This recipe for Quick and Easy Shrimp Salad is a summertime favorite with light and fresh flavors. This delicious, simple recipe has a creamy dressing with crunchy bits of celery and plump shrimp.
This is my favorite Shrimp Salad recipe! It’s a classic shrimp salad with nothing terribly fancy – Just simple, delicious, summertime comfort food.
I use fresh cooked, cooled shrimp for this recipe rather than frozen cooked shrimp that’s been thawed. Frozen cooked shrimp tend to be limp, waterlogged and lack crunch. It’s an added step, but well worth it as shrimp cooks so fast and can easily be cooled in an ice water bath (see instructions at the end of this post for cooking ideas).
This shrimp salad recipe is a wonderful, zingy dish, perfect for a lunch out in the yard or to make a picnic extra special.
Why this recipe works:
- The addition of Greek yogurt adds a lightness you don’t get with mayonnaise alone.
- The lemon juice adds a punch of acidity to the creaminess of the mayonnaise and Greek yogurt.
- The creamy dressing also combines fresh dill that has a mild flavor that goes well with the warmth of the mustard and sweetness of the shrimp.
- It’s a recipe that comes together quickly with little effort.
This dish is perfect to serve at parties, showers, or any day you want to serve up an incredible lunch or light dinner.
Here’s how to make it:
Start with cooked shrimp. You can buy it ready made or see the end of this post for easy ways to make it yourself.
Remove any shell or tail from the shrimp and add it to a large bowl. Then chop the celery into small pieces.
Add the chopped celery to the bowl with the shrimp. Then finely chop the dill.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard powder, lemon juice, and dill.
Mix in with the shrimp and celery and season with salt & pepper to taste.
Serve and enjoy!
Note: I served mine in a tortilla bowl. See this great post on Two Peas And Their Pod on how to make them.
Anyone that doesn’t like shrimp salad please give this try, because chances are you haven’t made your own. This is worlds apart from the watery dressing and soggy shrimp you’ll find ready-made in the grocery store.
And for anyone who likes shrimp salad, this recipe will make you love it!
Serving Suggestions:
- Shrimp Salad is a nice change from tuna and chicken salad. It can be served up in the same ways: on crackers, in a croissant, rolled in lettuce or tortilla bowls.
- Serve it on a seafood platter at a dinner party and let everyone build their own little shrimp salad bites for a lovely, social appetizer, but with the warmer weather on its way, it’s perfect for a quick lunch or light supper.
Food Safety For Warmer Weather:
- To prevent rapidly growing bacteria from forming, Food shouldn’t be unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours or limit the time to one hour if the outdoor temperature is higher than 90° F.
Tips on cooking shrimp for shrimp salad:
Steaming shrimp: In a covered steamer over a pot of boiling water, large shrimp will need to steam for 5-6 minutes to be cooked through and pink.
After steaming or boiling shrimp -Drain and transfer the cooked shrimp to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process and let cool before using.
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Quick and Easy Shrimp Salad
Is it too Hot to cook? This scrumptious salad makes a refreshing light lunch or sandwich filling.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds large cooked shrimp cleaned
- 1 cups mayonnaise
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped small
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
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In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, mustard powder, lemon juice, and dill.
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Mix in shrimp, celery, and seasoning with salt & pepper to taste.
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Cover and refrigerate for a few hours, or you can serve the shrimp immediately if need be.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in July of 2014, but was republished with step by step instructions, changes to the recipe that were recommended by readers (Thank you, readers!), instructions for cooking your own shrimp, and tips in June of 2018.
Kathryn says
My very picky family asked if I could make a double batch next time. I used mixed greens as a base and put the shrimp salad on top of it to make sure I filled their hollow legs up. No leftovers in the salad bowls or the serving bowl. Thanks for the hit!
Erren's Kitchen says
That is awesome to hear Kathryn, thank you!
KathrynC says
My very picky family asked if I could make a double batch next time. I used mixed greens as a base and put the shrimp salad on top of it to make sure I filled their hollow legs up. No leftovers in the salad bowls or the serving bowl. Thanks for the hit!
Erren's Kitchen says
Kathryn, I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
Rachel says
Can you omit the mayo altogether and just make it up with the Greek yogurt or would it taste weird? Also could you blacken the shrimp rather than boil?
Thanks!
Erren Hart says
Hi Rachel, you can. You may just have to spice it up a little for extra flavor.
Angie says
I love shrimp salad! This would be great for my Mother’s Day brunch too!
Jenny says
This is so great at parties – there are never any leftovers!
Erren's Kitchen says
there really isn’t!
Taylor says
Love the fresh dill added in! Looks delicious!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This looks incredibly delicious! This couldn’t look any more perfect!
Catalina says
I am drooling over this salad! Would be great to have it for dinner tonight!
Erren's Kitchen says
It is so quick and easy too, you wouldn’t regret it!