New England Shrimp Rolls are the stuff foodie memories are made of…jumbo chunks of shrimp simply tossed with mayo and lemon and then stuffed into a butter toasted bun ~ life (and lunch!) doesn’t get any better.
meaty shrimp rolls have a sweet taste that resembles lobster
One of my greatest food memories is of the amazing lobster rolls I enjoyed in 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. But since I no longer live in an area where I can get them, I’ve come up with a new summer memory-maker ~ shrimp rolls!
Let’s dig in
- meaty shrimp rolls have a sweet taste that resembles lobster
- the secret to great shrimp rolls
- what you’ll need
- frozen shrimp makes shrimp rolls so convenient
- how to thaw frozen shrimp
- how to cook frozen shrimp for shrimp shrimp salad
- how to make a classic shrimp roll
- the ‘thing’ about New England shrimp rolls is their simplicity.
- coleslaw is a classic accompaniment to shrimp rolls.
- more summer shrimp recipes
the secret to great shrimp rolls
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.
what you’ll need
- shrimp
- either fresh or frozen will work, and I use raw uncooked shrimp.
- mayo
- celery
- onion
- lemon
- salt and pepper
- hot dog buns
- top split if possible!
- butter
frozen shrimp makes shrimp rolls so convenient
I love this meal because I don’t have to think very far in advance to get it on the table. If I don’t have fresh shrimp, no worries, I always have a bag of frozen peeled and deveined shrimp in the freezer. Fresh shrimp only lasts a day or two, but I can have shrimp at the ready in my freezer for a month or more. And frozen shrimp is often ‘fresher’ than the so called fresh shrimp in your supermarket. It has been flash frozen right on the boats, and stays that way, while ‘fresh’ shrimp has been thawed, and you can’t be sure how long it’s been hanging around.
how to thaw frozen shrimp
- method #1: Put your shrimp in a colander and run cool water over it until thawed, this will take just a few minutes, depending on how much shrimp you are thawing.
- method #2: Place your shrimp in a bowl of cold water and let sit for 5-10 minutes. You can also place your shrimp in a zip lock bag first, before immersing in water.
how to cook frozen shrimp for shrimp shrimp salad
- 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.
how to make a classic shrimp roll
Step 1. I want to have nice chunky pieces of shrimp for my rolls, so I only cut them in half for this recipe. Easy peasy. If your shrimp is larger, cut them in a large dice. Pat them nice and dry, you don’t want to introduce water into your salad.
Step 2. Toss the shrimp in a simple dressing: mine is just mayo, onion, celery, and lemon juice with a little salt and pepper.
Step 3. The next 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: use top split buns if you can find them, 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.
Step 4. Then stuff ~ and I do mean stuff ~ your bun with the shrimp salad.
Step 5. Add chips, dill pickles and a wedge of lemon. You’re shrimp rolls are ready to devour.
the ‘thing’ about New England shrimp 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 😉
coleslaw is a classic accompaniment to 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 and dill slaw, or, if you like a little kick, my classic vinegar slaw. Line your buns with the slaw before loading up with shrimp salad, or serve it on the side.
more summer shrimp recipes
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp
- Pink Pineapple Shrimp Skewers (with huli huli sauce)
- Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Orzo
- Shrimp Taco Salad
- Low Country Shrimp Boil
- Creamy Shrimp Bisque
- Chimichurri Shrimp
- Shrimp in Romesco Sauce
- Shrimp in Lemon Sauce with Olives
New England Style Shrimp Roll
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh or frozen shrimp, uncooked
- 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, top split style
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted
garnish
- paprika or Old Bay seasoning
- snipped chives
Instructions
- If your shrimp are frozen, thaw the shrimp under cool running water for a few minutes until softened, and then steam or sauté them just until cooked through. This doesn't take long, so don't over cook. 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.
- Store any leftover shrimp salad in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
- To cut the fat in these New England style shrimp rolls use low fat mayo, or half Greek yogurt and half mayo.
- For an extra kick, top with pickled jalapeños.
- For a low carb option line small bowls or glasses with lettuce and or diced avocado, and then spoon the shrimp salad over top.
We 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.
LOVE this quick reporting ~ onion buns actually sound really good, I’m sure that added extra flavor, and you can never go wrong with jalapeños…thanks Callen, I’m so glad they worked out for you!
Oh my gosh, my kids would gobble these up SO fast. Gorgeous photos and delicious food!
I 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!
Wow 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 🙂
These look excellent – have you tried them with crayfish?
I 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!
Yes! Shra-iiiiimp! My favorite, who needs lobster when shrimp exists? I’d happily inhale this beautiful sandwich!
Oh. My. Gosh. Seriously, these look delicious! And the photos are gorgeous, too (as per usual!).
Thanks Kris, I appreciate the support!
This 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 🙂
oh my gosh Michelle, you’re a woman after my own heart, we definitely need a jalapéno version next!
My husband and my dad loooove shrimp and my dad is actually from the New England area. I know he’d love these!
I know your Dad would flip, any New Englander worth their salt loves a great seafood roll…
I too love meals that you can easily bring to the table without much thought! Love your pictures of the recipe!
Those 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!