Shrimp Salad with Citrus Dressing
on Aug 15, 2021, Updated Apr 28, 2025
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Light but satisfying, a beautiful main dish summer salad recipe with a bright and citrusy dressing.
This is a grilled shrimp salad recipe that’s robust and light at the same time. It will make you feel like you had a real lunch, but not at the expense of remaining bouncy and alert for the rest of the afternoon.
While you’re grilling the shrimp, you may as well make Grilled Pineapple, Grilled Bruschetta, or Grilled Peaches. Leftover salad will keep in the fridge for up to a day. However, if you are planning to make this ahead of time, don’t add the avocado or dress the salad until just before serving.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
The citrus shrimp salad dressing (as the name suggests) leans heavily into the bright acidic flavors of citrus, namely lime and orange. If you want to use lemon instead of the lime, go right ahead.
- Shrimp – Grilled shrimp in the summer is truly one of life’s great pleasures.
- Olive oil – For grilling and making the dressing.
- Zest and juice of 1 lime – Using both the zest and juice provides a brighter and zestier lime flavor.
- Juice of 1 orange – For a sweet, acidic note.
- Red pepper flakes – To taste.
- Avocados – Make sure to mix the diced avocado in at the end so it doesn’t get brown or mushy.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Arugula – Optional, but adds a lovely peppery note and fluffs up the salad.
Kitchen Smarts
You can also consider cooking the shrimp differently. How to Sauté Shrimp on the Stove or How to Air Fry Shrimp.
How to Make Shrimp Citrus Salad
- Prepare to grill: If you are using wooden skewers, place them in a container with water to cover for 30 minutes. Preheat the grill to medium-high.
- Make the dressing: Combine the olive oil, the lime zest and juice, orange juice, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Grill the shrimp: Toss the shrimp with the remaining tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Skewer and then grill the shrimp. Remove the shrimp from the skewers.
- Make the salad: In a large, shallow serving bowl, combine the tomatoes, onions, and half the cilantro. Add half of the dressing and toss. Add the diced avocados and cooked shrimp to the bowl and toss. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and sprinkle with the remaining fresh cilantro. Serve, perhaps over a bed of arugula.
Shrimp Grilling Tips
- The size of the skewers you use to grill the shrimp doesn’t matter since the shrimp gets removed from the skewers and added to the salad.
- If you want to use bigger shrimp for a more dramatic presentation, go for it; just add a minute or two more to the cooking time as needed.
Tips, Substitutions and Variations
I like to serve this salad over a bed of arugula, which catches the extra dressing from the salad. Any lettuce would be great, from watercress to frisee to plain old romaine.
Saving some of the dressing for drizzling over the plated product ensures that there will be enough to moisten the lettuce. Saving half of the fresh cilantro leaves to sprinkle over the top gives it a pretty fresh pop of herby flavor. Hate cilantro? That’s ok; use parsley.
If you wanted to make this in a bigger batch for a larger crowd, you might consider serving it cobb salad-style in rows. You could also add some other vegetables if you like, like sliced hearts of palm or cooked corn.
What to Serve With Citrus Shrimp Salad
More Shrimp Salad Recipes
- Grilled Shrimp Salad
- Shrimp and Orzo Salad
- Summer Shrimp and Avocado Salad
- Shrimp and Corn Salad with Basil Dressing
- Vietnamese Green Mango Salad with Shrimp
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Shrimp Salad with Citrus Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- Juice of 1 orange
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 pound large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- 2 avocados
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
- ½ red onion (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves (divided)
- 4 cups arugula (optional)
Instructions
- If you are using wooden skewers, place them in a container with water to cover for 30 minutes. Preheat the grill to medium-high.
- For the dressing, in a small bowl or container. combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, the lime zest and juice, orange juice, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, toss shrimp with the remaining tablespoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Thread the shrimp onto skewers.
- Carefully oil the grill rack. Grill the shrimp over medium heat until they turn pink and are just cooked through, about 4 minutes in all, turning the shrimp halfway during cooking. Let cool to room temperature, and remove the shrimp from the skewers.
- In a large shallow serving bowl, combine the tomatoes, onions, and half the cilantro. Add the half of the dressing and toss. Peel and half the avocados, remove the pit, and dice. Add the avocados and cooked shrimp to the bowl and toss gently to combine. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, and sprinkle with the remaining fresh cilantro.
- Serve in the bowl, or serve over the arugula on individual plates.
Notes
- The size of the skewers you use to grill the shrimp doesn’t matter, since the shrimp get removed from the skewers and added to the salad. If you want to use bigger shrimp for a more dramatic presentation go for it, just add a minute or two more to the cooking time as needed.
- The shrimp are coated in plain olive oil and salt, which adds a bit of flavor and prevents them from sticking. They will get another boost of flavor from the dressing once the salad is assembled.
- You can also consider cooking the shrimp differently. If grilling isn’t your thing or you prefer a different method, check out How to Sauté Shrimp on the Stove or How to Fry Shrimp.
