This shrimp salad rolls recipe is a summer favorite. It is a great light lunch or brunch item and you can control how “light” you want to go by deciding on whether you use regular mayonnaise, a light mayonnaise or a Fat Free Greek yogurt as your base. I have, and do, use all of them depending on how I’m feeling on any given day. They all taste great. The shrimp do all the work so buy good quality, fresh shellfish and spend the time cooking the shrimp in the shells yourself. It’s worth the extra effort. And if you love a great shrimp salad as much as I do, don’t miss my Shrimp, Lemon, Dill & Orzo Salad or my Shrimp, Summer Corn and Tomato Salad recipes. All summer classics!
So, what kind of shrimp can you use?
SHRIMP CHOICES FOR THIS SHRIMP SALAD
As mentioned above, I like to use shell on, large or jumbo shrimp. Most shrimp you buy will be frozen and that is perfectly fine. They are usually sold by a number (16-24, or 12 – 15). That is the number of shrimp you’ll get to the pound. I like the large ones.
However, if in a rush, feel free to buy peeled and deveined shrimp, or even precooked shrimp (I won’t tell!) but the taste of cooking your own shell-on- shrimp in a well-seasoned broth really does make a difference. All the flavor is in the shells and that permeates the shrimp when they cook. I use a lot of seasonings, lemon and herbs in my broth so those flavors get into the meat too. Nothing beats making shrimp salad with old bay seasoning! Be sure you check out how I make my shrimp cocktail too. I use the same technique of cooking shrimp in seasoned water.
But, I digress. You could do canned shrimp salad but the shrimp you find in the cans are very tiny and not of the best quality so only do that if there are no other choices.
If I want to splurge, I’ll make a lobster and shrimp salad by substituting 1/2 of the shrimp with lobster meat. Yup, it is a treat and a delicious one too!
How to make shrimp salad rolls
- To get started, let’s cook the shrimp (if you are using raw shrimp). Remember to keep the shells on. Boil water in a large stock pot with the old bay seasoning, bay leaves & lemon on the stove. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until pink and cooked through. Strain the shrimp in a colander. Remove shrimp from the colander and discard the rest. Rinse the shrimp under cold water and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes – one hour to get real cold.
- Peel the shrimp and chop. (Leave shrimp in large pieces so there is texture and everyone can see that this is a shrimp salad.) Put in a bowl.
- Chop the onion and celery into small dice and add to the bowl. Add salt and pepper and stir. Add the mayonnaise and lemon zest and stir. Add chives if using. Refrigerate until cold. (At least one hour).
- Garnish with more chopped chives and lemon zest.
How to make spicy shrimp rolls
If you want to take this salad in a whole new direction, you can make spicy shrimp rolls by adding one of the following to the mix:
. 1/2 – 1 small Jalapeno, minced finely
. Sriracha, 1/2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon depending on your heat tolerance
. Louisianna hot sauce, a couple of dashes never hurt anyone
. Tabasco sauce, a couple of dashes
I have friends that love the heat and when they are in town, I put a spin on this salad that they love. Serve up your spicy shrimp rolls with the best pitcher margaritas for a fun twist on a seaside classic.
How to serve the shrimp salad
I serve the shrimp salad on either a brioche hot dog bun or brioche hamburger bun. I’m a big fan of brioche bun but any roll, or your favorite bread will work. I have always had my shrimp salad rolls on hot dog buns or on toasted and buttered split buns on the East Coast. When I’m home, I use what ever bun I have available.
You could also serve the shrimp salad on a bed of lettuce with a fresh fruit salad on the side if you don’t want the roll.
Arugula and shrimp salad is a natural combo to me, and I often top my sandwich with baby arugula. You could also use iceberg lettuce for crunch on a sandwich too.
Shrimp salad with fruit is a favorite lunch around here. Serve up a side of cherries, grapes, berries or my watermelon, peach a& feta salad or lime and blackberry fruit salad in lieu of fries, and save yourself a ton of calories and get some fresh and delicious fruit in with this lunch idea.
If you enjoyed this recipe, leave a rating and/or comment below. If you like shrimp, be sure to try some of my other favorite shrimp salad recipes:
Shrimp, Prosciutto & Mango Skewers
Jicama, Apple, Carrot, and Shrimp Salad
Shrimp Salad Rolls
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 Lb. Large Shrimp (keep the shells on while cooking)
- 3 Tbsp. Heaping Mayonnaise (light mayonnaise or fat free Greek yogurt. FAGE is a favorite)
- 2 Celery stalks, finely diced
- 1/4 Yellow onion, diced
- 1 Lemon, zested
- Kosher Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Chopped Chives (optional)
- 4 Brioche hot dog or hamburger buns
COOKING LIQUID
- Boiling Water
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp. Whole black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 Lemon, cut in half and squeezed into water and halfs added to water
Instructions
- Boil the water with the old bay seasoning, bay leaves & lemon on the stove. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until pink and cooked through. Remove shrimp from cooking liquid and rinse under cold water. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Peel the shrimp and chop. (Leave shrimp in large pieces so there is texture and everyone can see that this is a shrimp salad.) Put in a bowl.
- Chop the onion and celery into small dice and add to the bowl. Add salt and pepper and stir.
- Add the mayonnaise and lemon zest and stir. Add chives if using. Refrigerate until cold. (At least one hour).
- Garnish with more chopped chives and lemon zest. Serve on a bed on lettuce or on toasted brioche rolls. St. Pierre Brioche rolls are a good choice.
