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This Spicy Shrimp Avocado Salad is fresh, filling, and packed with flavor! Made with juicy shrimp, creamy avocado, fresh veggies, and a simple honey mustard dressing. It’s an easy, protein-packed salad that’s perfect for lunch or a light dinner and ready in just 25 minutes.
I love making shrimp salads because they’re quick, easy, and always satisfying. This one is especially good with the creamy avocado, hard-boiled eggs, and slightly spicy shrimp. As a certified nutrition coach, I also love that it’s a balanced meal with plenty of protein, healthy fats, and fresh vegetables. You can easily adjust the spice level to suit your taste.
Recipe Overview
Key Ingredients
- Shrimp: Use raw, peeled, and deveined shrimp. Fresh or frozen shrimp will work. Just thaw frozen shrimp before cooking.
- Cayenne pepper: Gives the shrimp a spicy kick. Use less if you prefer a milder salad.
- Baby spinach: The base of the salad. You can also use romaine lettuce or mixed greens.
- Avocado: Adds a creamy texture that pairs perfectly with the spicy shrimp.
- Cherry tomatoes and red onion: Add freshness, color, and a little crunch.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Make the salad more filling and add extra protein.
- Corn: Use fresh, grilled, or thawed frozen corn.
- Blue cheese and chives: Add a little extra flavor to finish the salad.
- Honey mustard dressing: A simple mix of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper.
How To Make Shrimp Avocado Salad
- Cook the shrimp: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until pink, opaque, and cooked through.
- Assemble the salad: Add the baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, red onion, sliced eggs, corn, avocado, and cooked shrimp to a large salad bowl.
- Make the dressing: Add the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to a small jar. Close the lid and shake until well combined.
- Serve: Drizzle the dressing over the salad and top with crumbled blue cheese and chopped chives. Serve immediately.
Common Questions
Yes! Frozen shrimp work perfectly for this salad. Thaw them completely and pat them dry before seasoning and cooking.
Yes, but I recommend storing the ingredients separately. You can cook the shrimp, boil the eggs, and prepare the dressing in advance. Slice the avocado and assemble the salad just before serving.
Yes. If you’re using precooked shrimp, there’s no need to cook them again. You can toss them with a little olive oil and seasoning before adding them to the salad.
Notes and Tips
- Don’t overcook the shrimp: Shrimp cook quickly and can become rubbery if left in the skillet too long.
- Adjust the heat: Start with less cayenne pepper if you don’t like spicy food. You can always add more.
- Use a ripe avocado: Choose one that is slightly soft to the touch when you apply a gentle pressure.
- Add the dressing last: Wait until you’re ready to serve so the spinach stays fresh and doesn’t get soggy.
- Let the shrimp cool slightly: This helps keep the spinach from wilting when you assemble the salad.
Simple Variations
You can easily adapt this shrimp salad to what you have on hand.
- Swap the greens: Use chopped romaine, arugula, or spring mix instead of spinach.
- Change the cheese: Try crumbled feta instead of blue cheese, or leave the cheese out.
- Make it mild: Replace the cayenne pepper with smoked paprika or garlic powder.
- Add more veggies: Diced cucumber, bell peppers, or shredded carrots are great additions.
- Change the dressing: Swap the lemon juice for fresh lime juice for a slightly different flavor.
Storage
Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. For the best results, keep the dressing separate and add fresh avocado just before serving.
If you’re meal prepping, cooked shrimp can be stored separately in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
More Salad Recipes
- Zesty Shrimp Avocado Salad
- Avocado Chickpea Tuna Salad
- Green Beans and Tomato Salad
- Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Arugula Salad
- Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Salad
Thanks for stopping by and trying one of my recipes. If you enjoyed it, please leave a rating and share your thoughts in the comments. It really helps, and I love hearing from you.
Spicy Shrimp Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, or to taste
- 4-6 Cups Baby Spinach
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- 1 Small Red Onion, Sliced
- 1 Large Avocado, Sliced
- 4 Hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 Cup Corn, Grilled fresh or frozen/thawed
- 1/4 Cup Crumbled blue cheese
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped Chives
FOR THE DRESSING
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 3 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 1 pound Raw Shrimp, season with salt and 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, and cook 1-2 minutes per side, or until pink and no longer opaque.
- In a large salad bowl, add 4-6 Cups Baby Spinach, 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, 1 Small Red Onion, 4 Hard-boiled eggs, 1/2 Cup Corn, 1 Large Avocado, and the cooked shrimp.
- In a mason jar, combine all dressing ingredients (1 Lemon, 3 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard, 1 Tablespoon Honey, and Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste). Shake vigorously to emulsify.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad and top with 1/4 Cup Crumbled blue cheese and 2 Tablespoons Chopped Chives. Enjoy!
Notes
- Adjust the cayenne pepper to your preferred spice level.
- Use thawed frozen shrimp if fresh shrimp aren’t available.
- Avoid overcooking the shrimp so they stay juicy and tender.
- Add the avocado and dressing just before serving.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, preferably with the dressing separate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I ask is that 400cal per serving ?
Might be a stupid question I kno
Hi. Yes it’s per serving
So delicious! Perfect balance of flavors. I dream about this salad.
This salad was absolutely delicious! I will definitely make it again.
So glad you liked it, Leo. Thanks for the feedback
Wow ! Best healthy meal I have ever had.
Thanks for the great feedback! So glad you liked it.
Perfect for sharing with the family! So delicious
yes! Thank you.