Easy Grilled Shrimp Salad

Jump to Recipe

Guys, this Shrimp Salad Recipe has a delicious Moroccan flair. If you like serving a little heat with your shrimp, this recipe will surely gain the approval of your family and friends.

Everyone will be anxiously waiting around the grill for those savory shrimp skewers to be done and ready for their salad. It is a great recipe for cooking and eating outdoors.

While I usually think hearty Moroccan dishes are more for fall and wintertime, you know the cold months, making a Moroccan marinade and using spices are perfect for lighter summer dinner meals and a perfect dinner. And the flavorful dressing elevates this simple salad.

I love having a fantastic dinner on the table in less than half an hour. This best Grilled Shrimp Salad Recipe is perfect for that guys. If I’m in a hurry to make dinner and don’t want to be stuck in the house with a hot stove or oven going, this recipe on the grill is calling my name. 

Oh and if you love shrimp, you’ll love these Grilled Shrimp Skewers, these delicious Air Fryer Shrimp Skewers, easy to make Air Fryer Frozen Shrimp, and this Shrimp Po boy Sandwich.

Why Make This Salad With Grilled Shrimp

• Light, quick, healthy shrimp dinner.
• Easy dinner on the table in under a half-hour.
• Incredibly versatile with which fresh vegetables to add in.
• Unique Moroccan flavor.
• Gluten free salad.

What Is Harissa?

Harissa is a hot pepper chili paste that has a nice hint of garlic and zesty lemon juice. Harissa sauce is a North African spice paste that’s usually served with bread or used in stews and couscous dishes.

Using it to make a salad dressing really amps up the dressing and brings a unique flavor to the Shrimp Salad. 

Ingredient Notes

• Shrimp – this uses peeled cleaned jumbo shrimp. If you have unpeeled shrimp, you would need to peel it first. I used fresh shrimp
• Harissa Paste – Add more or less paste to your taste.
• Soy sauce – To keep this gluten free, use gluten free soy sauce. But if not then you can use regular soy sauce.
• Lemon juice – Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled and you can use a little lime juice instead.
• Oil – This use olive oil but you can use other oil like peanut or canola oil.
• Salad ingredients – Use salad greens and other items like romaine lettuce, mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, radishes, avocado, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, pomegranate, etc. to suit your taste. I love using thinly sliced veggies in this.

How To Make Shrimp Salad

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before using. Or you can grill shrimp directly with no skewers. 
2. Mix together olive oil, soy sauce and harissa paste in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the shrimp to the bowl and mix until coated.
4. You can cook straight away or leave to marinate the shrimp for between 30 minutes to 24 hours.
5. Thread the shrimp onto skewers (if using skewers)
6. Preheat the grill (or charcoal grill) to medium heat, oil the grates and grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until opaque.
7. Transfer grilled shrimp to a plate and set aside. 
8. Make harissa dressing by mixing all ingredients together.
9. Assemble and toss your salad and add shrimp to top and serve immediately. 

Recipe Tips

• I recommend cleaning the grates and then oiling the grill grates before turning the grill on so you don’t get burned.
• Make sure the shellfish are peeled before marinating so that the marinade goes in.
• Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel so they take in the marinade better.
• Shellfish cook quickly so keep an eye on them so they don’t over cook. Cooking time depends on the size of the shellfish, with large shrimp needing a little more cook time. If shrimps taste rubbery, it means they have been overcooked. Cooked shrimp tend to have a C shape, whilst overcooked ones tend to have an O shape.
• If choosing to use skewers, you can use wooden skewers or metal. Metal skewers are great for grilling because they transmit heat well.
• Using flat skewers is ideal for shrimp so they don’t twirl around the round skewer.  
• The longer you marinate shrimp, the more flavor they’ll have. 
• It’s better to use the larger shrimp so they don’t fall between the grates while cooking and so they cook evenly since shrimp cook so quickly. 
• Wait to toss the salad in the dressing until you’re ready to eat so the lettuce doesn’t start to wilt or get soggy. 

Recipe Variations

Moroccan Grilled Shrimp Salad is super tasty and adaptable. 

• Change out the shrimp size: while using the biggest shrimp you can get is always optimal, you can change out the size of the shrimp if needed. Have you tried Colossal size shrimp before? Humongous and are great for salads. 
• Add in some vegetables: try veggies like zucchini, onion, mushroom, yellow squash, corn kernels, or peppers that would be easy to grill and taste wonderful with this salad. 
• Try out a different marinade: try any of these different homemade marinades or maybe this Grilled Chicken Salad marinade your favorite is.   
• Add sweetness – you can add a little sweetness with a little honey or maple syrup.
• Vary the amount of ingredients to your taste: Like more heat? Add more Harissa or red pepper flakes. Maybe even trade it out for a little Korean Gochujang. Want a little more zest? Add more lemon juice.
• Add extra spices – garlic powder, ground black pepper, etc.

Prep Ahead And Storage

• Prep Ahead – This recipe is so easy to make on the grill. Keep in mind the longer the marinating time, the more flavorful they are!
• Store – Store cooled cooked shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
• Freeze – You can freeze the uncooked shrimp in the marinade. Follow the handy tips below on how to freeze this. Transfer shrimp and marinade into freezer bags. Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags. Label the bags and store them flat in the freezer for three months.
• Freeze cooked shrimp – Freeze cooked shrimp, within 2 hours in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

FAQs

More Grilling Recipes

• Grilled Shrimp Skewers.
• Grilled Chicken Salad.
• Grilled Chicken Tenders.
• Grilled Chicken Skewers.
• Grilled Broccoli.
• Grilled Avocado.
• Grilled Mackerel.
• Grilled Chicken Thighs.

More Shrimp Recipes

• 15 Minute Shrimp Tacos.
• Shrimp Creole.
• Air Fryer Hibachi Shrimp Dinner.
• Bang Bang Sauce (grill them plain and serve with this)

Serving Suggestions

• Crunchy Air Fryer Chickpeas.
• Pomegranate Martini.
• Instant Pot Iced Tea.

Weight Watchers Points 

There are 9 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving.

Thank you for reading my Harissa Grilled Shrimp Salad recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

Get The Delicious Grilled Shrimp Salad Recipe: