New England Style Shrimp Rolls ~ this is the stuff foodie memories are made of…jumbo chunks of wild caught shrimp simply tossed with mayo and lemon and then stuffed into a butter toasted bun ~ life (and lunch!) doesn’t get any better.
*Today I’m partnering with Marina Del Rey Foods ~ Marina Del Rey sells top quality wild, responsibly caught, frozen seafood. Thanks for supporting me and the brands I work with, I only share this space with the very best ~ and that’s a promise.
The first time I tasted Marina Del Rey Wild Caught Argentine Red Shrimp I got a flashback to the amazing lobster rolls I enjoyed every summer on the coast of Maine. If you’ve ever spent any time in New England you’ll know all about lobster rolls. People look forward to them for months, and they’ll drive all day and all night just to satisfy their craving.
Marina Del Rey shrimp is big and meaty, with a sweet taste that actually resembles the flavor of lobster, how cool is that?
Because these rolls are made with convenient frozen shrimp you can get that true New England experience anywhere and any time the craving strikes.
This kind of minimal recipe makes perfect sense for top notch shellfish ~ you don’t want to overwhelm the delicate flavor or texture with lots of extras. Purists will tell you that the classic New England roll is done in one of two ways ~ dressed with drawn butter, or with mayo ~ that is, with nothing else to interfere with the enjoyment of the pure shellfish. Today I’m going the mayo route, but I’ll jazz it up a little bit ~ I can’t help myself.
I love this meal because I don’t have to think very far in advance to get it on the table.
My Marina Del Rey shrimp is already peeled and deveined, so all I need to do is run the frozen shrimp under cool water for a couple of minutes to quick-thaw it.
Cooking shrimp couldn’t be simpler. I just put my thawed shrimp into the steamer insert of my big stockpot and add just enough water to come up to the holes of the basket. Then I bring it to a boil, let it steam for a minute or two until the shrimp have started to curl and turn opaque, then shut off the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. The shrimp are perfectly tender and delicious. You could also saute them in butter for a more decadent flavor, but either way it takes just minutes.
I want to have nice chunky pieces of shrimp for my rolls, so I only cut them in half for this recipe. Easy peasy.
TIP: Pat the shrimp dry before you add them to the bowl. Excess moisture will make the dressing watery.
The final step, and it’s an important one ~ is to brush your rolls with melted butter and then grill or toast them. That buttery crunch of the toasted roll is a big part of the magic of this dish, so don’t skip this step!
TIP: You’re supposed to use top split buns for a great shrimp roll. Don’t ask me why, you just do, it’s tradition. But as you can see I couldn’t find any around here, so I went with a regular hot dog bun. Still great.
Then stuff ~ and I do mean stuff ~ your bun with the shrimp salad.
Add chips, dill pickles and a wedge of lemon. You’re set.
The ‘thing’ about New England shellfish rolls is their simplicity. So for this salad I’m going for the absolute minimum, the basics, like good mayo, some finely minced onion and celery, a squeeze of lemon, a good handful of snipped chives, salt and pepper, and that’s it. Could you get more creative? Sure, check out my ‘Make it your own’ suggestions under the recipe. But I suggest making the classic shrimp rolls before you mess with perfection ๐
Why choose wild?
- Marina Del Rey shrimp is not farmed, it thrives in its natural habitat ~ the pure ice cold waters off the coast of Argentina, free from chemicals and pollutants.
- Wild shrimp eat their natural diet, with no added hormones or color.
- Wild caught shrimp actually has lower levels of sodium than farmed shrimp.
- The pink hue is the result of the same pigments that color flamingos, salmon, lobster, and carrots
Whether you want your shrimp small, medium, or jumbo ~ peel on, or off ~ cooked or raw ~ Marina Del Rey has you covered, and you can check out all their products HERE.
Cole slaw is a classic New England accompaniment to these shrimp rolls. Any of mine from the blog would work perfectly, I’d suggest my VIDALIA ONION SLAW, (remember you can use any sweet onion for this) my RED CABBAGE & DILL SLAW, or, if you like a little kick, my SPICY RAINBOW SLAW. Line your buns with the slaw before loading up with shrimp salad, or serve it on the side.
For lots more delicious wild caught seafood recipe inspiration follow Marina Del Rey on Facebook and Instagram.
New England Style Shrimp Roll
Ingredients
- 1 pound 1/2 bag Marina Del Rey Wild Caught Argentine Red Shrimp
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 1/4 cup minced celery
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 4 hot dog buns
- 3 Tbsp butter melted
garnish
- paprika or Old Bay seasoning
- snipped chives
Instructions
- Thaw the shrimp under cool running water for a minute or so, and then steam it or saute it just until cooked through. Let cool then give them a rough chop.
- Put the shrimp in a bowl and toss with the mayo, onions, celery, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Taste the salad to adjust any of the seasonings. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Melt the butter and brush onto the open buns. Grill for a few minutes until toasty.
- Serve the shrimp salad in toasted buns, topped with a sprinkle of paprika or Old Bay, and some snipped chives.
Make it your own ~
- To cut the fat in these New England style shrimp rolls use low fat mayo, or half Greek yogurt and half mayo.
- Top with PICKLED JALAPENOS.ย
- Make this meal even easier by using Marina Del Rey cooked shrimp ~ simply thaw and chop!
- For a low carb option line small bowls or glasses with lettuce and or diced avocado, and then spoon the shrimp salad over top.
Don’t forget to pin these New England Style Shrimp Rolls
73 Comments
Kay
January 29, 2021 at 3:59 pmDelicious and easy! Added Old Bay to the mayo mixture and used onion powder instead of minced onion (being lazy), served the rolls while the filling was still warm- it was so good! Definitely adding this to the rotation thank you!
Pat
August 24, 2020 at 4:05 pmMade this tonight and used ciabatta rolls from Costco and subbed cucumber because I didnโt have celery. Served with fresh from the farmerโs market corn on the cob! Fabulous dinner, my husband loved it especially on a day in the mid 90โs. I put the buttered rolls under the broiler for a few minutes to toast.
Debbie
June 27, 2020 at 4:34 pmWe made these tonight and added some fresh dill – Yum!
Ken
April 25, 2019 at 8:37 amShrimp rolls are probably my favorite sandwich…anytime of year. I like the simplicity of this recipe, but I do have a couple questions: do you season the shrimp before you steam or saute them, or is the final dash of salt and pepper enough to bring out the shrimp flavor? Also, do you have an onion preference for this recipe? Yellow, Sweet, White, Red, Green…? I know that white onions have a slightly sharper bite, but I didn’t know if that would overwhelm the flavor. Oh, and one other thing, I have both regular and smoked paprika. Do you think the smoky flavor would add to or detract from the taste? Sorry for all the questions. I’m going to have company over on the weekend, and I figured I’d make a huge batch of these.
Sue
April 25, 2019 at 9:33 amI don’t season the shrimp beforehand, but there’s no reason not to if you like, especially if you’re sautรฉing. I like yellow onions, generally, and that’s what I mean if I don’t specify another type. Sweet paprika would be traditional, but I happen to love the smoked stuff, so I would use that. Hope you enjoy!
Angelina
November 23, 2017 at 8:27 amMy family & I are originally from CT. We lived about an hour’s drive from the beaches on the Atlantic Ocean coast, and spent every summer weekend at our cottage in “Old Saybrook”. These Shrimp Rolls are (almost) how they were made there. There, they used “New England Style Hot Dog Buns” which were lightly buttered & toasted on each side, before filling them with that glorious shrimp mixture. The Shrimp Rolls were topped with a small sprinkle of Celery Salt when serving them, with a side of FFs & Cole Slaw. Also, Lobster Rolls were prepared in much the same way.
Sue
November 23, 2017 at 8:41 amYou’re making my mouth water Angelina.
Liz
September 13, 2017 at 4:07 amPERFECT for us land locked folks! Your shrimp rolls look AMAZING!!!
Marcelle/A Little Fish in the Kitchen
September 12, 2017 at 5:57 amThese shrimp rolls looks absolutely delicious! I love that they come together so easily too!
Emily
September 4, 2017 at 12:16 pmHi! These look so great!!! A couple questions for you: 1) How do you advise us to grill the rolls? (novice cook here) and 2) Where did you buy this shrimp? Sounds like a delicious meal!
Sue
September 4, 2017 at 1:34 pmHi Emily ~ I would butter the rolls and then cook them buttered side down on a hot grill pan, or even just a regular skillet, until they get toasty and browned. I bought the shrimp at Sam’s Club, and even if you don’t have a membership, which I don’t, you can get a day pass to purchase what you want. Marina Del Rey will be available in more locations in the US soon. If you’re in Canada the shrimp is available at more places, here’s the link to check that out.
Lisa @ Wine & Glue
September 4, 2017 at 5:20 amTotally drooling over these!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips
September 3, 2017 at 6:41 pmI want to put this shrimp salad into some lettuce wraps!
Sue
September 4, 2017 at 1:35 pmYES!!
jenny
September 2, 2017 at 7:33 amThese look mouthwatering!!!! I love lobster rolls and these look just as good!!
Sue
September 2, 2017 at 9:47 amDefinitely as good as lobster, Jenny, hope you try them!
Liz
September 1, 2017 at 4:59 pmI need to hunt down some of these shrimp! I’d make enough for lunch AND dinner!!!
Sue
September 1, 2017 at 6:01 pmLet me know how you LOVE them Liz ๐
nocrumbsleft
September 1, 2017 at 9:37 amOh I can’t wait to try this myself! What a spectacular idea. So Delicious Sue.
Sue
September 1, 2017 at 9:46 amThanks Teri <3
Callen
September 1, 2017 at 5:00 amWe made these last night as directed, except served on fresh onion hot dog buns from our bakery, and also added tame pickled jalapenos. They were a hit! Delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Sue
September 1, 2017 at 7:09 amLOVE this quick reporting ~ onion buns actually sound really good, I’m sure that added extra flavor, and you can never go wrong with jalapeรฑos…thanks Callen, I’m so glad they worked out for you!
Kim Beaulieu
August 31, 2017 at 11:58 pmOh my gosh, my kids would gobble these up SO fast. Gorgeous photos and delicious food!
rachael
August 31, 2017 at 4:09 pmI made this for lunch today, I couldn’t stop thinking about it after I saw it this morning! I love it, even though I didn’t have the shrimp you’re talking about, I did butter and toast the buns and it was soooooo good, thank you!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 4:11 pmWow you’re quick Rachael, I love that, I might have to make you an honorary New Englander. You’re going to have to try it with the Marina Del Rey next time ๐
Rachel
August 31, 2017 at 3:18 pmThese look excellent – have you tried them with crayfish? (http://www.rachelphipps.com/2015/06/recipe-classic-easy-summer-mini.html)
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 3:23 pmI haven’t tried this with crayfish ~ I never see them for sale around here, but they look delish, I love the mini brioche buns, too!
Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine
August 31, 2017 at 3:07 pmThis is such a lovely post Sue– and it’s really making me want to draw out summer! Those napkins are adorable. I think I would HAVE to add jalapenos to it– great suggestion. I am just not a purist ๐
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 3:12 pmoh my gosh Michelle, you’re a woman after my own heart, we definitely need a jalapรฉno version next!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
August 31, 2017 at 2:42 pmMy husband and my dad loooove shrimp and my dad is actually from the New England area. I know he’d love these!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 3:21 pmI know your Dad would flip, any New Englander worth their salt loves a great seafood roll…
colleen kennedy
August 31, 2017 at 2:38 pmYes! Shra-iiiiimp! My favorite, who needs lobster when shrimp exists? I’d happily inhale this beautiful sandwich!
Kris
August 31, 2017 at 2:21 pmOh. My. Gosh. Seriously, these look delicious! And the photos are gorgeous, too (as per usual!).
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 2:55 pmThanks Kris, I appreciate the support!
Kristen @ The Endless Meal
August 31, 2017 at 1:53 pmThose rolls look insane! You’re seriously making me so hungry! And I love that you’ve used Marina del Ray shrimp. They’re our family’s go to shrimp. Love them!
mahy
August 31, 2017 at 1:26 pmThis looks incredible Sue!! I would be making this everyday–LOVE this!
Jagruti
August 31, 2017 at 1:26 pmI too love meals that you can easily bring to the table without much thought! Love your pictures of the recipe!
Amy @ The Cook Report
August 31, 2017 at 1:07 pmThese look like my perfect meal, I adore shrimp and this is just up my street
Tracy | Baking Mischief
August 31, 2017 at 12:27 pmI didn’t know that about shrimp and their pink hue! Learn something new everyday. These look fabulous. I love how quick and easy they are and that you seriously stuffed those rolls! ๐
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 12:38 pmThey’re like little flamingos, Tracy ๐ Delicious flamingos…
eat good 4 life
August 31, 2017 at 12:00 pmI must make these for my family soon. They love shrimp so I know they will go wild for these!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
August 31, 2017 at 10:29 amOMG, I am all about the lobster roll and I looove shrimp salad, so these are totally screaming my name!!! Given that this is the last weekend of unofficial summer, I’m thinking these delicious rolls are a MUST! I could definitely eat about 4 (possibly 5) of these in one sitting! SO good!! Pinned and sharing! Cheers, Sue!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 10:32 amI don’t care what the season, with a bag of these shrimp in my freezer I’m going to be enjoying these all year long.
Tania
August 31, 2017 at 10:06 amWow! I am drooling all over my computer now. I am an avid seafood lover, so I am definitely going to try these yummy shrimp rolls. Thanks!
Guy23
August 31, 2017 at 10:01 amLove this. It’s summer on a bun. And, oh, man, I HAVE to get some of those shrimp burgers in my freezer ASAP.
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 10:06 amI know, really! Those burgers are new, I think, I’ve got to get some too.
Taylor
August 31, 2017 at 9:43 amI can’t wait to try these rolls!!! How perfect are these for a picnic this weekend?!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 9:49 amI can’t wait for this weekend, shrimp rolls here I come ๐
Donna
August 31, 2017 at 9:38 amWhich supermarkets in California stock these products? The rolls look amazing!
Tom
August 31, 2017 at 9:20 amSue I learned from you, in another post, that frozen shrimp is actually fresher than the stuff you get at the seafood counter, and I’ve remembered that ever since. I’ll look out for this brand, thanks.
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 9:52 amI’m so glad that someone was listening, Tom ๐
Jenn - Peas and Crayons
August 31, 2017 at 9:07 amHello lunch of my dreams!!!! Cannot wait to try this dish and these amazing pink shrimp — they look SO GOOD!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 9:09 amI’m just filling my freezer with it, Jenn ๐
Robyn Gleason
August 31, 2017 at 9:05 amCan you ever remember being so excited about seafood, Sue? I love the products from Marina del Rey and now they have shrimp burgers too! I’m in heaven, lol. And these will be on my table in no time. Beautiful photos!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 9:10 amThose shrimp burgers are calling my name…thanks Robyn
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
August 31, 2017 at 7:42 amLoving what you’ve done with this lovely shrimp! I can only imagine how delicious this is ๐ Will be trying this. Perfect for long weekend eating!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 7:57 amThese are really perfect for Labor Day, I can’t think of a more delicious way to get one last bite of Summer before the season ends!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
August 31, 2017 at 7:20 amShrimp sandwiches are right at the top of my list of seafood favorites. I love the care you’ve taken with buttering and grilling the rolls too. You’ve outdone yourself, Sue!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 7:27 amThanks Lisa, I have a lot of experience with wonderful rolls like this from my New England days…and one of the rules is you MUST butter and toast those buns ๐
Vicky @ Avocado Pesto
August 31, 2017 at 7:17 amShrimp is my favorite and having grown up in Massachusetts I am well familiar with the famous lobster rolls in New England! Love shrimp and mayo together – I even love to boil shrimp peel ’em and eat them hot dipped in mayo so this is my kind of dish right here!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 7:30 amThat’s a great idea Vicky, I love the idea of skipping the buns!
Cali
August 31, 2017 at 7:03 amLove this! I’m not sure why I don’t think of making lobster rolls, it is always something I enjoy ordering from a restaurant menu when I visit the East Coast.
This looks like a simple recipe to make to enjoy the long weekend. Happy Labor Day!
[email protected]'s Recipes
August 31, 2017 at 7:02 amI didn’t know these shrimp rolls exist until now…what an inspiring recipe! And the shrimp are so juicy and succulent!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 7:09 amOMG Angie, you need to get some shrimp rolls in your life, STAT!
Michelle | The Last Food Blog
August 31, 2017 at 6:57 amOh my word these look and sound so delicious! Prawn sandwiches are a thing here in the UK but I’ve never been fond of that idea but in a toasted roll?! Definitely making these!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 8:21 amI was curious so I ‘googled’ prawn sandwich…they look pretty good to me! But I agree, a toasted bun makes everything so much better ๐ Thanks for stopping by Michelle.
Jagruti
August 31, 2017 at 6:45 amAwesome pics and I enjoyed reading about this recipe, thanks for sharing.
Julia @ Happy Foods Tube
August 31, 2017 at 6:20 amI love shrimp but never tried stuffing a roll with it! Gotta give it a go! ๐ ๐
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 6:21 amYou need to try this Julia, you don’t know what you’re missing ๐
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert
August 31, 2017 at 5:44 amI cannot wait to try this recipe Sue. The sweet shrimp, a bite from the lemon, the crispy buttery bun – oh boy am I hungry! Absolutely gorgeous way to enjoy this incredible shrimp. Marina del Rey products are our favorites.
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 6:24 amThanks Tricia, I’ve already restocked my supply of Marina Del Rey and I’m looking forward to doing something warm and cozy with it next time.
Chris Scheuer
August 31, 2017 at 3:37 amI love the idea of shrimp so sweet they taste like lobster. And what a wonderful way to use these beauties! I can’t wait to try this recipe, love how simple yet incredibly delicious it looks! Pinning and sharing!
Sue
August 31, 2017 at 6:25 amThanks for the shares Chris <3