This Shrimp Roll Recipe made with succulent shrimp tossed in a cool, creamy sauce and stuffed inside a buttery toasted bun. These shrimp rolls are everything you want in a lobster roll, but made more affordable by using shrimp in place of lobster. My secret is using red Argentine shrimp, which taste pretty close to lobster, but any shrimp works great.
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Unless you live in New England, lobster may not be an accessible, affordable option all the time and sweet red Argentine shrimp are the perfect replacement in this simple recipe.
I always have at least one bag of frozen shrimp in my freezer on hand for quick and easy recipes and having Trader Joe’s Argentinian red shrimp means I can easily satisfy my shrimp lobster roll craving any night of the week!
Looking for more creative ways to cook with seafood? Try making a hearty Fisherman’s Stew or these easy sheet pan Shrimp Fajitas next!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Simple Summer Food. Is there anything better on a hot summer day than a creamy and delicious chilled seafood sandwich with a pile of potato chips? Nope!
- Cheaper Than Lobster. Argentine red shrimp are the best, sweetest shrimp to use as a replacement in a lobster roll. Your taste buds will really love flavor and how similarly it compares to lobster. Plus, they’re super affordable.
- Great to Make Ahead. This recipe is perfect for entertaining or to stock your vacation house refrigerator as shrimp filling keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Way to Repurpose Shrimp. If you find yourself with an abundance of leftover shrimp – like shrimp cocktails from last night’s party, this is the perfect recipe to repurpose it into another delicious meal!
Shrimp Roll Ingredients
If you love lobster rolls, then you’re definitely familiar with the great lobster roll debate between which is better, Maine vs. Connecticut style. Essentially, the difference is one is served cold with mayo and the other, warm with butter. We’re going with a Maine mayo style which requires just a few simple ingredients that enhance and don’t overpower the delicate and unique flavor of the shrimp.
- Shrimp: I highly recommend Argentine wild-caught red shrimp because they are succulent and sweet with a texture and taste compared to lobster. I see them often at my regular local grocery store, but Trader Joe’s usually has them available in the freezer section. You can definitely substitute any kind of your favorite shrimp though they won’t have the same similarity wild Argentinian red shrimp have to the taste and mouthfeel of lobster.
- Mayonnaise: Make sure to use a good quality mayo. The flavors are super simple in this recipe and you will taste the difference.
- Herbs and veggies: Celery adds some crunchy texture, while chives add a mild onion flavor. You can easily replace the chives with tarragon for a different herby flavor.
- Lemon: Essential for brightening the flavors. You can even have extra lemon wedges sliced up on the side for everyone to squeeze more on top if they want it.
- Split-top brioche hot dog buns: These are the absolute best buns for shrimp rolls. They’re soft, light, buttery and perfect for this recipe.
- Old Bay seasoning: I like to add just a pinch for extra flavor but you can leave it out if you don’t have it.
Check the full list of ingredients with quantities in the recipe card below.
How to Make Shrimp Rolls
To get started, you want to cook the shrimp. My preferred cooking method for this shrimp roll recipe is to poach the shrimp in water with aromatics like lemon slices, celery scraps, a bay leaf, a generous amount of salt, and some whole peppercorns.
Step 1: Make the dressing. Combine the mayo, lemon juice, minced celery, chives, Old Bay seasoning and a pinch of salt and some fresh cracked black pepper in a large bowl.
Step 2: Make the filling. Add the shrimp to the dressing and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Prep the rolls. Use a serrated knife to slice off a thin slice of the bun on each side, exposing the bready interior of the bun. This makes the sides flat, ensuring maximum bread surface area in contact with the pan.
Toast the buns: Soften a few tablespoons of butter and spread it over the cut sides of the bun. Toast the buns in a hot pan until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side.
Step 5: Assemble. Add the shrimp roll filling to your toasted bun. Serve immediately with potato chips or your favorite side.
Expert Tips
- Defrosting the Shrimp. You can quickly and easily defrost raw shrimp by running it under cold water in a colander.
- Toast the Buns. Do not skip this step! The buttery, toasty buns is key to this shrimp roll recipe.
- To Chop or Not? I prefer to leave the shrimp whole, as I find cutting it into pieces takes away from the succulent meaty texture. But feel free to cut the shrimp in 2-3 pieces if you find it’s easier to eat.
- Serve Immediately. Shrimp rolls are best enjoyed as soon as they’re made so the bun doesn’t get soggy.
- Storing Tip. Store the leftover shrimp mixture separately in a small container for up to three days. I highly recommending toasting fresh buns when you eat the leftovers.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this recipe is perfect for using up leftover shrimp or using defrosted frozen shrimp that’s already cooked. I prefer to use raw shrimp as a I find the method of poaching them infuses the shrimp with extra flavor.
They are large deep water shrimp that are wild-caught in the icy cold water off the coast of Patagonia. They have a sweet flavor with a meaty texture, and a taste have been closely compared to lobster. These beauties are naturally red in color when raw whereas most traditional shrimp varieties are blue or gray and turn pink or reddish when cooked.
Argentine red shrimp are especially unique in that they have a short reproduction cycle of 12-16 months, meaning that they can be harvested in large quantities without depleting natural resources. They are one of the most sustainable, affordable and delicious seafood options you can buy.
Kettle cooked potato chips are the classic pairing along with some lemon wedges. But just about any sandwich side dish such as potato salad, cole slaw, French fries, or a salad goes great.
Shrimp Roll Sandwich Roll
Ingredients
- 1 pound Argentinian wild-caught red shrimp
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ¼ cup minced celery
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning optional
- 4 split top brioche hot dog buns
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Defrost, peel, devein and clean raw shrimp. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add aromatics for poaching. (See recipe post). Bring poaching liquid to a boil and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add shrimp, remove from heat and let stand for 2-3 minutes until shrimp are cooked through. Dunk into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
- In a large bowl, combine mayo, lemon juice, minced celery, chives, salt and pepper and Old Bay seasoning if using.
- Remove tails from shrimp. Either leave whole or cut shrimp into bite sized pieces and add to the dressing.
- Toss to combine, taste and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Use a serrated knife to trim a thin slice off the sides of each brioche bun. Spread the cut sides with softened butter and toast until golden brown in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Divide the shrimp mixture between the buns, top with more chives and serve immediately.
Notes
- Shrimp filling can be made ahead of time and will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Don’t skip toasting the bun. It brings flavor and texture to the shrimp roll.
- Serve with the classic pairing of kettle cooked potato chips or your favorite side dishes.
- Feel free to use another variety of shrimp or even leftover shrimp.
Nutrition
mark
Great recipe and simple to boot!! I followed the recipe but did chop the shrimp as I made spring rolls with them. I also made the recipe using Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning and made spring rolls with them as well. Both ways produced great-tasting shrimp and were quickly devoured by the guests! Made them for the family with the same results!
Britney
These were so easy to make and perfect for my Labor Day get together. Thanks for the recipe!
Camille
I made these for the labor day cookout and they were such a hit. The directions are super easy to follow and the shrimp rolls were soo delicious. Thank you so much! xx
Jen
This red shrimp roll made such a delicious sandwich! I’m a massive shrimp lover so I really enjoyed it. This will be added to my lunch menu.
Robin
We always have a bag or two of this shrimp in the freezer so I knew I had to make this when I saw the recipe on Instagram. I’m a sandwich gal so I knew they would be amazing – I didn’t know about the sustainability component of the shrimp variety however so I’m pleased I can continue to enjoy these sandwiches guilt free.
Marta
Surprisingly enough I was able to pick up Argentine shrimp here at my local seafood monger. We made these shrimp rolls for our lunch and wished we made double for dinner, they were that good.