Shrimp Salad Recipe
Published July 11, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This tasty Shrimp Salad Recipe is coated in mayonnaise and mixed with fresh vegetables and herbs for an easy-to-prepare dish. You will love how flavorful and simple it is.
I’m a huge fan of cooking and serving shrimp because they are simple to prepare and cook in minutes. If you are similar and enjoy it, try out my Shrimp Scampi or Bang Bang Shrimp.
Shrimp Salad
Shrimp salad is a classic bound salad of cooked shrimp, mayonnaise, herbs, and vegetables. It’s a traditional, easy-to-make side or main dish popular at delis and served during summer. This dish was considered a delicacy amongst women in the early twentieth century.
This malleable recipe can be enhanced or changed to your liking. The added bell peppers and fennel vegetables are optional but assist in making the salad much more delicious. Feel free to get creative when making this with your desired flavor profiles.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Shrimp – It is best to use medium to smaller-sized shrimp, such as a 26/30 or 31/40. The shrimp can be fresh or frozen and thawed.
- Onion — You can use a shallot or a white, red, or sweet onion. I also add a whole minced garlic clove.
- Vegetables – I used a combination of celery, red bell pepper, and fennel. Classically, celery will suffice. Feel free to use an orange or yellow bell pepper.
- Herbs – Fresh or dry dill will work in this shrimp salad.
- Mayonnaise – Any full-fat mayonnaise is best to use.
- Spices – I used pickling spice when poaching the shrimp to help add incredible flavors.
- Lemon – Freshly squeezed lemons are used in the shrimp poaching liquid and in the salad to brighten it up.
- Seasonings – I only used coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper. You could also use a seasoning salt such as Old Bay.
How to Make Shrimp Salad
Remove the shells and devein the shrimp.
Add 2 quarts of water to a medium-sized pot and bring it to a boil along with the juice of 2 lemons, along with those squeezed lemons and pickling spice.
Generously season the liquid with coarse salt until it is as salty as the ocean. This will be about 2 to 3 tablespoons.
Place the shrimp in the boiling seasoned water and cook for 90 seconds. Do not overcook the shrimp.
Remove the shrimp and add them to a container of ice water to help stop the cooking process. This is known as shocking. The shrimp should be in a loose C shape, not a tight C shape.
Strain the shrimp and chill them until you need them.
In the meantime, prepare the onions, celery, garlic, dill, bell pepper, and fennel.
In a large bowl mix together the shrimp, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onions, celery, garlic, bell pepper, fennel, salt, and pepper.
Serve as is or on toasted bread with lettuce, optional sliced tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onions.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this salad up to 1 day ahead for freshness. You may need to drain slightly, add in more mayonnaise, and re-season before serving.
How to Store: Cover and keep the shrimp salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will not freeze well.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Bound salad is assembled with a binding agent like mayonnaise, dressing, or thickened sauce.
- You can make this salad customizable with different ingredients, so feel free to add, remove, or swap anything in this recipe.
- For a low-carb meal, try serving this shrimp salad in a pitted, peeled fresh avocado instead of bread.
- If you only have large shrimp, like 16/20 or 13/15, cut them into smaller 1” pieces after cooking to make them easier to eat.
- The shrimp poaching liquid should be extremely flavorful. You’re not drinking it, but you’re using it to season and flavor the shrimp.
- Do not let the shrimp sit too long in the ice water, or they’ll become waterlogged.
More Shrimp Recipes
Video
Shrimp Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the Shrimp:
- 2 pounds peeled and deveined fresh 26/30 shrimp
- Juice of 2 lemons, about 4 to 6 tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons pickling spice
- coarse salt to taste
For the Salad:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ peeled and small diced large red onion, about 1/3 cup
- 2 small diced ribs of celery
- 1 small diced garlic clove
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh dill
- ½ seeded and small diced red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh fennel
- juice of ½ lemon, about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons
- Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Remove the shells and devein the shrimp.
- Add 2 quarts of water to a medium-sized pot and bring it to a boil along with the juice of 2 lemons, the squeezed lemons, and pickling spice.
- Generously season the liquid with coarse salt until it is as salty as the ocean. This will be about 2 to 3 tablespoons.
- Place the shrimp in the boiling seasoned water and cook for 90 seconds. Do not overcook the shrimp.
- Remove the shrimp and add them to a container of ice water to help stop the cooking process. This is known as shocking. The shrimp should be in a loose C shape, not a tight C shape.
- Strain the shrimp and chill them until you need them.
- In the meantime, prepare the onions, celery, garlic, dill, bell pepper, and fennel.
- In a large bowl mix together the shrimp, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onions, celery, garlic, bell pepper, fennel, salt, and pepper.
- Serve as is or on toasted bread with lettuce and optional sliced tomatoes and thinly sliced red onions.
Made this for a salad luncheon. It was very good and well received by all! Served it with pita bread.
Excellent! Thanks for giving it a try!
Very nice dish – super easy to make – perfect summer meal with othe salads.
Thank you!
Hey Billy,. I made this for a picnic and along with the tuna salad and it was a out of this world crowd pleaser. Believe it or not,of course everyone asked me for the recipe. And my response was, I got this recipe from a special family friend who is a famous chef. And of course everyone knows that I do not even have any famous chefs in my family. But my mother was one of the best cooks that I ever knew. And she learned from the best, which was her mother, my grandmother. Which now are both passed on. But I’m sure that they are proud of me. Because I am no slouch when it comes down to cooking And I can say it is because of them and most of all, ( YOU ) I can’t thank you enough. Sincerely. Wendy
Made this exactly as written. Thought it could use some Old Bay – as recommended- but didn’t have any so I added a bit of hot sauce to the mayo. Incredible flavor. The addition of fennel was perfect. I used very large shrimp and cut them in half after they had cooled – otherwise they would have been just too big for the bread. The 90 second cook time was spot on – shrimp were nice and tender. Everyone loved it and had seconds. Great recipe and will definitely make again.
Amazing!
I’m very picky about my shrimp salad. This one was a winner! Will make for a crowd in the future. It was easy to put together as well, always a welcome feature of a recipe when party planning
Thanks for giving it a shot!
Easy flavorful, satisfying lunch or light dinner recipe is a recipe I frequently make in the summer. Thank you Chef for complete and easy to follow recipe.
Fantastic!
I live in the south, where shrimp dishes are as common as chicken nuggets. I’ve sampled shrimp salad all my life. This by far out shines them all. I did have to alter my usual shopping pattern and go to a Sprouts to find fennel, but was worth it. Fennel definitely elevates it to the next level. This has a permanent place in my recipe box!!!
Amazing!
Sounds wonderful.fresh croissant or toasted yumm.
Thank you!
I haven’t tried this before but I Love Shrimp so this will be a must try for me, in this HOT California Weather 110 to 114 and it’s way to hot to cok or Smoke any meat right now. Great idea Chef, thank you for another great recipe…
Delicious. I chopped shrimp.
Appreciate you trying it!