Easy Shrimp Salad

Easy shrimp salad with brightly spiced creamy dressing. The dressing is made in a food-processor in only a few minutes!

Shrimp Salad with a few Shortcuts

The secret to a quick & easy shrimp salad? Simply using cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp.

Make sure to thaw the shrimp overnight and pat dry before tossing with the dressing. Then all you have to do is toss the shrimp with the dressing.

Instead of whisking the dressing by hand, simply add everything into a food-processor and give it a few pulses. The dressing is the perfect balance of creaminess and brightness of the herbs. And it only takes a few minutes to make!

How to Thaw Cooked Frozen Shrimp

I always like to buy cooked frozen shrimp in a bag and thaw out the shrimp at home. It’s really simple to do and I find frozen shrimp to be more “fresh”. Here are a few tips and tricks for thawing frozen shrimp:

Any size shrimp works. I like using large cooked shrimp (31-35 per pound) for this recipe but feel free to use any size you like. It all depends on how you’re planning on serving the salad. Everything from small salad-sized shrimp to jumbo shrimp works. You can always chop larger shrimp into smaller chunks.

Thaw overnight. My favorite way to thaw frozen cooked shrimp is overnight in the refrigerator. I find this method works the best in getting the shrimp perfectly thawed and not mushy.

Shrimp will release moisture when thawed, so line a large bowl with a few sheets of paper towels. Remove the shrimp from the bag and place over the paper towels. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight. Once it is thawed, use the shrimp immediately or keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days.

Pat dry the shrimp. Before using the shrimp or in this case, tossing the shrimp with the dressing, pat dry the shrimp with a few sheets of clean paper towel, to remove any remaining moisture.

Ingredients for Easy Shrimp Salad

You’ll need the following ingredients for this easy shrimp salad:

• fresh dill
• mayonnaise
• dijon mustard
• garlic
• lemon juice
• smoked paprika
• cayenne pepper
• kosher salt
• cooked peeled shrimp
• red onion

How to Make Easy Shrimp Salad Recipe

This shrimp salad is truly quick and easy to make. A small food-processor works great for making the dressing.

In a food-processor, combine the roughly chopped dill, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt. Pulse until the dressing is combined, scraping down the sides as needed.

To a mixing bowl, add the shrimp, chopped red onions, and the dressing. Give everything a thorough toss, so every shrimp is coated in the dressing.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Few Tips & Notes

• Shrimp salad dressing has a salty spicy taste and on its own tastes a little strong. But once you toss in the shrimp and chill the salad, the flavor will balance out.
• For best flavor, I highly recommend using fresh dill for this recipe and not substituting with dried dill weed.
• If using frozen shrimp, make sure to thaw out thoroughly before tossing with the dressing. Otherwise, the dressing will water down.
• Finely chop the red onion so that you don’t get large pieces in each bite.
• Shrimp salad will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It does not freeze well.

Serving Suggestions

This shrimp salad is a great lunch-time staple just like our Avocado Egg Salad or Salmon Egg Salad, and can be enjoyed as-is, or serve it a variety of other ways, such as:

• Serve it over a bed of romaine lettuce or spinach and feel free to add-in chopped avocado or tomatoes.
• Stuff it into a wrap, lettuce cup, or pita.
• Toss in cooked short-cut pasta for a shrimp pasta salad. Keep in mind the pasta will most likely soak up some of the dressing so it’s best enjoyed right away.
• Add shrimp salad over a toast with thinly sliced tomatoes.
• Make an appetizer out of it by working the shrimp salad into a Vegetable Platter and serving it along with crackers and fresh cut up veggies.

You May Also Like

• Mango Shrimp Salad
• Crab and Corn Chowder
• Grilled Garlic Shrimp
• Crab Bites with Spicy Aioli
• Steamed Mussels
• Maryland Crab Soup

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