The World's BEST Shrimp Salad

The World’s BEST Shrimp Salad- A summertime favorite made with steamed shrimp, plenty of Old Bay, and a secret ingredient that sends this over the top.

July 26, 2026 by Nicole Collins

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Today, we’re making The World’s BEST Shrimp Salad!

Yes, I know that’s a big claim. And, I’m fully prepared to stand on it!

I’ve been making shrimp salad for my whole life. Shrimp, mayo, celery, old bay. That’s it. And it’s always been delish. But, I’ve also always known that something was missing. Even when I buy shrimp salad out at a restaurant or deli, most of the time it’s good. But, I just couldn’t put my finger on what would make it better.

Then one evening, my mother and I were having a random conversation about my mac salad. And something clicked in my brain. I make a shrimp and macaroni salad that is my most popular, most requested, and most shared recipe of all time. The answer had been right in front of me the whole time. Season my shrimp salad the way I season my shrimp and mac salad. So, that’s exactly what we’re doing today!

In my opinion, shrimp salad has to start with steamed shrimp. There’s just something about the texture when it’s steamed that feels like a requirement…still firm, but juicy. I’ve made shrimp salad with roasted shrimp, and it’s just not the same. I’ve taught you guys how to make steamed shrimp before, so just refer back to that recipe. Or where I’m from, you can buy it at all the seafood shops. That’s acceptable too!

The dressing for our shrimp salad is simple: mayo, Old Bay, and one secret ingredient…sugar. Every time someone learns that I put sugar in my mac salad, they always challenge me on it. But, it follows the basic principles of building flavor. We balance savory with either fat, heat, or sweet. So, I promise, it works! We just need a little bit of sugar to balance out the ultra savory Old Bay. And I do believe that’s the puzzle piece that’s been missing this whole time.

To finish the shrimp salad, I like to add in some finely minced celery AND onion (same as the mac salad recipe), and that’s really all it needs. Give everything a good mix. Toss it in the fridge for an hour or so to let the flavors blend together. And that is the world’s BEST shrimp salad! Simple. Classic. Delish.

There may not be anything particularly eye catching about this shrimp salad, but the flavors do all the talking. Serve it on a bun, in a croissant, with some crackers or chips…it’s super versatile. Truthfully, most of this goes straight from bowl to mouth, serving vessel not needed, in this house.

Ok, everyone. So, is this the world’s BEST shrimp salad? I can’t wait for you to try this and let me know what you think!

I hope you enjoy. And, let’s eat!

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World’s Best Shrimp Salad

Serves: 4          Print

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise

• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

• 1 stalk celery, minced

• 1 tbsp yellow onion, minced

• 1 lb steamed shrimp, peeled and chopped

Directions:

1. Add mayo, Old Bay, and sugar to a bowl, and mix well until combined.

2. Add celery, onion, and shrimp to the bowl. Toss well until fully combined. Allow to chill for 1 hr before serving. Enjoy!
   

Recipe notes:

*Sometimes, I’ll buy steamed shrimp from a local store. Or sometimes, I’ll make my super easy recipe for homemade steamed shrimp.

*This shrimp salad is great on a sandwich, in a wrap, in a lettuce boat, with chips or crackers…so many options on how to enjoy!

*Some people prefer to use smaller shrimp and leave them whole in shrimp salad, but I prefer using bigger shrimp and dicing them. You do whichever you prefer.