Grilled Shrimp Salad
Published May 20, 2026
Easy shrimp salad recipe with grilled spiced shrimp, fresh vegetables, and a creamy Greek yogurt lime dressing. Simple to make ahead and great for lunch or dinner.
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My Grilled Shrimp Salad is So Good!
When it’s grilling season, I’m all about this grilled shrimp salad recipe. The shrimp get a quick toss in a spicy seasoning before cooking on the grill for ONLY 4 minutes! The salad itself has lots of fresh vegetables, and I make a homemade creamy dressing with Greek yogurt with lime, chili powder, and a little honey. It’s creamy without being heavy, and it has just enough kick that it plays really well against the sweetness of the corn and the saltiness of the feta. I make it right in the bowl I’m going to toss everything in, so there’s one less thing to wash.
I make this shrimp salad recipe more often as a main than a side. The shrimp, avocado, and feta make it filling enough to be dinner. If I’m prepping ahead, I keep the dressing, shrimp, and avocado separate and put everything together right before eating so nothing gets watery or sad looking.
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This recipe was part of our monthly Cooking Challenge for June 2025!
Grilled Shrimp Salad Ingredients
- Shrimp: Use large shrimp, peeled and deveined, for this grilled shrimp salad. (For help, see my tips on how to peel shrimp.) Large shrimp hold up better on the grill and are easier to time correctly than smaller sizes. Fresh or frozen both work if using frozen, thaw completely and pat dry before seasoning, so the spices actually stick instead of sliding off with the moisture. If your grill grates have a lot of space between them, use a skewer and cook the shrimp that way. See my grilled shrimp recipe for the steps to do this.
- Shrimp seasoning: Olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. The smoked paprika gives the shrimp a slightly charred, grilled flavor even if your grill isn’t blazing hot. Regular paprika still works, but the flavor will be noticeably lighter.
- Salad base: Romaine, cherry tomatoes, corn, and red onion. Frozen corn works great here — just thaw it completely and drain it well so it doesn’t water down the dressing. Slice the red onion thin so it doesn’t overpower everything else.
- Salad toppings: Persian cucumbers, avocado, and crumbled feta go on top right before serving. Persian cucumbers are less watery than regular cucumbers and don’t need to be seeded, which makes prep easier. Chop the avocado just before serving so it doesn’t brown. If you’re prepping ahead, keep all three separate until you’re ready to eat. For the feta, crumbling it from a block makes a difference. Pre-crumbled feta is drier and doesn’t have the same creaminess.
- Shrimp salad dressing: Greek yogurt, olive oil, fresh lime juice, honey, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Use plain full-fat Greek yogurt; low-fat versions can make the dressing thinner and a bit watery. Fresh lime juice is better than bottled here. The honey balances the chili and lime without making it sweet, so don’t skip it.
How to Make Grilled Shrimp Salad
These photos walk you through how to make this grilled shrimp salad with lettuce, from seasoning the shrimp to plating. For the full ingredient list and instructions, jump to the → Grilled Shrimp Salad Recipe
1. Season the Shrimp
Toss the shrimp with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until everything is evenly coated. Let it sit for about 10 minutes while the grill heats up. It doesn’t need long, just enough time for the seasoning to stick to the shrimp.
2. Grill the Shrimp
The shrimp cook fast, about 2 minutes per side on a hot grill. Watch for them to curl and turn pink all the way through, then pull them off. Leave them too long, and they get rubbery, and there’s no fixing that.
3. Make the Dressing
Whisk the Greek yogurt, olive oil, lime juice, honey, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl until smooth. The dressing will look creamy and slightly orange-pink from the chili powder. Taste it and adjust the lime or salt before the salad goes in.
4. Toss the Salad
Add the romaine, cherry tomatoes, corn, and red onion directly to the bowl with the dressing and toss until everything is coated. Using the same bowl keeps the mess down and makes sure the greens get dressed evenly rather than just on top.
5. Plate the Salad
Transfer the dressed salad to a large serving platter so there’s room to layer everything on top evenly.
6. Add Grilled Shrimp
Scatter the shrimp across the salad, then add the sliced cucumbers, chopped avocado, and crumbled feta. Serve right away once the avocado is on; this doesn’t hold up well if it sits.
Full Grilled Shrimp Salad Recipe
Grilled Shrimp Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the Shrimp
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled & deveined
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Dressing
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped about 6 cups
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halves
- 2 cups frozen corn thawed
- ½ red onion sliced
- 2 Persian cucumbers sliced
- 1 avocado chopped
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- In a bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Let sit for 10 minutes while preparing the grill. Grill shrimp for 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove from grill.
- In a large bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, olive oil, lime juice, honey, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Add the lettuce, tomatoes, corn, and red onion and toss to combine.
- When ready to serve, top with grilled shrimp, cucumbers, avocado, and feta, and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Preheat grill. Not only does this give you 10 to 15 minutes for the shrimp to marinate, but a hot grill cooks food faster, adds better flavor, and prevents food from sticking to the grates.
- Toss the lettuce and dressing right before serving. Romaine unlike, say, kale gets soggy when it sits in salad dressing.
- Use a grill basket or skewers to cook the shrimp. That’s if you’re worried about the falling through the grates! I use large shrimp to avoid this altogether.
- Taste the dressing before tossing. Greek yogurt brands vary in tang, and some limes are stronger than others. Adjust the salt or add a little more lime before the salad goes in.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with flatbread. This grilled shrimp salad is filling on its own, but having something to scoop up the last of the dressing is always a good idea. Try my homemade pita bread, zaatar manakeesh, or homemade naan.
- Pair with a light soup. If I’m making this for lunch and want something warm alongside it, a bowl of Lebanese crushed lentil soup or black bean soup works well.
FAQs
Yes, you do! If you don’t, the water on the shrimp will stop it from absorbing the oil and spices, and they’ll take longer to cook.
You can marinate the shrimp for 2 hours ahead of time! Shrimp starts to get mushy if it’s marinated beyond that.
Comments
Excellent! Delish, easy to pull together weeknight dinner. Will put this in rotation.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear you’re adding it to your dinner rotation!
What a perfect salad for a hot night. I can’t wait to make it again with fresh tomato, corn and cucumber from the market. The smoke from the pellet grill added a subtle flavor boost to the paprika in the marinade. The feta took the refreshing veg to the next level.
Yay! So happy you love it!! Thank you!
Delicious and refreshing too! It’s the perfect light salad for the summer! We just had a major heat wave and this was the perfect lunch for those hot days!
Yay! So happy you liked it and found it refreshing!! Thanks!
Could I use regular paprika instead of smoked?
Yes, absolutely!
So refreshing and delicious!
Thank you, David! So happy you liked it!
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