK to use frozen pre-cooked shrimp, but choose a high-quality brand, thaw them for 24 hours in the fridge, and drain them well on paper towels to prevent them from being mushy. I like the 365 brand pre-cooked shrimp.
- If using extra-large shrimp (20 per pound), you'll need to cook them for a bit longer - 3 minutes. Once cooked, you can chop them into bite-sized pieces, but leaving them whole is OK, too.
- Although it's fine to serve this salad immediately, it improves after 30-60 minutes in the fridge and another gentle stir. As it rests, the flavors meld and the onions macerate, becoming softer and milder.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. I don't recommend freezing them.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Jen says
Serve it on avocado toast…it will be your new summer favorite!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thank you for the comment, Jen! Glad you liked this salad. Serving it on avocado toast sounds amazing.
Tim says
I used small shrimp as that's what I had and it turned out great. Used it to make a shrimp salad sandwich. Yum.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Tim! Thank you for leaving a comment.
Julia says
Easy and delicious. I made it twice so far - one time with vinegar and the other with lemon juice. We think lemon juice is better.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Julia! Thank you for leaving a comment.