Best Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad

This easy shrimp pasta salad is packed with so much flavor. Learn how to make the best shrimp macaroni salad that will rock your parties and potlucks.

Do you make a lot of pasta salad in summer? We do and we always look for new pasta recipes to try!

Shrimp pasta salad recipe

If you love pasta salads including Tortellini Pasta Salad as much as we do and you’re a shrimp lover  , this shrimp pasta salad is totally for you. It’s a perfect side dish as well as a full meal when you don’t want to use the stove or oven to make a meal on a warm day. 

What I love the most about this pasta salad is that it’s so simple and quick to make and everyone loves it! The dill gives such a nice flavor to it and the lemon add just the right amount of tanginess.

Shrimp macaroni salad ingredients

To make shrimp pasta salad you need the following ingredients:

• Shrimp
• Pasta
• Dill
• Dill pickles
• Mayonnaise
• Sour cream

The combination of mayonnaise and sour cream will keep the flavor of the pasta salad fresh and prevent the mayonnaise from overpowering the flavor of the shrimp and other ingredients.

Learn how to buy better shrimp by Serious Eats. 

How to make shrimp pasta salad

Cook the pasta and let it cool completely. While the pasta is cooling, cook the shrimp. I like to get raw small shrimp and cook them before making the salad. To cook the shrimp, season the lightly with salt and pepper and saute in a pan over medium heat for about five to seven minutes until they’re pink and curled.

Once they’re cool, mix them with cool cooked pasta and the rest of the ingredients. Chill the shrimp pasta salad in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Can I freeze shrimp pasta salad?

This shrimp pasta salad cannot be frozen as the texture and the flavor will change and it won’t taste good at all. Shrimp pasta salad is best served the same day after cooling in the fridge for some time.

Notes and tips to make shrimp pasta salad

• You can use any type of macaroni or pasta to make cold shrimp pasta salad. I used elbow pasta because they look very good with the shrimp.
• I prefer to cook the shrimp right before making the pasta salad but you can definitely get frozen cooked shrimp and use them instead. Make sure you thaw and dry them completely before using.
• This shrimp pasta salad is best served completely cold as shrimp and mayonnaise don’t do well with heat. If you’re planning to serve it outside such as picnic or barbecue, bring it to the table right before serving.
• If you don’t care for sour cream, you can just use mayonnaise. Taste the pasta salad in the end and add more lemon if needed.

5 from 3 votes

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Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad

This easy shrimp pasta salad is packed with so much flavor. Learn how to make the best shrimp macaroni salad that will rock your parties and potlucks.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Chilling time 1 hour

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 370 kcal

Author Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Ingredients

• 3 cup macaroni or small pasta uncooked
• 1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup scallions chopped
• 1/3 cup parsley chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh dill chopped
• 1/2 cup dill pickles diced
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise more if needed
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook macaroni according to the packaging and set aside to cool completely. 

2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. 

3. Cook shrimp in the pan until pink and fully cooked. Set aside. 

4. Once the pasta and shrimp are both cold, place them in a large bowl. Add in scallions, parsley, dill and dill pickles to the bowl. Mix well until all the ingredients are combined. 

5. Add in mayonnaise and sour cream to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Stir and mix well until all are combined and then cover the bowl with a plastic wrap. 

7. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

8. Serve cold.

Recipe Notes

1. Use 1 tbsp dried dill instead of fresh dill. 
2. You can use precooked shrimp in this salad. Thaw and dry completely before adding to the salad.