Shrimp Salad

Shrimp – It’s best to choose fresh, never frozen shrimp when available. Although, you can use frozen shrimp if needed. Just make sure you let them fully thaw prior to boiling.

Avocado – Make sure it’s ripe. Give the avocado a gentle squeeze – if it’s super soft, it’s over-ripe. Too hard? It’s not quite ripe enough yet. Avocados are infamous for being tricky, so consider buying one or two more than you need just in case.

Lime Juice – Freshly squeezed lime juice is the way to go! Tip: save the juices from 1/2 of the lime to make the salad but throw in squeezed half into the water when cooking the shrimp.

Mayonnaise – It can be regular or low fat, pick the brand whose flavor your prefer the most.

Dill Weed – it’s best to use fresh dill weed for the most aroma and flavor. If you have to use dried dill weed, make sure to use less because dried herbs are more potent.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.

Boil the shrimp. Clean and de-vein shrimp. Bring water to boil and add juice from lime, 1/2 of the squeezed lime, bay leaf, dill weed springs, salt, and pepper. Mix well and simmer for a few minutes. Add shrimp to the pot and cook until just done (1).

Strain and let cool. Strain off water and let shrimp cool in the strainer until easy to handle.

Combine in a bowl. Add shrimp to a mixing bowl. Cut, pit, and peel avocado. Dice avocados and add them to the bowl. Add diced celery, green onion, and dill weed. Sprinkle in lime juice and salt (2).

Mix and chill. Add mayo and mix until all evenly coated (3). Cool for 30 minutes to an hour and serve.

PRO TIP: mix gently and try not to mash the avocado! Use a folding technique rather than fast mixing.

How to Clean Shrimp

You can get whole shrimp in a shell or you can get shrimp that have already been cleaned and peeled. If you choose to get whole shrimp, make sure to take time to peel, devein, and clean shrimp first before you start to cook. 

Shrimp has to be cleaned and deveined before cooking because that dark “vein” that you see running along the back of shrimp is actually the digestive tract. It’s important to clean that out because there might be traces of sand and dirt in it along with whatever the shrimp ate.

First, take the shell off the shrimp, including the tail. It’s easy to take the shell off by starting to peel at shrimp’s feet.

Make a slight incision with a paring knife along the back of shrimp, just deep enough to slice the outer skin. This will expose the “vein.” Rinse out the cavity with cold water, taking out the “vein” and any dirt, leaving the shrimp nice and clean.

It’s now ready to cook.

PRO TIP: You can read all about cleaning the shrimp and watch a video in my post on How To Peel and Devein Shrimp.

Can I use precooked shrimp?

I get this question pretty often. The answer is “yes, but I don’t want you to lose some of the flavor!” Cooking shrimp yourself in seasoned water will infuse shrimp with flavor. If you get the precooked plain shrimp that is meant for being served with cocktail sauce, the salad won’t have nearly as much flavor.

How to Serve Shrimp Salad

• Lettuce Wraps – Use romaine lettuce leaves, iceberg lettuce leaves, or butter lettuce leaves to wrap the salad. 
• Sandwich – You can serve this shrimp salad on soft brioche buns or crescent rolls. 
• Salad – Top off a leafy green salad with some shrimp salad for a refreshing light dinner. 
• Tortilla Wraps – Make a sandwich wrap by wrapping this salad with some lettuce, tomatoes, and feta cheese in a large flour tortilla. 
• Tacos – You can also use hard or soft taco shells to make cold shrimp tacos. 

Recipe FAQs

More of the Salad Recipes To Try

• Parmesan Dill Potato Salad
• Shrimp Roll
• Cucumber Salad
• Greek Salad
• Shrimp Salad Stuffed Avocado