This spicy shrimp salad with homemade lime dressing is great for a healthy lunch meal prep or simple dinner. The shrimp cooks quickly and the dressing only takes a few minutes to prepare, so it all comes together in under 30 minutes. It’s also all Whole30, paleo, low carb and paleo, while being full of flavor and super easy!
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Whole30 Shrimp Salad Ingredients
To make this spicy shrimp salad you’ll need 1 pound of peeled and thawed shrimp, a few spices like chili powder, chipotle powder, garlic and salt, and olive oil. You’ll also need a lime, a bit of white wine vinegar, and either mango or pineapple chunks.
For the salad ingredients, you’ll need whatever your favorites are. I personally love butterhead lettuce for this salad, but spinach, romaine or arugula works great as well. Other salad topping ideas are cherry tomatoes, avocado or guacamole, pico, diced white or green onion or radish, jalapeño, and cilantro.
Related: Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp, Creamy Shrimp & Kielbasa Skillet, Shrimp Stir Fry
How to Make This Spicy Shrimp Salad
To make this Whole30 shrimp salad, you’ll first start by adding the spices and 1 tablespoon of oil to the shrimp in a large bowl. You can take the tails of the shrimp off prior, however they do retain more flavor when cooked with the tails on.
You’ll then want to mix those spices and oil with the shrimp to coat them all well, and set them aside to marinate and come to room temperature while you prepare your salad and dressing ingredients.
After 10 minutes, heat a large skillet or grill to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shrimp in one layer, without overcrowding. If using a skillet, you will need to do this in two batches. Cook the shrimp for 3-4 minutes on each side and remove from heat.
Homemade Lime Dressing
This Whole30 lime dressing is really simple to throw together. Homemade dressings are also a really healthy and budget friendly option. You can control what ingredients go into them and add such a great zest to your salads with ingredients you already have.
For this dressing, you’ll want to zest one lime into a container, and then juice that lime. You’ll need 4 tablespoons of lime juice, which does equal about one good sized lime. If your limes are smaller, you may need two.
Then you’ll add heart-healthy olive oil, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper to the container. Give it a good stir, and then taste to see if you want to add anything to taste, such as more salt or more vinegar for extra tang.
Meal Prepping This Whole30 Shrimp Recipe
For meal prepping this shrimp recipe and use for weekday lunches, I use my 10-piece Ello Duraglass Round Meal Prep Set. This set is perfect for salads like this where you want to store ingredients separately for ultimate freshness when you’re ready to eat.
Each of the sizes are great for keeping your lettuce mix separate, having one for the shrimp, the dressing, and the toppings. Then with just a few minutes of combining, you have a fresh, crisp salad, with the option of reheating the shrimp separately or eating it cold without ruining the rest of the meal.
I’ve been switching over all of our storage containers to glass, and this meal prep set from Ello Products has been perfect for all of our food storage needs. With leak-proof lids, they’re great for the dressing in this recipe, along with soups or anything with liquid you’re storing in the fridge or transporting to work.
This meal prep container set is also BPA free and dishwasher, microwave, freezer and oven safe- which is great when I want to put leftovers in the freezer and reheat in the oven without needing multiple dishes to get the job done. The silicone sleeves protect the glass containers from scratches or cracks and making storing the glass containers without them moving around super easy!
Save 15% off of your glass meal prep containers using the code BAILEY15 with your online order from Ello Products!
Once done, the shrimp and dressing are good in the air-tight containers for up to 5 days.
Other Whole30 Meal Prep Recipes You’ll Love:
BBQ Chicken & Vegetables Sheet Pan
Classic Chicken Salad with Celery & Grapes
PrintSpicy Shrimp Salad & Homemade Lime Dressing (Whole30, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Keto)
This spicy shrimp salad with homemade lime dressing is great for a healthy lunch meal prep or simple dinner. The shrimp cooks quickly and the dressing only takes a few minutes to prepare, so it all comes together in under 30 minutes. It’s also all Whole30, paleo, low carb and paleo, while being full of flavor and super easy!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Shrimp
- Method: Stovetop/Grill
- Cuisine: Salad
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the Shrimp:
- 1 lb peeled and thawed shrimp
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (can omit for less spicy)
For the Dressing:
- 3 tsp lime zest
- 3–4 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 cup light olive oil
- Pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder (to taste)
Optional Salad Ingredients:
- Romaine, butterhead lettuce, arugula
- Chopped pineapple or mango
- Diced tomato and onion
- Diced avocado or guacamole and pico
- Cilantro, jalapeño, radish
Instructions
- Add the shrimp, oil and shrimp spices into a large bowl and mix the spices and oil with the shrimp to coat them all well, and then set aside to marinate in room temp for 10-20 minutes
- Prepare your salad ingredients and dressing. To make the dressing, combine lime zest, juice, oil and spices into a small container. Mix well and taste. Add any additional spices (salt, or garlic powder) or lime juice to taste
- After shrimp has marinated, heat a large skillet or grill to medium-high heat. Once hot, add shrimp to the pan in one even layer without overcrowding. You may need to do this in two batches. Cook the shrimp for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through, and remove from heat
- Assemble salad by mixing the greens with 2 tablespoons dressing per serving/salad, and then layering on the shrimp, fruit, vegetables and toppings you prefer
Notes
- You can take the tails of the shrimp off prior, however they do retain more flavor when cooked with the tails on.