Shrimp Rolls Recipe (New England-Style)

In the market for the best Shrimp Roll Recipe? You’ve come to the right place. Every element of this seafood roll recipe has been tested to perfection. From poaching the shrimp in a white wine-infused broth then dressing it in a creamy herb-packed mayonnaise dressing. It’s a foolproof recipe that we make several times during the summer because it’s truly the best.

I’ve lived on the east coast for several years of my adult life, and when summer comes around I can never get enough seafood rolls. While lobster rolls are delicious, a shrimp roll happens to be a great alternative that doesn’t break the bank and still boasts tons of flavor.

We developed this shrimp roll recipe with the classic New England-style recipe in mind. In fact, I first had a shrimp roll when I was interning at America’s Test Kitchen in Boston. It was a summer Friday and I treated myself to a shrimp roll at a small restaurant in Brookline. Since that first shrimp roll, I’ve been bound and determined to recreate it—and maybe even improve upon it.

We’ve tested this recipe so many times against that original shrimp roll, I know for certain it’s a winner—maybe even better than the original.

Better yet, these are cooked up in almost no time with less than 30 minutes of preparation, you can have these on the table for an easy weeknight dinner or gathering with friends. Plus the shrimp salad can be made in advance, we even prefer it that way, to let the flavors marinate longer prior to serving. It truly is the ultimate summer recipe!

The Secrets to Making the Best Shrimp Rolls

We’re happy to share our recipe secrets with you here, they truly are what sets our shrimp rolls apart from the others out there.

There are a few key steps in creating the best seafood rolls:

1. Using a ‘court-bouillon’ for poaching. Traditionally, a court-bouillon is a broth infused with vegetables (onion, carrots, celery), as well as bay leaf and peppercorns. To cut down on prep time, we skip the vegetables and add fresh herbs, wine, and lemon juice. It makes the best poaching liquid for shrimp.
2. Cook large shell-on shrimp. This is truly the secret key to success with this recipe. The shells protect the protein from cooking too quickly (which can easily lead to over-cooking). Plus, the shells themselves are quite flavorful, so leaving them intact actually makes the shrimp more flavorful.
3. Swap out the dressing. Instead of dressing the salad in Old Bay seasoning and butter, we’re using a creamy mayo-based dressing loaded with herbs – it really elevates the sandwich to a whole new gourmet flavor.

SOOOO Good!
1000% New England vibe
Husband said it’s better than lobster rolls we’ve had at restaurants. Thanks for this!

– Diane

Ingredients

Court-Bouillon (or poaching liquid):

• Dry White Wine: use something you like but doesn’t break the bank. If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute with ½ cup water and 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar.
• Bay Leaves: dried or fresh work here.
• Thyme: you’ll need a couple of sprigs. Thyme adds a nice herby undertone to the shrimp. You can also use rosemary if you have it.
• Lemons: a couple of lemons are used in the poaching liquid for flavor and acid. You’ll also need a bit of lemon for the dressing used to make the shrimp salad. Make sure you have two lemons on hand.

Shrimp Salad:

• Large Shell-on Shrimp: The star of the show! You’ll need large (21/25 or 16/20) shrimp with their shells still intact. Look for the variety that are shell-on but deveined so you don’t have to mess with that. And, if you don’t live on the coast, seek out frozen wild-caught. 

• Herbs: We use dill, chives, and tarragon in our recipe.

• Mayo and Sour Cream: These two ingredients are the base of the dressing for these shrimp salad. You can substitute the small amount of sour cream with Greek yogurt. 
• Dijon Mustard: a dash of Dijon adds tang and depth of flavor to the dressing. 
• Veggies: to round out the salad, you’ll need some sliced celery and minced red onion. To wash away some of the potency of red onion, we recommend soaking it in cold water prior to adding it to the salad. 
• Unsalted butter: you’ll need just a tablespoon for toasting the buns.
• Split-top Brioche Buns: the buttery sweetness of brioche pairs perfectly with the mild sweetness of shrimp. Look for top-split buns (makes for easier stuffing). Toast the buns in a skillet with some butter to warm them through and give them a golden-brown crust. 

How to Make This Shrimp Roll Recipe

1. Prepare the Poaching Liquid

Make the ‘court-bouillon’ poaching liquid by combining water, wine, thyme, bay leaves, salt and lemon juice in a large pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer then add the shrimp and gently poach until cooked through. You’ll know they’re done when they are just firm to touch and pink in color. This should take just 2 to 3 minutes. 

2. Chill the Shrimp Quickly

Immediately transfer the cooked shrimp to an ice bath (made with some of that poaching liquid) and allow them to fully cool.

3. Peel and Dice the Shrimp

Once the shrimp is completely cool, peel and dice the meat into bite-size pieces. You should get 3 to 4 bites per shrimp. 

4. Whisk Together the Dressing

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, Dijon, and herbs; season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp, celery and red onion and mix to combine. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste then chill for at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 day). 

5. Toast the Buns

Melt some butter in a skillet then place the buns, cut side down (you’ll need to peel them open a bit) in the skillet. Toast the buns until they’re warmed through and golden brown. 

Expert Tips for Cooking Shrimp

There are a few ways you can tell if shrimp are cooked through. First, the color should turn from translucent to opaque.

Secondly, according to Bon Appetit, “keep an eye on the crevice in the back of the shrimp where the vein was removed. Stay locked onto the thickest part of the shrimp (the opposite end as the tail), and when the flesh at the base of that crevice turns from translucent to opaque, the shrimp is done.” 

But how to tell if shrimp are over-cooked? If they have curled very tightly into a “c” then they are over-cooked. Over-cooked shrimp are rubbery and tough. Regardless of cooking method, you generally only need about 3 minutes to cook large-sized shrimp. 

What Kind of Shrimp to Use

For the ideal bite-sized pieces of shrimp, we recommend seeking out the large shell-on variety. Large shrimp will be labeled as 21/25 or 16/20. If you can find 16/20—those are best.

As for frozen or fresh, if you aren’t by a coast, we recommend seeking out frozen. Look for wild-caught American shrimp for the best quality. If you’re using frozen, simply thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Cook according to the recipe instructions, about 3 minutes.

What to Serve with Shrimp Rolls

Kettle cooked potato chips are a classic with shrimp rolls. Coleslaw is another favorite side dish. Try this Mexican Coleslaw, Cabbage Salad, or the herby slaw from these Salmon Tacos.

Salads in general work well with shrimp rolls. We like something crisp and crunchy like a Wedge Salad, Garden Salad or a Caesar Salad. Our Tomato and Watermelon Salad would also be a lovely refreshing side for shrimp rolls. 

Variations

The best part about a seafood salad recipe like this is you can truly customize it to your own tastebuds and liking. Here are some of our favorite ideas:

• Instead of loading the dressing up with a trio of herbs, use just one herb (chives or dill) and add a dash of Old Bay or your favorite Cajun Seasoning. 
• Lean into the bright citrus flavors and add some grated lemon zest to the dressing. 
• If you’ve got some fresh or prepared horseradish on hand—grate or dollop some of that on top of the rolls. 
• For a lighter meal, swap the brioche buns out in favor of lettuce wraps.
• Add some hot sauce for a spicy kick!
• For a mayo-free shrimp salad filling, use a little butter or olive oil instead. Also delicious!

More Delicious Shrimp Recipes

• This modern take on Shrimp Fra Diavolo is absolutely delicious. Topped with dollops of chili crisp and fresh cilantro, it’s unlike any fra diavolo you’ve had and in the best possible way! 
• Looking for another shrimp sandwich? Try these Shrimp Burgers complete with an herby tartar sauce. 
• Tacos are also a must—check out these Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos as well as these Tacos Gobernador which feature shrimp poached in a fresh tomato sauce then piled onto crisp cheesy tortillas with avocado and romaine. 
• Creamy Shrimp Bisque is the perfect date-night dinner while Peel ‘n Eat Shrimp are a go-to party appetizer or holiday starter. 
• Our Cajun Shrimp is the perfect 15-minute weeknight dinner or go-to appetizer when guests drop by.

Fish & Seafood

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Fish & Seafood

Shrimp Burgers with Herby Tartar Sauce

Fish & Seafood

Tacos Gobernador (Crispy Shrimp Tacos)

20-Minute Meals

Cajun Shrimp – A Quick and Easy Recipe

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This recipe was developed by our contributor, Jenni Ridall Lata.

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