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Nothing better than a nutrient dense salad topped with spicy Blackened Shrimp Salad and creamy jalapeño dressing. This is a great 30 minute meal to enjoy.
I am a big shrimp lover, especially with a touch of spice. If blackened shrimp is on the menu, you bet I am going to order it! the sweet pineapple and avocado cools things off. You are going to love this.
Why Make Blackened Shrimp Salad
This salad is a great crowd pleaser. I haven’t had any complaints serving it to friends and family, it encapsulates spicy, sweet beach vibes. It’s fresh and you will wow the family! Also try my Blackened Chicken Bowls.
This salad is completely gluten free. It can also easily be made into a dairy free salad by substituting a few ingredients. You can customize it to several diet requirements.
This meal is nutrient dense and customizable with toppings. You can really add or omit what you’d like.
Ingredient Notes
Shrimp. I use Large, raw, peeled and cleaned shrimp. You can use any shrimp size you prefer. I do suggest raw shrimp for the best cook.
Seasonings. black, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, all make up the blackened seasoning. Cumin powder and a few others listed above will be needed for the jalapeño dressing.
Vegetables. Canned black beans, bell peppers, corn kernels and onions are all needed to make this bowl. These are toppings for the salad and can be customized to your liking!
Pineapple. Use fresh or canned pineapple. This adds a nice sweetness to the bowls and cools them down a bit, it gives it a nice summer beach vibe!
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
This salad is great to customize. You can easily make it your own way and there are several ways to work with what you like or have on hand.
Shrimp. If you don’t like shrimp, just use some cubed chicken breasts.
Sour Cream. You can use high protein greek yogurt, mayo or vegan substitutes (sour cream or mayo).
Pineapple. Mango would also work great for this recipe.
Steps To Make This Blackened Shrimp Salad
This salad is easy to put together. The shrimp cooks quickly and it requires little effort to have the meal ready to go.
Step One. Make the creamy jalapeño dressing first. Add all the ingredients to a small blender or food processor. Blitz until everything is mixed together (photo 1). Set aside.
Step Two. Clean the shrimp and pat it dry with paper towels, this helps to keep the seasoning on the shrimp. Add the shrimp to a large bowl. Add in blackened seasonings and mix well (Photo 2). Set aside.
Step Three. In a large cast iron skillet, add 1 tsp of oil over medium/high heat. Add the sliced peppers. Let them sit for about 3-4 minutes before turning to get a nice “char” on the. Once they are softened, place them to the side on a plate.
Step Four. In the same cast iron skillet, add 1 tsp of oil. On medium high heat, add the seasoned shrimp. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until the shrimp is lightly pink (Photo 4).
Step Five. Assemble the salad! Start with the mixed greens, or greens of choice, layer on all the toppings and shrimp. Enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Recipe Tips
- Dry your shrimp! Don’t forget to pat the shrimp with paper towels to ensure the seasoning really sticks to the shrimp.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp! This is easy to do, just make sure to take them off the heat once they turn light pink on all sides.
- Can’t handle heat? No problem, skip the cayenne pepper! This is the spiciest ingredient.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Easily sub cubed chicken breasts for shrimp if needed. Please note the chicken will take longer to cook and needs to come to an internal temp of 165º
It’s not too spicy, but the main ingredient to make it spicy is cayenne pepper. If you are sensitive to heat, I suggest omitting cayenne!
Serving Suggestions
This is a great meal on it’s own and a very hearty salad. I do like to pair it with Honey Roasted Carrots, Garlic Rolls.
Other Shrimp Meals To Try
Blackened Shrimp Salad
Equipment
- large cast iron skillet *or any skillet
- mixing bowls
Ingredients
Creamy Jalapeño Dressing
- ½ cup sour cream , *see notes
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 Jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2-3 Tbsp fresh lime juice, about 1 lime
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt, more as needed
- 1-2 Tbsp water, to thin the sauce as needed.
Blackened Shrimp
- 1 lb large shrimp, deveined, tails removed
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper, *see notes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp salt
Salad & Toppings
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1-2 bell peppers, sliced thinly
- ½ cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup corn kernels, thawed
- ½ cup pineapple chunks
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 8 cups mixed greens
- 1 small avocado, sliced , optional for topping
Instructions
- Make the creamy jalapeño dressing first. Add all the ingredients to a small blender or food processor. Blitz until everything is mixed together. Set aside.
- Clean the shrimp and pat it dry with paper towels, this helps to keep the seasoning on the shrimp. Add the shrimp to a large bowl. Add in blackened seasonings and mix well. Set aside.
- In a large cast iron skillet, add 1 tsp of oil over medium/high heat. Add the sliced peppers. Let them sit for about 3-4 minutes before turning to get a nice "char" on them. Once they are softened, place them to the side on a plate.
- In the same cast iron skillet, add 1 tsp of oil. On medium high heat, add the seasoned shrimp. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until the shrimp is lightly pink.
- Assemble the salad. Start with the mixed greens, or greens of choice, layer on all the toppings and shrimp. Drizzle with dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Dry your shrimp! Don’t forget to pat the shrimp with paper towels to ensure the seasoning really sticks to the shrimp.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp! This is easy to do, just make sure to take them off the heat once they turn light pink on all sides.
- Can’t handle heat? No problem, skip the cayenne pepper! This is the spiciest ingredient.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The shrimp has the perfect spice and the dressing was a wild surprise that we ended up loving! Not overly spicy at all. Great recipe for a healthy weeknight meal.
Hi! I am so happy to hear this. Enjoy!
Very good recipe followed just like you suggested my husband and I both enjoyed it a lot.
What can I use to counteract the cilantro in the dressing?
It was good just strong in that area.
I also cooked an ear of corn then just shaved off the corn it was so good