Shrimp avocado salad is the perfect light and healthy lunch or dinner. Plump shrimp combine with creamy avocado, tomatoes, red onions, jalapeños, and the simplest dressing. This is freshness in a bowl!
When you are looking for something healthy and fresh to eat, this shrimp avocado salad is the perfect recipe. The salad ingredients come together in the best possible way and then are coated in a flavorful lime infused dressing. This recipe is light, but leaves you feeling satisfied every single time.
Why This Recipe Works
- Balanced: The plump shrimp, the creamy avocado, and crisp veggies come together with perfect harmony.
- Light dressing: The dressing adds a ton of flavor, and a tiny kick of heat, without making the salad too heavy.
- Done in 20 minutes: Chop, drizzle, and toss for an easy meal any day of the week.
- Simple without sacrificing flavor: Fresh ingredients combined with a sweet and spicy dressing.
Shrimp Avocado Salad Ingredients
- Shrimp: Save time by buying pre-cooked, deveined shrimp with the tails removed.
- Tomatoes: A juicy and nutritious pop that tastes so fresh.
- Avocado: Helps make this salad a filling dish and adds a creamy layer. Choose avocados that are dark green and soft, not overly squishy.
- Red onion: Adds a crunch and a burst of flavor.
- Jalapeño: Cut the sides off the jalapeño, then cut into strips, and finely dice. This will eliminate the heat from the ribs and seeds.
- Lime juice: Helps prevent the avocado from turning brown and is the backbone of the light dressing. I recommend using freshly squeezed lime juice for the freshest flavor.
- Hot sauce: A couple of teaspoons of hot sauce adds a kick of flavor without making this salad too spicy.
- Honey: Balances the acidity of the lime juice and rounds out the dressing.
- Extra virgin olive oil: A small splash of oil balances the dressing further and adds another layer of flavor.
- Kosher salt: If using table salt, start with 1/4 teaspoon.
- Fresh cilantro: If you are someone who tastes soap when you eat cilantro, you can leave it out.
How to Make Avocado Shrimp Salad
Toss the chopped shrimp, tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño into a large bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients, then pour the combined dressing into the shrimp mixture and toss to combine. Add the cilantro and fold in the avocado.
Thawing Shrimp
I like to start this salad with pre-cooked shrimp. If you can find fresh (never frozen) shrimp at your supermarket, that will taste best in this salad. Otherwise, use frozen pre-cooked deveined and peeled shrimp.
Thaw the shrimp for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator. Otherwise, you can run cold water over the frozen shrimp until they are thawed. Do not heat the shrimp to thaw them, as you risk overcooking them, giving them an undesirable texture.
Making Ahead
To make this recipe ahead of time, combine all of the ingredients except the avocado and cilantro. Just before serving, add in those ingredients. This will prevent wilted cilantro and browned avocado.
Eating Shrimp Avocado Salad
I love eating this as a cold salad for lunch. I don’t think it needs anything else and makes for a filling and delicious meal. That being said, you can also use it like a salsa or a topping.
- Tostadas: This would be fantastic on top of tostada shells with a little cotija cheese. You can see in my tostada recipe just how easy it is to make tostada shells.
- As a dip: This salad would be fantastic eaten like a dip with tortilla chips.
- Taco filling: This would be delightful as a taco filling.
- As a lettuce wrap: Add a little more nutrients to your meal and keep it low-carb by adding this to some butter lettuce and eating it as a lettuce wrap.
Storing Leftovers
Put any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Because of the dressing, specifically the lime juice, the avocado doesn’t brown as quickly as it normally would. This recipe is best the first day you make it, but I love the leftovers as well. As always, use your best discretion with leftovers. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
If you make this recipe for Shrimp Salad with Avocado, leave a comment. It makes my day to hear from you!
Recipe Video
Shrimp Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked shrimp cut into 1 inch pieces (453.6 grams)
- 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 small red onion chopped
- 1 small jalapeño diced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped fine
- 2 avocados diced
Instructions
- Add the chopped shrimp, tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño to a large bowl.1 pound cooked shrimp, 2 Roma tomatoes, 1/2 small red onion, 1 small jalapeño
- Whisk together the lime juice, hot sauce, honey, olive oil, and salt. Mix into the shrimp mixture and then mix in the cilantro.2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- Gently fold in the avocado and serve.2 avocados
Kathi says
Can not wait to make this salad. Sounds great for a hot summer night. Only thing I will change is nix on the avocados. I was forced to eat them as a kid and still can not stand them, at age 75, today. Thanks for posting this salad.
I hope you enjoy it!
Mary Cate Parker says
Could I make this with chicken in place of the shrimp…my daughter is allergic. Would I need to adjust anything other than a swap of the protein?
The only thing I’m worried about is the cooked chicken absorbing the dressing. I would start with just swapping the chicken for shrimp, but consider that when it is done you might find that you need to make more dressing.
Danielle says
Does the Avocado turn black if this is made ahead of time??
It will brown a little. I would suggest making everything ahead and tossing the avocado in right at the end.