Shrimp Avocado Salad

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When you need a change from plain bowls of leafy greens, this shrimp avocado salad recipe is the perfect dish! With tender spiced shrimp, creamy avocado, crisp veggies, and an herby, tangy dressing, avocado shrimp salad makes a refreshing meal when you don’t feel like cooking much.

This salad is a lot like an avocado chicken salad or shrimp ceviche, but with a zesty Cajun flair like my Cajun shrimp Caesar salad. You can certainly serve it on its own, but see below for other serving ideas!

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for salad with shrimp and avocado, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Salad:

• Large Shrimp – Smaller shrimp works best (I used 31/40 size), so that it’s in bite-sized pieces. If you use larger shrimp, you may want to chop it up before mixing into the salad. Make sure your shrimp is peeled and deveined. Leave the tails on for best flavor, or remove them for more convenient eating.
• Cajun Seasoning – You can use a pre-made blend, or make your own homemade Cajun seasoning with a few simple ingredients. My version already has salt, but you’ll want to add salt to the shrimp if yours is unsalted. Alternatively, you can swap this with taco seasoning for a Mexican spin.
• Olive Oil – For marinating shrimp. I prefer extra virgin olive oil, but any neutral oil works.
• Garlic – Mince it fresh, or use a jarred minced garlic for convenience.
• Lime Juice – Adds more flavor to the shrimp marinade. You could also use lemon juice. A fresh squeezed lime or bottled lime juice will work.
• Avocado – Use a medium, ripe avocado.
• Red Onion – The flavor of red onion shines in this recipe for shrimp salad with avocado, but any onion will work.
• Bell Pepper – Use any color you like. I used red for a pop of color.

Avocado And Shrimp Salad Dressing:

• Cilantro – Fresh cilantro is best here. I don’t recommend using dried, but if you must, you’ll need 1 teaspoon dried to replace each tablespoon fresh.
• Lime Juice – You can also use lemon juice, but the lime flavor pairs so well with cilantro!
• Olive Oil – Use extra virgin olive oil for best flavor, but regular olive oil or avocado oil both also work fine.
• Salt & Pepper – For easy seasoning.

VARIATION: Add tomatoes!

You can dice larger tomatoes (remove the seeds so that the salad doesn’t get watery) or use halved cherry tomatoes.

How To Make Shrimp Avocado Salad

This section shows how to make shrimp salad with avocado, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

1. Marinate. Add shrimp, Cajun seasoning, oil, garlic, and lime juice to a bowl. Toss to combine and set aside.

TIP: Avoid marinating shrimp for longer than 15 minutes.

Marinating for too long in the lime juice will cause the acid to cook the shrimp and it’ll turn into ceviche. You can do this, though, if you want to skip the skillet step.

2. Make dressing. Add dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Cook. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook on both sides, until pink and opaque. Remove from the skillet and cool to room temperature.
4. Plate. Combine avocado, bell pepper, and onion in a serving bowl. Top with shrimp and dressing, then toss to coat.

Storage Instructions

• Store: This salad is best fresh, but if you have leftovers, transfer them to a covered container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. The avocado may brown, but will still be safe to eat.
• Meal prep: Cook shrimp, make dressing, and cut all veggies except avocado. Store separately, then assemble with avocado just before serving.

Ways To Serve Avocado Shrimp Salad

This recipe for shrimp avocado salad tastes delicious all on its own, but you can also serve it in other ways:

• Greens – Serve over romaine lettuce or other leafy greens. You can also make lettuce wraps!
• Tacos – Use as a filling for tacos. (Keep ’em healthy with jicama tortillas!)
• Bowls – Skip the cooling step for the shrimp and serve warm over rice or cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
• Dip – Scoop the salad with your favorite chips, crackers, or even veggies. (I like almond flour crackers or low carb tortilla chips!)

More Healthy Summer Salad Recipes

For easy, meaty salads that take minimal prep time, look no further than these delicious dishes:

Healthy Taco Salad

Tuna Egg Salad

Spinach Bacon Salad

Green Goddess Salad

Ahi Tuna Salad

BLT Salad

5 from 6 votes

Shrimp Avocado Salad (20 Minutes!)

This shrimp avocado salad combines juicy seafood with crisp veggies, Cajun flavors, and a zesty dressing! Best of all, it takes just 20 minutes.

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)

Convert:

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Ingredients

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Shrimp:

• 1 lb Large shrimp (31/40 size, peeled and deveined) ▢
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning ▢
• 2 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 2 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
• 1 tbsp Lime juice ▢

Salad:

• 1 medium Avocado (chopped) ▢
• 1/2 medium Red onion (sliced thinly) ▢
• 1 large Red bell pepper (chopped) ▢

Cilantro Lime Dressing:

• 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro (chopped) ▢
• 2 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 1 tbsp Lime juice ▢
• 1 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, seasoning, olive oil, minced garlic, and lime juice. Toss to combine and set aside to marinate for 10-15 minutes. (Alternatively, you can marinate for 30-60 minutes, or overnight, which will "cook" the shrimp like ceviche. In this case you can skip the skillet part, which is step 4.)

2. Meanwhile, prepare and chop the other salad ingredients: avocado, red onion, and bell pepper.

3. To make the dressing, whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through, until pink and opaque. Remove from the pan and cool to room temperature.

5. In a large bowl, combine the chopped vegetables, shrimp, and dressing. Stir gently to coat in dressing.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 304

Fat 22g

Protein 17g

Total Carbs 10.7g

Net Carbs 5.7g

Fiber 5g

Sugar 2.5g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keywords: avocado shrimp salad, shrimp and avocado salad, shrimp avocado salad

Calories: 304 kcal

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