Creamy Key West Pink Shrimp Salad with Old Bay Seasoning is just what you need on a hot summer day, and we have plenty of hot weather in the Keys!
This cold shrimp salad with mayonnaise is an easy hot-weather lunch or dinner.
Shrimp salad is a breeze to prepare and perfect for those lazy summer days when you want something satisfying but effortless. Mix America's favorite shrimp with creamy mayo and a hint of seasoning, and you've got yourself a delicious meal in minutes. Enjoy it on its own, in a salad, or pair it with your favorite sides for a complete summer feast.
Jump to:
- What Type of Shrimp Should I Buy?
- How to Buy Frozen Shrimp
- What Size Should the Shrimp Be?
- What You Need to Make Shrimp Salad Full of Flavor
- How to Make Shrimp Salad
- How to Serve Shrimp Salad
- What To Serve With Shrimp Salad
- How Long Does Shrimp Salad Last?
- Summary
- If You Love Florida Keys Seafood, Try These Recipes
- FAQ
- "📖 Recipe"
What Type of Shrimp Should I Buy?
Creamy shrimp salad starts with excellent shrimp. If you're in Florida, you can easily find them in any fish market. Key West Pinks are mild with a sweet flavor.
The most crucial factor when buying shrimp is ensuring they are wild-caught and not farmed. They should come from the United States.
How to Buy Frozen Shrimp
When purchasing frozen shrimp, keep in mind that unless you're catching them yourself, all shrimp are frozen after harvesting.
You can purchase frozen shrimp in bags, either cooked or raw. For making shrimp salad, you can use pre-cooked shrimp to streamline your meal prep.
When selecting a bag from the freezer, make sure the shrimp move individually. If the bag is a frozen block of ice, it may have defrosted and refrozen, potentially compromising its quality. In such cases, choose a different bag.
What Size Should the Shrimp Be?
Medium shrimp, about 25 per pound, or large shrimp, 16-20 pieces, would be a good size for shrimp salad.
Jumbo shrimp, about 10 per pound, can be saved for shrimp salad or you can use them for a very impressive Shrimp Cocktail.
I like large shrimp for my shrimp salad. It has a nice crunch that you don't get from little shrimp.
What You Need to Make Shrimp Salad Full of Flavor
Making shrimp salad is so easy! For the shrimp, calculate about one-third pound per person for a generous salad or sandwich. You can easily double or triple this recipe.
- Shrimp: Fresh or frozen.
- Lemon: Wash the lemon thoroughly. Cut it in half and squeeze out a teaspoon of juice for the dressing. Then, add the lemon halves to the pot of cooking water for extra flavor.
- Dijon Mustard: You can substitute a little dried mustard powder if needed.
- Old Bay Seasoning (original flavor): If unavailable, substitute with a big pinch of sweet paprika.
- Mayonnaise: Use your favorite brand, I prefer Hellmann's or Duke's. Sour cream or Greek yogurt can be used as substitutes.
- Celery: Fresh celery, with top and bottom ends trimmed, and chopped finely.
- Dill: Fresh dill is preferred, but dried dill or dill weed can be substituted.
- Red Onion: Approximately a quarter of a large red onion, minced. The rest can be sliced for garnish.
- Salt and Pepper: Use a teaspoon of salt in the cooking water with the shrimp. Additional salt and pepper can be added after chilling the salad.
How to Make Shrimp Salad
First, I clean and boil the shrimp. The next step is to make a creamy dressing. Then I mix it all together. Nothing could be easier!
- Defrost the shrimp under cold running water or by placing them in the refrigerator for a few hours until thawed.
- Peel the shells off, including the tails.
- To devein the shrimp, locate the dark grey vein on the back of each shrimp. Make a slit in the back with a sharp paring knife and remove the vein.
- You can devein the shrimp before or after cooking them. Preference may vary, but I prefer to devein them before cooking.
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil over high heat; add salt.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes.
- Remove the shrimp from the pot and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water for 10 to 15 minutes to cool them.
- After the ice bath, dry the shrimp on paper towels to remove excess moisture so the dressing coats the shrimp evenly.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dressing: lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning, and mayonnaise.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the shrimp, celery, onions, and dill into the dressing.
- Adjust the consistency with more mayonnaise if you need it, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate your shrimp salad for at least half an hour, allowing the flavors to meld, or store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- This is a great make-ahead dish for parties. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
How to Serve Shrimp Salad
You can serve shrimp salad on a bed of Romaine or iceberg lettuce, paired with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell peppers, and onions. With one pound of shrimp, you can create 2 hearty dinner salads, possibly even three.
Additional toppings such as olives, scallions, and hard-boiled eggs can be added to enhance the flavor and texture of the salad.
For sandwiches, make a shrimp salad on a croissant, fresh rye bread, or a toasted bagel.
What To Serve With Shrimp Salad
You can serve the shrimp salad on top of a big fresh salad or stuff it into a big green avocado for a satisfying meal.
Try our cold side dishes to go with your shrimp salad:
- Sweet and Creamy Macaroni Salad Recipe
- Gluten-Free Pasta Salad
- Bread such as croissants, onion rolls, bagels, or you could try my gluten-free breadsticks, made with almond flour.
- Chickpea Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad
- For a low-carb meal, try our Caesar Salad without croutons with a big scoop of shrimp salad on top.
How Long Does Shrimp Salad Last?
Shrimp salad can typically last in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days when stored properly in an airtight container. However, it's essential to ensure that the shrimp salad is kept at a consistently cold temperature (below 40°F or 4°C) to prevent bacterial growth.
If your shrimp salad contains mayonnaise or other perishable ingredients, it's best to consume it within the first couple of days to ensure freshness and food safety. Always use your judgment and discard any shrimp salad that shows signs of spoilage, such as an off smell or unusual texture.
Summary
Florida Keys Pink Shrimp Salad with Old Bay Seasoning features wild-caught Key West Pink Shrimp, making it a refreshing option for summer meals. This fresh shrimp salad, mixed with mayo, is perfect for hot days.
If you're new to peeling shrimp, don't worry! It becomes easier with practice. All you need is a small paring knife. Combine the shrimp with celery, onions, and dill for added flavor. Of course, you could also purchase precooked shrimp.
Like my recipe for New York Diner Tuna Salad, shrimp salad boasts a creamy texture and offers versatile serving options. Whether you enjoy it tucked between slices of bread with crisp lettuce, tomato, and red onion, or prefer it served in a bowl with a side of crackers, this dish is undeniably a delicious choice for pool and patio dining.
The salad lasts in the fridge for 2 or 3 days tops. Freeing is not recommended.
To catch shrimp, head down to the Keys. You can jump on a Key West charter. Check out this charter from Fish Key West. This is the ultimate fishing trip!
This shrimp salad recipe is gluten-free.
If You Love Florida Keys Seafood, Try These Recipes
- Peel and Eat Shrimp
- Florida Keys Shrimp Cocktail
- Pan-Fried Yellowtail
- Florida Smoked Fish Dip Recipe
- Blackened Shrimp with Butter Sauce
- Seared Mahi Mahi with Basil Butter
- Blackened Swordfish
- Roasted Yellowtail with Old Bay Seasoning
- Pan Fried Snapper with Panko Breadcrumbs
- Seared Tripletail with Garlic Butter Sauce
FAQ
Key West Pinks is the nickname for Pink Shrimp caught in the Keys. They are harvested along the coast of southern Florida.
According to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Key West pink shrimp stands as the most harvested species of shrimp in Florida. These shrimp have a unique behavior; they burrow in the sand during the day and emerge at night to feed. To capture them, shrimp boats set out equipped with large nets during the night, capitalizing on their nocturnal habits for harvest.
Fresh wild shrimp are harvested right off the coast of Florida. They live in their natural environment and have a naturally sweet flavor.
There are 180 calories per serving in shrimp salad.
"📖 Recipe"
Florida Keys Pink Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
FOR THE SHRIMP
- 1 pound shrimp (medium or large) peeled and deveined
- 1 lemon halved
- 1 teaspoon salt
FOR THE SALAD
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning (original flavor)
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 ribs celery finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
- 3 tablespoons minced red onion
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
TO COOK THE SHRIMP
- Defrost the shrimp under cold running water. Or place the frozen shrimp in the refrigerator for a few hours until they are defrosted.
- Peel off the shells, including the tails.
- Remove the dark grey "vein" on the back of each shrimp by making a slit in the back of each shrimp with a sharp paring knife and pulling it out. Run under cold running water and repeat.
- Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil over high heat; add salt.
- Slice a lemon in half and squeeze the lemon into the water. Drop the lemon into the pot.
- Lower heat to a simmer and add shrimp. Cook shrimp 2 minutes.
- Remove shrimp from the water with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water to cool completely, about 15 minutes. Dry shrimp on a paper towel after they are removed from the water.
TO PREPARE THE SHRIMP SALAD
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Old Bay Seasoning, and 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise.
- Fold shrimp, celery, and onions into the dressing. Add more mayonnaise for a creamier consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate for a half hour or so to allow flavors to blend.
- Serve on a bed of lettuce with fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and sliced onion.
Notes
- After cooking the shrimp or after you've defrosted them, dry them on a paper towel so the dressing sticks to the flesh.
- Shrimp Salad can be made one day ahead of serving. It is best when eaten within 24 hours of preparation.
- When buying frozen shrimp, look for wild shrimp from the USA. It may or may not be pre-cooked.
- Medium or large-size shrimp work best for this type of cold shrimp salad.
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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