This Easy Shrimp Salad Recipe with Old Bay Seasoning is cool, delicious and great to serve in many ways. My personal chef clients couldn't get enough of this shrimp salad. It's loaded with fresh ingredients, is super flavorful and perfect for a happy hour appetizer, afternoon snack, quick lunch or light supper.
I'm hankering for a summery dish that's easy to make, light and refreshing and a straight to the point recipe.
Presenting my classic shrimp salad. With just a few ingredients, it's a simple yet amazingly delicious dish.
Not only am I a fan, but so is my book club who shared it with me at our last monthly get together. I served it along with these puff pastry Cheese Twists and these sparkling Vodka Lime Drinks.
This is one of my husband's favorite salad recipes. And loves leftovers. Lucky for him, this delicious salad stays fresh in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
The combination of ingredients including perfectly cooked shrimp, crisp celery, sweet peas, sharp red onions, chopped parsley and a creamy dressing with a little kick of Old Bay seasoning is perfection. It's especially delicious on a hot summer day, but is delightful any time of year.
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Why you'll love this salad
- Easy to make ~ With just a few ingredients, this shrimp salad is a snap to make. Frozen shrimp is readily available at the grocery store. It's easy to keep a bag in the freezer so you can make this recipe any time.
- Versatile ~ With so many ways to serve this shrimp salad, you'll make it over and over again. Serve it over greens, as a sandwich, or on a cracker or cucumber round for a light snack.
- Great leftover ~ This salad stays fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days making it a perfect lunch or dinner to meal prep.
- Simple yet fancy ~ This shrimp salad looks elegant any way it's served.
Ingredients & substitutions
This Old Bay shrimp salad recipe has only 9 ingredients. Use the best possible ones so the flavors shine through. Scroll to the recipe card for full quantitates of the ingredients.
- Shrimp ~ Cleaned and deveined shrimp with the tails removed are the base of this simple shrimp salad. Fresh or frozen are both delicious in the recipe. But if you can get fresh shrimp, that's my first choice. Use one of the medium sized shrimp for the recipe. I find 31/40 shrimp per pound are ideal.
- Celery, red onion
- Peas ~ The recipe calls for frozen peas. No need to cook them. Just place in a strainer and run cold water over them.
- Fresh parsley ~ Skip the dried herb. Fresh herbs are best for salads such as this one as they contain only a few ingredients.
- Mayonnaise
- Fresh lemon juice ~ I always use fresh juice, but a reconstituted one can be used in a pinch.
- Old Bay seasoning ~ This bold blend of herb and spices adds a bit of spiciness to the dish.
- Dijon mustard ~ Yellow mustard or stone ground mustard are alternatives.
Hint
Keep a bag of frozen shrimp in your freezer. They thaw quickly in a bowl of cold water. They make it easy to prepare dishes like my Hibachi Shrimp and Vegetables and Coconut Shrimp.
How to thaw frozen shrimp
Most shrimp are frozen at sea as soon as it is caught. That shrimp you see in the fish counter at your local grocery store is most likely thawed frozen shrimp. And who knows how long its been on display. It's best to to pick up a bag or 2 of frozen shrimp and thaw it yourself.
Place frozen shrimp in a large bowl and add cold water. Give the shrimp a good swish. Then just wait about 15-20 minutes, and the shrimp should be ready to use. Drain, peel, and devein the shrimp if necessary and, they're ready to use.
How to make old-fashioned shrimp salad
With just a few steps, this cool and creamy shrimp salad is ready in no time at all. This is just a brief overview of the recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for the full instructions and a step by step video.
Step 1: Cook the raw shrimp in a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Drain the shrimp and place in an ice bath.
Step 3: When the shrimp are chilled, drain and place on paper towels to dry.
Step 4: Make the dressing by combining mayonnaise, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning and Dijon mustard.
Step 5: Add the cooked shrimp, celery, peas, red onion and parsley to a large bowl.
Step 6: Add the dressing and gently stir to combine it with the salad ingredients.
Expert tips
- Don't skip the step of plunging the cooked shrimp in an ice bath. This stops the cooking process so the shrimp won't be rubbery or lose their naturally sweet and delicate flavor.
- The shrimp is the star of the recipe so you want it to shine center stage. Chop the celery and red onion into small dice. You want the bits of crunchy vegetables along with the green peas to support and not overshadow the shrimp.
Storage
After preparing the shrimp and pea salad, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The flavors of the ingredients will meld and blend for an even more delicious dish. Skip storing this salad in the freezer.
Frequently ask questions
The versatile seasoning is a blend of salty and spicy ingredients including salt, celery salt, red pepper, black pepper and paprika. It's delicious on any seafood as well as poultry, steaks, and pork. It's also used in dressings, vinaigrettes, potato salad and sprinkled on french fries, popcorn and scrambled eggs.
If you're lucky enough to live near the ocean where fresh shrimp is available by all means buy it. Fresh shrimp should be firm, have a delicate aroma, and no yellow or black spots. When buying frozen shrimp, pick up individually frozen uncooked and unpeeled shrimp. Even though peeled shrimp are convenient, they're more pricey and tend to be overhandled. I don't recommend buying them.
How to serve Old Bay shrimp salad
You'll just love that there are some many delicious ways to serve this shrimp salad. Here are my favorites ways.
- As a salad over a bed of lettuce. Try mixed greens, chopped romaine, iceberg or butter lettuce. Drizzle with the creamy dressing.
- As shrimp salad sandwiches on wheat, rye, sourdough or white bread. Serve it on a kaiser or long roll too. Try rolling the salad in a large tortilla along with chopped lettuce and sliced tomatoes for a tasty wrap.
- Top half an avocado or tomato with a big spoonful of the shrimp salad.
- Serve individual shrimp on a cracker, cucumber round or in a phyllo cup for a fun and easy one bite appetizer or snack.
One more thing
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a comment and a star rating below. Share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.
Thanks ~ Amy
Recipe
Shrimp Salad Recipe with Old Bay Seasoning
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp with the tails removed 31/40 per pound
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Cook the shrimp: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes. The shrimp should be pink and the flesh opaque. Drain into a colander or use a mesh strainer to remove the shrimp from the pot.
- Chill the shrimp: Put the drained shrimp in a bowl of ice water. When chilled, drain and place on paper towels to dry. The shrimp can be made up to a day in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning and Dijon mustard. Stir to combine.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add the shrimp, celery, peas, red onion and parsley. Add the dressing and gently stir to combine the ingredients.
- Serve: Serve the salad immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Did you make the recipe? Leave a comment.