This is the best shrimp salad, and it’s made with a creamy, tangy dressing, lots of crunchy vegetables, and a sprinkling of fresh chopped herbs. You’ll love this easy and delicious classic recipe!

Shrimp salad is the unsung hero of the “meat salad” world. I’ll never turn a delicious chicken salad or even a tuna salad, but shrimp salad is where my heart truly sings. It was not something I grew up eating because shrimp would have been way too costly.

But as an adult, yes, please! The first time I had shrimp salad was on the first big girl vacation I ever paid for—a cruise to the Caribbean. I remember it being on the 24-hour room service menu, and I knew I had to try it. It was delicious (and I ordered it every single night for a late-night snack), but I knew homemade would be better.

That’s when I settled on learning to make THE BEST shrimp salad recipe EVER!

This recipe has a lot of tang from the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest and big-time flavor from all the chopped-up fresh herbs. If you have the time, you can poach your shrimp, but I bought pre-cooked extra small-sized cocktail shrimp for this shrimp salad.

Sometimes, it’s nice to keep things simple. It speeds up prep time and keeps cleanup fast and easy.

What more could you ask from this classic shrimp salad?

Ingredients needed

• Extra small cooked shrimp
• Red onion
• Lemon
• Celery
• Garlic
• Fresh dill
• Parsley
• Mayonnaise
• Dijon mustard
• Spices

How to make

The hardest part about making this dish is waiting to sit in the fridge and reach its full flavor potential.

1. Add shrimp, chopped red onion, celery, parsley, and dill in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
2. In a small mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, grated garlic, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper. Whisk together until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour dressing over the shrimp mixture and stir to combine thoroughly.
4. Cover and store in the fridge for a few hours to get flavorful.

How to serve shrimp salad

While I’m happy to eat this straight from the bowl, here are a few other scrumptious ways to serve shrimp salad.

• Serve it spooned on top of a leafy salad made from chopped romaine lettuce, baby spinach, or mixed greens.
• Toast a split-top roll and pile shrimp high inside to make a shrimp roll. This is very similar to a lobster roll but made with shrimp!
• Scoop it up with a nice crunchy cracker.
• Add shrimp salad to a lettuce cup for a tasty summertime light meal.
• Wrap it up in a vegetable or flour tortilla for a quick lunchtime wrap.
• Toast some sourdough bread (or your favorite bread!) and turn it into a delicious sandwich.

What to serve with

Using the options about how to serve your shrimp salad

• Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread
• Roasted Asparagus
• The Best Cucumber Salad
• Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

Substitution and adaptations

Are you looking to make this with fewer calories? Maybe add some more protein? Don’t have dill on hand? Don’t worry—I have you covered with a few fun and delicious substitutes.

• You can use fresh, uncooked shrimp or cooked shrimp for this recipe. I give directions for precooked extra small cocktail shrimp in the recipe card. However, if you use fresh shrimp, you’ll need to shell and devein your shrimp and then cook your shrimp. You can opt to poach or bake your shrimp for this salad. Once your shrimp is cooked, let it cool, and then proceed with the directions on the recipe card.
• Try using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise for extra zing and added protein. You can also use a 50/50 ratio to keep some classic mayonnaise flavor.
• Add more fresh herbs like oregano, chives, or even basil.
• I’ve added chopped celery and red onion to this cold shrimp salad, but red bell peppers or tri-colored sweet peppers are also delicious.
• Add a spoonful of grated horseradish for extra heat and zip like I did for my Creamy Horseradish Cucumber Salad.

More shrimp recipes

• Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce
• Shrimp Summer Rolls
• Herbed Shrimp Orzo Salad
• Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi