Cold Shrimp Salad with Dill
Warmer weather and hot summer days call for quick and easy recipes! This creamy and citrus infused shrimp salad with dill is light and delicious. Serve as a salad, a Po’ Boy sandwich, or simply scooped onto a fresh tomato, avocado or crisp romaine lettuce!
You can use canned shrimp, frozen (uncooked) raw shrimp, cooked frozen shrimp or fresh shrimp – your call!
And don’t worry about the size of the shrimp because you’re going to chop ”em into bite-sized pieces. So if all you have is larger shrimp, no worries!
This refreshingly light dish is ready in less than 10-minutes and can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator!
This pairs beautifully as an appetizer or side dish with Fried Catfish!
Here’s what you’ll need
This cold dill shrimp salad recipe uses fresh boiled shrimp, but feel free to use canned salad shrimp (drained and rinsed) or frozen cooked shrimp instead. You’ll need fresh dill, red onion, mayonnaise, chopped celery and fresh lemon juice.
How to make cold shrimp salad
If you use fresh, raw shrimp or frozen uncooked shrimp, you’ll need to cook them first. For best results and amazing flavor, I highly recommend using fresh shrimp.
- Cook the shrimp (with shells and tails on): Bring to boil a large pot with a couple of quarts of water that has been seasoned with Shrimp and Crab boil seasonings; add shrimp and boil for 5-8 minutes; drain and dry on a paper towel; when they are cool enough, remove shells and tails; devein; chop shrimp into small pieces; set aside. You can lightly sprinkle a little Cajun seasoning Creole seasoning or Old Bay Seasoning on the shrimp at this point if you like!
If you’re using canned salad shrimp, just drain, rinse and chop into small pieces or leave whole and lightly season with seasoning.
If you’re using frozen cooked shrimp, rinse and thaw, then chop into small pieces and season with a little sprinkle of the seasoning of your choice.
- Chop the cooled, seasoned shrimp into small pieces. Set aside.
- Make the creamy dressing: in a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, fresh dill (or dried dill weed), red onion, celery and fresh lemon or lime juice.
- Add the cooked chopped shrimp to the dressing, combine well, cover and refrigerate. Allow the dill shrimp salad to marinate in the refrigerator in an airtight container for at least 30 minutes. Taste for seasonings and add a pinch of salt, lemon zest or a little white pepper to season to taste.
Add cooked, chopped shrimp and combine well. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes
Taste for salt/pepper seasonings and adjust accordingly
Recipe Tips
- I recommend using fresh, raw Gulf shrimp, but if you can’t find any, use frozen; I do not recommend canned shrimp, but if that’s all you can find, just drain and rinse it first
- Don’t overcook the shrimp – generally speaking, shrimp takes only a few minutes to boil – usually 5-8 minutes, or until it’s a light pink-coral color
- Want it a little spicy? Add a dash of cayenne pepper or Louisiana hot sauce to the mayonnaise mixture.
- Dill shrimp salad calls for 1 1/2 tablespoons of dried dill; however, if you use fresh dill increase the amount by 3, so use 4.5 tablespoons of fresh dill. Dried herbs are stronger than fresh and the ratio of dried to fresh is 1:3.
How to peel and devein shrimp
Remove the legs first, then roll the shell back and slide the tail off. To devein shrimp, simply use a sharp knife and score a cut along the back of the shrimp; remove and discard the brown or black part of the shrimp.
Make ahead and storage
If you’re making this salad in advance, you can make and refrigerate it (covered) in an airtight container for up to 3 days. As for storage, it holds up well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing is not recommended due to the eggs in the mayonnaise; they don’t freeze well.
Serving suggestions
If you serve cold shrimp salad outdoors, place the serving bowl in a larger bowl with an ice bath so the mayonnaise won’t go bad. This easy salad also tastes great in a lettuce wrap, stuffed in a ripe avocado or fresh tomato, or served on a bed of lettuce! Tastes great on crackers, too!
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Cold Shrimp Salad with Dill
Ingredients
- 1 package Shrimp and Crab Boil seasoning See Recipe Notes
- Old Bay Seasoning (optional) , you can use a Cajun or Creole seasoning as well
- 1 lb. fresh shrimp (Read above post for options for fresh shrimp)
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped (about ¾ cup chopped)
- 2 tablespoons red onion finely chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried dill or 3 tablespoons of fresh dill ,see recipe notes
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise , see recipe notes
- 1 tablespoon citrus juice – fresh lemon or lime juice
- salt and ground white pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, add one package of shrimp/crab boil seasoning and fill pot with water and bring to boil (skip this step if you're using cooked shrimp)1 package Shrimp and Crab Boil seasoning
- Once water is boiling, reduce heat to medium high, add shrimp with shell and tail on1 lb. fresh shrimp
- Cook shrimp 5-8 minutes; remove with strainer; chill on ice until cool
- Peel and devein shrimp; chop finely and set aside; sprinkle with the seasoning mix of your choiceOld Bay Seasoning (optional)
- In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, chopped celery, red onion, dill and lemon or lime juice; combine well2 stalks celery, 2 tablespoons red onion, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon citrus juice – fresh lemon or lime juice, 1 ½ tablespoons dried dill or 3 tablespoons of fresh dill
- Add the seasoned chopped shrimp; coat shrimp well; cover and chill for at least 30 minutes
- Taste for salt and pepper after the salad has chilled in the refrigerator; adjust seasonings accordinglysalt and ground white pepper to taste
Notes
- In a large stockpot, add the package of shrimp/crab boil seasonings.
- Do not open the packet–put it in whole
- Bring the water to a boil
- Reduce the heat to medium high and add the shrimp
- Once the shrimp turn pink, usually in about 5-8 minutes, drain
- Do not rinse the shrimp after draining
- This shrimp salad recipe calls for 1 ½ tablespoons of dried dill; however, if you use fresh dill increase the amount times 3.
- Dried herbs are stronger than fresh and the ratio of dried to fresh is 1:3.
I didn’t have any shrimp boil so just added some seafood seasoning to the pot while cooking the shrimp. It was very good with fresh dill, lemon juice and fresh pepper. Added a couple of shakes of Cajun seasoning.
This is a nice recipe. I added about 1/4 cup of orzo pasta to salad.
If you use canned salad shrimp how do you use the shrimp/crab boil – or can you just sprinkle on some old bay?
Good question!
Canned shrimp is already cooked, so just season with Old Bay!
Yum! I want to eat this right now! I’ve been looking for a shrimp salad recipe and here it is! Thank you.