The Shrimp Roll Sandwich is a shrimp salad stuffed into a buttery, toasted bun. It’s a quick family dinner that’s ready in under 30 minutes!
New England style Shrimp Roll Sandwiches are the perfect party food or summer lunch. It’s a delightful twist on my classic Shrimp Salad, turning the summer side into a filling main course by loading it on a crispy toasted roll. For more Shrimp Recipes perfect for summer dinner try my Shrimp Burgers and Shrimp Tacos.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Shrimp Roll Recipe
My Shrimp Roll Sandwiches are sure to be a summer get-together hit! They are just as quick and easy to make as burgers. With a handful of simple ingredients, they take less than 30 minutes to put together, from start to finish. Even the cleanup is minimal! And unlike burgers or hot dogs, you can make the filling the night before. Simply pop it out of the fridge, pile it on freshly toasted buns, and lunch is ready. You get more time with your guests instead of cooking food, and they still get an amazing, delicious sandwich.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Shrimp: Juicy shrimp are cooked then cooled before being added to the mixture. You can use smaller shrimp so it goes a little further. Substitute with cooked chicken or tofu for a different twist.
- 4 Hot Dog Buns (top-split): The buns are the base for the cool shrimp salad. Be sure to butter them before toasting so they get a nice crispiness! You can also try whole wheat buns or lettuce wraps for a healthier option.
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise: Mayo makes it creamy and helps all the ingredients stay together. Equal parts Greek yogurt can be used as a zestier and lighter alternative.
- ¼ cup Celery Stalk: Celery is crunchy and refreshing! Be sure the stalk is washed well before chopping. You could even substitute with equal parts diced cucumber or green bell pepper for a similar crunch and flavor variation.
- 1 tablespoon Chives: The fresh and mild flavor of chives is a welcomed addition and helps bring a fun pop of color to the salad. Substitute with slightly stronger flavored green onions if chives are unavailable.
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice adds a bright, citrusy flavor to the salad. Use 2 lemon wedges for each tablespoon lemon juice needed. Equal parts lime juice can be used instead if needed.
- ¼ teaspoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper: Black pepper adds a sharp earthy warmth to every bite.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Skillet: You’ll need a good cooking pan used to sauté the shrimp.
- Large Mixing Bowl: You’ll need this to give the cooked shrimp an ice bath and then you can reuse it to mix all the ingredients together. Just make sure it’s large enough to mix everything thoroughly.
- Cutting Board: You’ll need a flat cooking surface for chopping the celery.
- Kitchen Knife: You’ll want a nice sharp knife for cutting the celery and prepping the shrimp if they haven’t been deveined.
How to Make Shrimp Rolls
Time needed: 20 minutes.
- Cook the Shrimp
Cook the shrimp on medium-high heat until the shrimp are pink on both sides. It will take about 2 minutes on each side. Once cooked, scoop them into your prepared ice bath so they chill.
- Prepare the Shrimp Salad
After 2 minutes, drain the ice and water and pat dry the shrimp with paper towel. Then mix them in the bowl with the mayonnaise, diced celery, minced chives, lemon juice, and black pepper.
- Toast the Hot Dog Rolls
Once you spread butter on the inside of the hot dog buns, toast them face down on the skillet until a nice golden brown color. You could also toast them in your toaster oven. Be sure to follow your model’s instructions for toasting.
- Assemble the Shrimp Rolls
Take a toasted bun, grilled side up, and fill it with a generous portion of the shrimp salad.
- Serve and Enjoy
You can then garnish with fresh chives and serve the Shrimp Rolls immediately to your family and friends!
Can This Be Made Ahead?
Yes, you can prepare the shrimp salad ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. However, I’d recommend assembling the Shrimp Rolls on your freshly toasted buns just before serving to prevent the buns from becoming soggy.
Nutritional Facts
How to Store Shrimp Rolls
- Storing: You shouldn’t leave cooked shrimp out for longer than 2 hours at room temperature and even less if it’s a hot day. If you keep them in an airtight container, your leftover Shrimp Rolls will be good for up to 3 days, minus the bread. You should toast more when you’re ready to eat your leftovers.
- Freezing: Creamy mayo-based salads like the filling on these Shrimp Rolls don’t freeze well. The mayonnaise tends to separate and not come back together while cooked shrimp won’t be as juicy or have that plump texture that makes it so good.
Alternative Shrimp Cooking Techniques
- Grilling: Soak some wooden skewers for 5 minutes so they don’t burn, or use metal ones. Stick the shrimp onto the skewers and grill them for 2-3 minutes on each side. This method is great to get a smoky flavor and char.
- Air Frying: Air frying is perfect if you’d like to cook the shrimp will cooking something else. You can optionally put a bit of oil onto the shrimp and cook them at 400°F for about 7 minutes. Be sure to give the basket a shake or flip the shrimp with kitchen tongs.
Frequent Questions
Shrimp is considered cooked through and safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. If you eat uncooked shrimp or undercooked shrimp you may have to cut your family picnic short.
Toasting the buns until they’re golden brown and crispy helps prevent them from becoming soggy when filled with the shrimp salad. Ensure they’re toasted just before assembling the Shrimp Rolls.
Yes, you can use frozen shrimp, just make sure to thaw them completely before cooking as you don’t want to eat raw shrimp. Pat them dry to remove excess moisture for better searing.
Absolutely! You can use kosher salt or a teaspoon of regular table salt. It’s recommended to season with salt after the cold water bath.
When selecting shrimp for this recipe, opt for a size that suits your preference and the dish’s presentation. Aim for shrimp labeled as “13-15 count” per pound, ensuring they’re large enough to be enjoyed in bite-size pieces within the shrimp filling.
If using leftover shrimp salad mixture, chop the shrimp into smaller pieces for a uniform texture. For best results, store the leftover shrimp salad in a separate bowl until ready to assemble the Shrimp Rolls.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp , (13-15 count), peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup celery stalk , diced
- 1 tablespoon chives , minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 hot dog buns (top-split)
- vegetable oil spray
Instructions
- Add shrimp to large skillet on medium high heat.
- Spray with vegetable oil spray and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Add shrimp to a bowl full of ice water to chill immediately.
- Dry shrimp, then mix with mayonnaise, celery, chives, lemon juice and black pepper.
- Add butter to your hot dog buns.
- Sear on medium heat in your skillet until golden brown and toasted (you can also use toaster oven).
- Fill hot dog buns with heaping piles of shrimp salad.
Notes
- Click on the yield amount to slide and change the number of servings and the recipe will automatically update!
- Click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
- To convert measurements to grams, click on the Metric option next to Ingredients in the recipe card.
Nutrition
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Variations on Shrimp Rolls
- Spices: Try some tarragon or old bay seasoning mixed into your Shrimp Salad to give it a bolder flavor.
- Chopped: If you want your roll to be a little easier to eat, you can chop shrimp into bite-sized pieces before you stir them into the salad.
- Horseradish: If tame is not a word you like when talking about Shrimp Rolls, add a little horseradish to give it quite a kick. Remember, a little goes a long way. Alternatively, add hot sauce to spice it up!
- Classic Lobster Rolls: You can substitute the shrimp with lobster for a fun and fancy way of serving these at a party.
- Bread Roll: You can dress up Shrimp Rolls by using fancier bread. Brioche Buns are a great dinner roll that is light and fluffy but won’t turn into a mushy mess when you add the Shrimp Salad to it. Hoagies are made to withstand BBQ sauce and other tough condiments, so they won’t get too soggy. Kaiser Rolls are great if you don’t want your sandwich toasted. Tear a small hole into the side of the Kaiser roll, pull out some of the bread, and stuff the inside with Shrimp Salad.
- Prawn Rolls: Prawn rolls are a similar kind of sandwich that is popular in Australia. Prawns are a type of shrimp that are close to the ones that are in your shrimp cocktail, with some slight differences, but they taste almost identical. This recipe is closer to New England-style Shrimp Rolls, but if you’re ever down under you should order a prawn roll and enjoy.
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