Shrimp Roll is a wonderful summer sandwich made with buttery warm rolls packed with flavorful shrimp salad. This shrimp salad hits all the right spots with shrimp boiled with lemon and herbs and then mixed with celery, herbs, and creamy mayo mixture. If you’re a fan of Lobster Rolls, you will love this Shrimp Roll as well!
Shrimp Roll
I have a long list of go-to summertime recipes, and shrimp rolls are at the top of that list! These are perfect to serve at beach house vacations, pool parties, and all other kinds of summertime festivities.
More often than not, I just make them as a fun dinner for my family to enjoy after a long day of playing in the sun. In just one bite, you’ll feel like you’re at a cabana on the beach – just don’t forget to wash it down with a Piña Colada for the full effect, of course.
Lobster rolls are also a favorite summertime dish, however, these shrimp rolls are much less costly. Unless you live in a coastal town, lobster can have quite the hefty price tag, especially if you’re purchasing enough to feed a family. Instead of breaking the budget, enjoy these shrimp rolls instead.
Ingredients for Shrimp Rolls:
To Cook The Shrimp:
- Shrimp – For best results, try to use fresh shrimp but if you have to use frozen, make sure to thaw them first in the refrigerator overnight. Clean and devein the shrimp prior to using. Trust me, you’ll want to clean the shrimp of it’s digestive vein before cooking and eating it!
- Lemon – Use fresh lemon juice for the recipe. Don’t use the premade bottled juice because there really is a difference in taste.
- Dill Weed – For the brightest flavor, use fresh, not dried dill weed sprigs.
- Bay Leaves – The gentle, almost peppery taste of bay leaves is my not-so secret ingredient for infusing the boiled shrimp with great flavor depth.
- Salt – Use coarse sea salt for the best taste!
- Peppercorns – use whole peppercorns not crushed black pepper.
- Water
Ingredients for the Shrimp Salad:
- Celery – Make sure you’re choosing the freshest celery, that way it provides the crunch we’re looking for. Celery stalks should be vibrantly green and tightly packed.
- Scallions – The mild onion taste that scallions provide is so delicious when paired with the other bold ingredients! You can also use chives.
- Mayonnaise – You can use either full fat or low fat mayonnaise, both are just fine.
- Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice will always yield the best flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – In a pinch, red or white wine vinegar will both work as well.
- Parsley – This herb gives the shrimp salad a touch of peppery earthiness, which balances brilliantly with the tangy and creamy ingredients.
- Dill Weed – Opposite of the parsley, dill weed provides a burst of bright, fresh flavor to the shrimp salad.
- Paprika – I’m big fan of paprika to infuse more flavor into the shrimp salad.
- Black Pepper – Use freshly ground black pepper for the best flavor.
- Salt
For The Sandwiches:
- Hot Dog Buns – Brioche hot dog buns are fantastic in this sandwich!
- Butter – softened salted butter is what will really make these mouthwatering.
How to Clean Shrimp
Start by taking the shell off of the shrimp. The easiest way to do this is to start at the bottom of the tail, start pulling the shell away from the flesh near the legs, and work your way up. Take the shells off completely.
To devein, make a slight incision with a paring knife along the back of shrimp, just deep enough to slice the outer skin. This will expose the vein. Rinse out the cavity with cold water, taking out the vein and any dirt, leaving shrimp nice and clean.
For more information and a helpful video, head to a more detailed post on How to Peel and Devein Shrimp.
How to Make Shrimp Salad
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the lemon juice and halves, bay leaves, dill weed sprigs, salt, and peppercorns to the pot. Simmer.
Add shrimp to the mixture and cook until they’re all opaque and take them out. Allow the shrimp to cool until they’re not too hot to handle.
Dice the shrimp and toss them into a mixing bowl with all of the shrimp salad ingredients. Mix it all together thoroughly.
Let’s Make Shrimp Rolls
Brush the hot dog buns with melted butter on both the inside and outside.
Brown the buns under a broiler, keeping a careful eye on them to ensure they don’t burn.
Stuff each toasted bun with the cooled or room temperature shrimp salad. Enjoy!
Can I use already cooked shrimp from the store for shrimp salad?
Yes, to save time you can use shrimp that come in a cocktail shrimp platter. But remember, that shrimp is steamed or boiled without any additional flavor, so the shrimp salad will not be as flavorful. If you can, do cook them at home in a flavored boiling water. It will only take a few extra minutes.
Can I make shrimp salad ahead of time?
Yes! You can definitely prepare shrimp salad a day before and then just make shrimp rolls the next day. With that in mind, I don’t recommend making shrimp salad more than a day ahead.
What bread should I use?
My absolute favorite rolls to use are brioche hot dog buns. They are soft, delicate, and have a pleasant sweetness that compliments this shrimp salad perfectly. If you can’t find brioche hot dog buns, use other hot dog buns like butter flavored ones. You can also use gluten free bread if needed. I would stay away from pretzel buns only because they are so much more dense and it will be hard to eat shrimp salad with it.
More Shrimp Recipes For The Summer!
Avocado Shrimp Salad – made with delicious boiled shrimp, fresh avocado, fresh dill weed, green onions, and some celery for added crunch
Shrimp Fried Rice – each bite of this shrimp fried rice is loaded with a homemade savory sauce, perfectly cooked rice, fresh vegetables, and flavorful pan seared shrimp
Shrimp Pesto Pasta – a deliciously light summertime entrée with fresh ingredients like basil and garlic in the homemade pesto sauce and sautéed shrimp
Blackened Shrimp – a spicy meal with bold flavors and it only takes about 20 minutes to make
Ingredients
Shrimp:
- 1.5 lbs raw shrimp cleaned and deveined
- 1 lemon
- 3 dill weed sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp kosher coarse salt or coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp whole peppercorns
- 2 quarts water
Shrimp Salad:
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 3 tbsp scallions diced
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh minced parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh minced dill weed
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/8-1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher coarse salt or coarse sea salt
Shrimp Rolls:
- 4-5 brioche hot dog buns
- 2 tbsp salted butter melted
Instructions
Shrimp:
- Clean and de-vein shrimp. Cut lemon in half and squeeze a tablespoon of lemon juice out and set it aside for the shrimp salad.
- Bring water to boil, squeeze in lemon juice from lemon halves and throw in the halves as well. Add bay leaves, dill weed sprigs, salt, and peppercorns. Mix well and simmer for a few minutes.
- Add shrimp to the pot and cook until just turned pink and opaque. (Depending on the size, it will take about 2-3 minutes.)
- Take shrimp out and let them cool until easy to handle.
Shrimp salad:
- Dice shrimp and add them to a mixing bowl.
- Add diced celery, scallions, mayo, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, herbs, and spices. Mix everything very well.
- You can refrigerate shrimp salad for a couple of hours to chill or serve it at room temperature.
Shrimp Rolls:
- Preheat the oven broiler on low and brush hot dog buns with melted butter. Pull them apart very gently and brush some butter on the inside as well.
- Place buttered buns on a baking sheet and let them brown under the broiler. Don’t place it too close to the broiler so the buns don’t burn.
- Divide shrimp salad evenly among the warm rolls and serve with some lemon wedges on the side.
Nutrition
Stuart Borken says
I am a active 80 year old retired physician whose passion is cooking, I was researching recipes for shrimp rolls and reviewed some recipes and then came to yours….you had the best ideas or how to make and present the sandwich. You were practical for the home cook. The recipe could easily be altered according to tastes of the cook….go with a top sliced Chicago Hot Dog brioche bun and saute the sides in buttered pan, change celery to salted and drained English cucumber, add tarragon to the diced herbs. Or, do none of these things. Your recipe is wonderful. I subscribed to your blog.