Best Shrimp Salad Recipe

This easy, tossed shrimp salad recipe combines cooked shrimp, mayonnaise, lemon juice, finely chopped cucumber and red onion, fresh dill, and Old Bay seasoning. Delicious on its own, this simple shrimp salad is also a terrific filling for sandwiches, croissants, lettuce cups and stuffed avocado. Serve cold. Ready in just 15 minutes! 

We’re in the middle of a heat wave in the Carolinas, which means it’s time to make a batch of this light and refreshing Old Bay recipe for shrimp salad seasoned with Old Bay of course, and dill.

While I love summer salads with fresh produce from the farmer’s market, you can still have a healthy lunch without eating a traditional veggie salad. A cooked shrimp salad recipe is also great to make if you’re vacationing at the beach and have access to fresh shrimp! If you want a heartier salad with shrimp, try making an orzo shrimp salad. Grab some extra seafood and make a crab and shrimp boil while you’re add it.

For those cooler days when you have a little more time, try your hand at making a dark roux and give crawfish or shrimp etoufee a try, you can use shrimp or frozen crawfish, or make some Southerrn-style shrimp and grits.

My typical lunch is whatever is leftover from dinner, but with the thermostat staying in the 90º, I’ve been craving something light and cold. Shrimp flavored with onions, dill and Old Bay and tossed in a light lemon and mayonnaise dressing is so simple but will become a staple in your house.

This easy cold shrimp salad recipe can be made in just a few minutes which is great for those times when you get a last minute invitation to a brunch or summer cook-out. Leave it overnight and the flavors get even better.

Looking for a low fat, high protein meal that’s low carb, keto, gluten free and dairy free, then you’re in luck. This shrimp salad with mayo meets all those criteria but most importantly it tastes fantastic. The combination of flavors is what makes it a classic.

If you like shrimp salad sandwiches, serve it on a croissant. It is equally good alone or try scooping it into an avocado or stuff it into pita bread.

Old Bay seasoning along with fresh dill are what makes this delicious salad so spectacular. Around here, we use Old Bay in a Southern shrimp recipe packet and Southern seafood boils and even in cheese wafers. We sprinkle it on corn, scrambled eggs, and anything that needs a little flavor boost.

Old Bay Shrimp Salad: What is Old Bay Seasoning?

Old Bay seasoning is made up of celery salt, pepper and paprika along with other herbs and spices and originated in Maryland. It has a little kick but it’s not too spicy. It’s most commonly used with seafood.

I’ve found that frozen pre-cooked shrimp work great in this salad. Any size will work, if they’re large you’ll want to cut them into bite size pieces. If you have access to fresh shrimp, you should go with fresh.

If using fresh shrimp, you’ll need to peel and devein them first and then boil, saute or roast in the oven.

Shrimp Salad Recipe ingredients

• Fresh or frozen shrimp – 1 pound will produce 4 good size servings, you can use small or medium shrimp, you will be cutting them into smaller pieces. You’ll need peeled cooked shrimp for this recipe.
• Red onion – red or purple onions have a stronger taste but are great eaten raw, a little is all you need to add some pizzaz to the salad. If you don’t like the stronger taste of red onions, then you could use green onions or scallions.
• Cucumber – this adds texture and absorbs the creamy dressing
• Mayonnaise – Choose the brand of mayo you like the best, my favorite is Hellman’s which to me is slightly tart but not too sharp. I think the brand of mayonnaise that you like depends on where you grew up. Hellman’s is very popular in the South along with Duke’s.
• Old Bay Seasoning – this seasoning really perks up the shrimp salad dressing
• Fresh dill – dill is a subtle herb but adds a freshness to the salad. If you can’t find fresh herbs, then use about 2 teaspoons of dried.
• Pantry staples – lemon juice and mustard.

How to Cook Shrimp for a Cold Shrimp Salad Recipe

Peel and devein and then pat dry with a paper towel. Add to a pan over medium high heat with a little olive oil in a single layer and cook until they start to turn white, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the shrimp turn pink and opaque, about 2 more minutes. If using large shrimp, it could take a little longer. Remove and let chill before adding to the salad.

Boiled shrimp are also great for an Old bay shrimp salad. It only takes about 2 minutes to boil them, so pretty quick. Just add to a large pot of boiling water, cook for 2 minutes, drain and chill. Here’s some directions form A Couple Cooks.

How to make a Cooked Shrimp Salad Recipe

Step 1:

Once you have cooked and cooled the shrimp, chop it into bite size pieces.

Step 2:

Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, a little Dijon mustard, fresh dill and Old bay. Whisk it together.

Step 3:

Finely chop some red onion, you don’t want big chunks, and add to a bowl with cooked cold shrimp and chopped cucumber.

Step 4:

Pour the dressing over the shrimp mixture and stir to combine. Add salt and black pepper as needed. You can refrigerate this and serve it the next day.

You can also add some fresh lemon juice to the top of the salad and sprinkle it with fresh parsley.

3 ways to serve this recipe for Shrimp Salad

• I love this creamy shrimp salad served on a croissant as a sandwich. The light and flaky layers are still strong enough to hold the shrimp, and the buttery flavor compliments the Old Bay shrimp.

• For a healthy shrimp salad serve this on bibb lettuce or romaine lettuce. The large leaves make it easy to wrap around the shrimp for lettuce wraps or serve on a bed of lettuce for a great light supper.

• Use an avocado and make a shrimp bowl for a light lunch or part of a brunch menu.

What to serve with this Shrimp Salad Recipe

Of course a shrimp salad can be a meal on its own. If serving it as a main course, then try adding a simple fruit salad.

Since it’s so light, you can serve it as a side with your main meal. It’s especially great with ham or steaks.

If you’re making it for a brunch, it goes well with any egg or quiche dish.

Shrimp Salad Recipe Old Bay FAQs

How long does Shrimp Salad stay good for?

Store in the refrigerator for up to three days in an airtight container. It’s even better the day after it has been prepared.

Can you use dried dill?

For the best salad, use fresh dill but if you’re in a pinch you can use two teaspoons of dried.

Is shrimp salad healthy?

This Old Bay Shrimp Recipe is low in fat and high in protein. It has very few carbs, just 2, so it will comply with a keto and low carb diet. It’s also dairy free.

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