Summery Grilled Shrimp Salad

This hearty grilled shrimp salad is a perfect example of my Salad For Dinner strategy for cooking healthy-ish and deliciously. We don't want to overdo the bacon, but in this case twisted bacon adds a delicious crunch and complements the shrimp, avocado, tomatoes and corn. This grilled shrimp salad is a great summer entertaining dish that you can largely prep in advance.

What Type of Shrimp?

Use the largest shrimp you can find and afford. I use 6-8 count, which means there are 6 - 8 shrimp per pound. Smaller, higher count shrimp will be less expensive. Don't be afraid of frozen shrimp; most shrimp was frozen at some point. Typically the fresh shrimp found behind the counter has merely been thawed by your fishmonger or grocer. Bon Appetit makes the argument that frozen shrimp are fresher than thawed "fresh" shrimp, because you control how long they have been thawed. You also have the choice between whole shrimp and peeled and deveined shrimp. I am lazy and prefer to buy my shrimp peeled and deveined, but the choice is yours.

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Preparing the Shrimp

I use a method for preparing and grilling the shrimp that I learned from Kenji Lopez at Serious Eats. Kenji tosses the uncooked shrimp in a combination of baking powder and salt. He threads them tightly on two skewers. And lets the surface of the shrimp dry in the refrigerator. This process helps keep the shrimp juicy and at the same time promotes grill marks when they are grilled. The shrimp can be grilled several hours ahead of time. And tossed with marinade after they are cooked. This allows the shrimp to absorb more of the marinade flavor. Store them in the fridge until you are ready to assemble your salad.

Twisted Bacon

Oven-cooked twisted bacon is my new favorite way to cook bacon. It is so good I have served it as an appetizer! There are all kinds of benefits to this Tik-Tok-famous method. First, you can get an entire pound of bacon on one baking sheet. Second, it keeps the bacon juicy inside and crispy on the outside. Third, the oven method keeps your stove top clean. And finally, it is a hands-off process that allows you to devote your attention to preparing the shrimp and dressing instead of being splattered as you hover over the stove, cooking bacon the traditional stove top way.

Make Your Dressing in a Food Processor or Blender

Why? It is so much easier and takes only a fraction of the time it would take to chop your shallots, garlic and cilantro. Plus a food processor creates a wonderful emulsion that stays together, rather than separating like many hand-prepped dressings do. Check out my post on Food Processors and you will see why I love them and how they help me eat more healthfully. If a full-sized food processor is not in your budget, there are many smaller models as well as a wonderful, inexpensive  Mini-Prep made by Cuisinart that is great for making dressing, chopping herbs, grinding nuts and more.

Time Required

I am not going to deceive you, this grilled shrimp salad recipe has a few steps and takes a little time to make. You can prep it largely in advance. The shrimp can be prepped in the morning and grilled in advance, as can the corn and asparagus. You can make the dressing a day in advance and the bacon can be prepared several hours in advance. The lettuce can be cleaned, spun and dried a day or two before you serve the salad. So if you are a make-ahead kind of person, this salad will work very well for you. The good news is this grilled shrimp salad is a complete meal in itself. If you like this Grilled Shrimp Salad, check out my recipe for Minted Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Jicama Tortillas. Print