Can You Add Shrimp to Macaroni Salad? Here’s How to Do it Right

Macaroni salad is a classic American picnic and potluck dish. The cold pasta salad is creamy, tangy, and refreshing – perfect for sharing at gatherings during the warmer months. While traditional macaroni salad contains just a few simple ingredients like pasta, mayonnaise, onions, and celery, the dish can easily be customized and enhanced with mix-ins. One delicious addition to take this pasta salad to the next level is shrimp. Adding cooked shrimp creates a main-dish worthy macaroni salad with protein that makes it even more substantial and satisfying.

So can you add shrimp to macaroni salad? The short answer is yes. Shrimp macaroni salad is absolutely delicious, and it’s easy to make this seafood twist on the classic pasta salad at home. Whether you want to spice up your usual macaroni salad recipe or you’re looking for a new shrimp salad recipe to add to your repertoire combining shrimp and macaroni salad is a fantastic option for your next picnic potluck, or weeknight dinner.

In this article I’ll share why shrimp macaroni salad is so tasty, along with tips for making the best shrimp pasta salad at home. You’ll find a foolproof shrimp macaroni salad recipe, as well as ideas for customizing it to suit your tastes. Let’s dive in!

Why Shrimp Macaroni Salad is So Good

Shrimp and macaroni salad just makes sense. The pasta salad base provides a neutral canvas that benefits from the addition of tasty mix-ins and shrimp is an ideal choice. Here are some of the reasons shrimp macaroni salad is so delicious

• It adds protein and makes the salad more of a meal. Traditional macaroni salad is tasty but pretty light on protein and substance. Adding shrimp to mac salad increases the protein quotient considerably, making it much more filling and meal-worthy. Just 3-4 ounces of shrimp supplies over 20 grams of protein.

• Shrimp offers great flavor and texture. Shrimp has a sweet, briny seafood flavor that enhances macaroni salad beautifully. When cooked properly, shrimp offers a firm, bouncy texture that gives this pasta salad extra dimension.

• The ingredients pair together wonderfully. The creamy pasta pairs perfectly with sweet pink shrimp. Onions, celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and seasonings like dill and Old Bay also complement shrimp beautifully in pasta salad.

• It allows you to use up leftovers. Got leftover boiled or grilled shrimp? Tossing it into macaroni salad is a tasty way to use up leftovers and reduce food waste. Even frozen pre-cooked shrimp works great.

• It’s customizable. While shrimp mac salad is delicious made simply, you can also add other mix-ins to create your own signature version. More on customization in a bit!

How to Choose Shrimp for Macaroni Salad

When making shrimp pasta salad, you’ll want to choose shrimp that are already cooked since the macaroni salad won’t be heated after assembly. Here are some good options:

• Pre-cooked frozen shrimp: Thaw according to package directions. These are often already peeled, deveined, and ready to go.

• Refrigerated pre-cooked shrimp: You can often find these ready-to-eat shrimp in the seafood section of the grocery store near fresh fish.

• Leftover shrimp: Maybe you grilled or boiled a batch of shrimp. Simply chop or slice the cooled shrimp before adding it to the pasta salad.

The size of the shrimp is up to you. Many prefer salad or medium shrimp for pasta salad since they easily incorporate into each bite vs. large shrimp.

How to Make Shrimp Macaroni Salad

Now let’s get to the fun part – how to actually make this sensational shrimp macaroni salad!

The process is simple:

1. Cook the pasta and chill it.

2. Make the dressing.

3. Prepare any additional ingredients like vegetables.

4. Combine everything and chill before serving!

Here are more details on each step:

Cook the pasta: Elbow macaroni or small shell pasta are classic choices, but you can use any small pasta shape. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.

Make the dressing: Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, yellow mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dill, and any other seasonings you want. You’ll want about 1 cup of dressing for every 8 ounces of pasta.

Prep any mix-ins: Chop up any crunchy veggies like celery, bell pepper, and onion. Chop hard boiled eggs if using. Drain, rinse, and chop the shrimp if needed.

Combine and chill: In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, shrimp, vegetables, and enough dressing to coat everything well. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Customize away! Now is the time to personalize your shrimp mac salad with ingredients you love. More ideas below!

Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe

This shrimp and macaroni salad recipe from The Life Jolie is absolutely delicious. With its creamy dressing, tender pasta, snappy shrimp, and veggies, it’s guaranteed to be a hit at your next gathering!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces elbow macaroni or small shell pasta
• 1 pound pre-cooked peeled shrimp, thawed if frozen, chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, dill, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Chop the shrimp into bite-sized pieces if large. You should have about 3 cups.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, shrimp, celery, onion, and dressing.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to blend.
6. Adjust seasoning with more lemon juice, salt, or pepper right before serving if needed.

Customizing Your Shrimp Macaroni Salad

One of the great things about shrimp macaroni salad is how versatile it is. Don’t be afraid to make this pasta salad your own with fun add-ins! Here are some tasty mix-ins to try:

• Diced bell pepper (any color)
• Chopped green onion or chives
• Grated carrot
• Sweet pickle relish
• Chopped olives
• Diced cucumber
• Crumbled bacon
• Chopped hard boiled eggs
• Fresh herbs like dill, parsley, basil, cilantro
• Spices like Old Bay, paprika, crushed red pepper
• Lemon or lime zest
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt to lighten up the mayo
• Horseradish for kick
• Hot sauce or sriracha to amp up the heat
• Capers for brininess
• Crumbled feta or shredded cheese

The possibilities are endless for how to customize this salad to your preferences!

Tips for the Best Shrimp Macaroni Salad

To make restaurant-worthy shrimp macaroni salad at home, keep these tips in mind:

• Cook the pasta properly. Let it cool completely so it doesn’t make the salad mushy. Rinsing it stops the cooking.

• Use already-cooked shrimp. Raw shrimp would be overcooked once added to the pasta salad, with a rubbery texture.

• Make the dressing in advance. Letting the salad marinate in the dressing boosts the flavor.

• Chop the shrimp into bite-sized pieces so it’s easy to get shrimp in every forkful.

• Add crunchy mix-ins like bell pepper and celery for texture contrast with the creamy pasta and dressing.

• Season the dressing well. In addition to salt and pepper, acidic lemon juice and spicy mustard are key for flavor.

• Chill thoroughly before serving. At least an hour for the flavors to meld, but overnight is great.

• Make extra dressing. The pasta will soak up dressing as it sits, so extra on hand prevents dryness.

• Adjust seasoning before serving. Taste and tweak seasoning with more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or hot sauce right before serving.

Storing and Serving Shrimp Macaroni Salad

Shrimp pasta salad can be made 1-2 days in advance. Store it tightly covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The flavors will continue to develop as it chills.

Let the salad sit at room temperature for 15-20