A delicious no mayo Greek shrimp salad recipe that's ready in only 20 minutes. This healthy shrimp salad made with fresh ingredients and is perfect for a light lunch.
I love all Mediterranean recipes but Mediterranean salads are one of my absolute favorites. They're always healthy, made with quality fresh ingredients and are packed with delicious flavors of lemon and oregano. Some like lentil salad and bulgur salad can be served as a light meal and others like Mediterranean salad and tabouli would make the perfect side dish.
No mayo shrimp salad
Like this Mediterranean tuna salad, our Greek style shrimp salad is also made without a dollop of mayonnaise. This makes the salad very light and you can enjoy it as a healthy and filling lunch or dinner. Since this Greek style shrimp salad calls for olives in the recipe, I usually don't add much salt to the salad.
This is one of those shrimp salad recipes that I make whenever I want to finish up some veggies in the fridge. The shrimp marinade is absolutely tasty and adds so much flavor to the salad.
A dressing that works as a marinade too!
What I love the most about this Mediterranean shrimp salad is that the marinade works as the dressing too! Use half to marinate the shrimp and another half to flavor the salad. The combination of herbs and garlic makes this salad dressing super tasty and delicious.
What goes into Greek shrimp salad?
To make this Mediterranean style shrimp salad, you need:
For the marinade/dressing:
- Dried oregano
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar
To make Greek shrimp salad:
- Shrimp
- Cucumbers
- Kalamata olives
- Tomato
- Green pepper
- Red onion
Make sure the shrimp you use is clean, peeled and deveined. If the shrimp has the head and hands on, peel it completely before you marinade them. Here is a complete tutorial on how to clean shrimp by The Kitchn.
Do I need to leave the tail on? That's completely up to you. I usually keep the tail on when I cook shrimp for it to keep a nice shape.
What size shrimp should I use?
Shrimp comes in different sizes and to use it in salads, I usually opt for medium or large. Small shrimp can shrink a lot after cooking and jumbo shrimp can be too big for a bite in salad.
Fresh or frozen shrimp?
The fresh shrimp you see in supermarkets are usually just thawed bagged frozen shrimp. Unfortunately, there is no way to estimate how long that thawed shrimp has been sitting in the case therefore I suggest you get frozen shrimp and thaw just the amount you need.
Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?
Pre-cooked shrimp is overcooked and is not suitable for salad. Since the shrimp is already cooked, you can't add any flavors to it and it would taste bland. Please opt for raw shrimp if possible.
How to make Greek shrimp salad
- In a bowl, mix dried oregano, minced garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and sugar. Save half of the marinade in another bowl to use as dressing.
- Place the shrimp in the bowl and marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the cucumber, tomatoes, green pepper and red onion.
- Cook the shrimp in a pan over medium heat. This would take about 6 to 8 minutes. Make sure not to overcook the shrimp.
- Add the shrimp to the salad and toss with the dressing.
Can I grill the shrimp?
Absolutely. To make grilled shrimp salad, simply marinade the shrimp for 10 to 15 minutes. Heat up the grill and thread the shrimp on wooden skewers. Grill for about 4 minutes per side until it's pink and cooked through. Toss it with the salad and serve immediately. Grilled shrimp salad is perfect for bbq days when you already have the grill on and would like to serve a delicious salad alongside your main dish.
Looking for more Greek recipes?
- Skordalia (Greek potato and garlic dip)
- Lemon chicken orzo soup
- Greek salmon salad
- Greek chickpea salad
Looking for more Shrimp recipes?
How long does this salad keep?
I love serving salads like this fresh. So my suggestion is to make sure you make enough to eat in one sitting. However, if you have leftovers, please store them in an airtight glass container and refrigerate for up to two days.
How to serve Greek style shrimp salad
This healthy shrimp salad can be a full meal on its own. However, I love making a salad wrap using pita bread. If you have time and are feeling adventurous, you can try my pita bread recipe.
20-minute Greek Shrimp Salad
Ingredients
Garlic oregano dressing/marinade
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lemon juice of
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
Greek shrimp salad
- 1 lb large shrimp thawed
- 2 Persian cucumbers
- 1 cup kalamata olives
- 1 Roma tomato
- 1 green bell pepper
- ½ red onion
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix oregano, mined garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and sugar.
- Set aside half of the mixture to use as dressing. Mix the other half with thawed, peeled shrimp and let it marinate for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the Persian cucumbers in half lengthwise and then cut each half into pieces. Add it to a large bowl.
- Dice the tomato and add it to the cucumbers.
- Slice the bell pepper and the onion, add them to the bowl as well. Toss the vegetables until they're combined.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and cook the shrimp for about 6 to 8 minutes until it's fully cooked.
- Add the cooked shrimp to the salad.
- Pour the reserved dressing over the salad and toss well.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you're using raw shrimp and not pre-cooked.
- Shrimp cooks in about 6 to 8 minutes, please don't overcook the shrimp otherwise it'll become rubbery.
- You can use honey instead of sugar to make the dressing.
