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The perfect light meal, this delicious Shrimp Cocktail Salad topped with an easy homemade cocktail sauce gets dinner on the table in no time.
We also enjoy this refreshing salad for lunch served with crusty white bread. It can even be divided into tall martini glasses for a beautiful classic appetizer with a hint of spice.
Just toss the ingredients, mix the dressing, and pour it on top. Like my Fig Bresaola Salad and Watermelon Feta Chessboard Salad, this shrimp version is a highly requested dish the whole family loves, especially during the summer when all the fruits and veg reach their peak flavor.
Shrimp Cocktail Salad Ingredients
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!
• Gem lettuce: Use gem lettuce or romaine for a delicious crunch.
• Mango: Peel and dice finely for a bit of sweetness. You can replace it with apple or pear.
• Red onion: Use as much or as little as you like. I chop mine very finely to avoid big chunks of onion.
• Avocado: Dice it right before serving so it doesn’t oxidize. Or dice and drizzle lemon juice on top to slow the browning.
• Shrimp: Use fresh or frozen (thawed) cooked shrimp or larger prawns.
• Condiments: You can use any type of mayo, ketchup, sriracha (chili sauce), and Worcestershire sauce you like and have to hand. Adjust the level of spice to your taste.
• Lemon juice: Adds a fresh acidity to this recipe, which balances the creamy dressing and mild shrimp.
• Basil: I like the peppery taste of basil, but finely chopped dill, parsley, or coriander would be tasty, too.
• Sea salt: Balances all the other flavors.
How to Make Shrimp Cocktail Salad
1. Peel and dice the fruit and vegetables.
2. Add them to your serving platter.
3. Top with the cooked shrimp.
4. Mix the mayo, ketchup, sriracha, and Worcestershire sauce. Add lemon juice and sea salt to your liking.
5. Pour the dressing over the salad.
6. Top with finely chopped fresh basil and enjoy!
Possible Variations
• Swap the mayo dressing: Use an olive oil vinaigrette or a store-bought option.
• Add other vegetables: Try finely chopped cucumber, cherry tomatoes, fennel, or radishes.
• Swap the mango: Use grapefruit, strawberries, apple, or pear.
• Make the recipe more filling: Top with cooked pasta or chickpeas.
• Use other fresh herbs: Opt for fresh chopped coriander, dill, or parsley.
FAQs
You can prepare all the elements for the cocktail shrimp salad and place it on a platter a few hours before serving (keep it covered and cool). Sprinkle lemon juice on top of the avocado to prevent oxidation. You can even make the dressing ahead of time, keep it covered in the fridge, and assemble everything right before serving.
Serve it for lunch or dinner with white, crusty bread, or make a shrimp salad appetizer by serving smaller portions in a tall martini glass to enjoy as a starter when you are expecting company.
Other Summer Salads
• Feta Watermelon Salad with Granola
• Watermelon and Halloumi Salad
Shrimp Cocktail Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 gem lettuce, chopped
- 1 mango, peeled and diced
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 2 avocados, diced
- 300 grams shrimp, cooked
- 2 tablespoons basil, chopped
Dressing
- 100 ml mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- lemon juice, to taste
- sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Place all the salad ingredients on a platter: gem lettuce, mango, red onion, avocado, and shrimp.
- Make the dressing: mix mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and sriracha.
- Add lemon juice and sea salt to taste.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
- Sprinkle with finely chopped basil.
- Serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
