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Thai Shrimp Salad

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Posted by:

Erin Lynch

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Updated:

February 26, 2025

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5 from 5 votes

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This Thai Shrimp Salad is tangy, spicy & amazingly delicious. Serve it over spiralized cucumber for a light & refreshing dinner.

Thai shrimp salad served in a black dish

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For my bridal shower I got something that I’ve been wanting for such a long time – a spiralizer attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. I’ve been having so much fun with it!!!

Of course the first thing that I made with it was zoodles. Spirals of zucchini that I tossed with a pot of hot turkey bolognese sauce. I love how they resemble noodles but are just so much healthier… meaning that I can justify eating way more of them. I mean… we’re talking a huge bowl of zoodles that I served up to myself.

And then I made zoodles again… and again…

But I wanted to change things up a bit. So, I went to the closest thing I could find to a zucchini – a cucumber. And then I spiralized it. 

Spiralized cucumber is perfect for adding to pasta salads in place of the pasta – think Greek with feta, olives and tomato. Or, you could make a cool and creamy cucumber salad with tangy Greek yogurt and some fresh dill.

But in this case, I went with a variation on my favorite Thai Beef Salad – swapping the beef for shrimp and those salad greens for spiralized cucumber. I also spiralized some gorgeous multi-colored carrots that I had on hand and threw them into the mix too.

Sauce for lemongrass chicken.

As pretty as those spirals are, the star of this salad is that intense, tangy dressing that it’s tossed with.

Citrus, lemongrass, mint and cilantro dance around with a bit of lime juice, spicy jalapenos, and a pinch of brown sugar to lend some sweetness and balance it all out. But there’s one ingredient I haven’t mentioned yet… the fish sauce.

As I warned you before, don’t be scared of fish sauce. It can smell quite pungent out of the bottle, but once it gets mixed with the other ingredients you won’t even know it’s there. It just gives a nutty, salty, umami characteristic to the dish. That hint of something extra that just takes this salad over the top.

Fish sauce has definitely gained popularity over the past decade, I think as more and more people are exploring with cooking asian dishes at home. Because of that, you should be able to find it easily in the international foods aisle of your supermarket. Or, try one of these fish sauce substitutes.

I like to taste the dressing as I go, making sure to hit that perfect spicy-sweet note. I’ll add more or less jalapeno keeping in mind that jalapenos can vary so much in heat depending on factors like the season or their size. I’ll also add in more lime juice, sugar or fish sauce. Give it a taste and adjust – you’re looking for the perfect balance of spicy, salty and sweet in this Thai shrimp salad.

Overhead shot of thai shrimp salad on black plate.Then – just toss that dressing with some cooked shrimp and you’ve got dinner ready in under 30 minutes.

You can serve those dressed shrimp over cucumber zoodles like I did, or swap them out for some lettuce or rice.

Want to add a bit of crunch? Try sprinkling on some toasted rice powder at the end. It’s delicious!

If you loved this Thai shrimp salad recipe I would appreciate it so much if you would give it a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings.

Wine Pairings for Thai Shrimp Salad: 

  • Rieslings pair great with spicy dishes. Mouthwatering acidity, intense fruit, and a hint of sweetness compliment this salad amazingly well.
  • A Viogner or dry Rosé would also be great with this dish.

More healthy seafood recipes: 

  • Salmon with Ginger Sauce (Sheet Pan Dinner)
  • Shrimp Sushi Bowls
  • Poke Bowls
  • Sriracha Glazed Salmon with Zucchini Noodles
  • 5-Ingredient Sheet Pan Salmon
  • Instant Pot Salmon with Lemon-Dill Sauce
  • Salmon Tacos with Blackberry Corn Relish

Tip: Here’s how to tell when shrimp are done.

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Overhead shot of thai shrimp salad on black plate.

Full Recipe

Thai Shrimp Salad

This Thai Shrimp Salad is tangy, spicy and amazingly delicious. Served over spiralized cucumber and carrot for a light and refreshing dinner that’s perfect for warm summer nights! 
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin
Serves 2 people
Created by Platings and Pairings
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

Dressing:

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 jalapeno halved
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons minced lemongrass (remove the tough outer leaves and slice the tender white core)
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons brown sugar

Shrimp:

  • 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ pound uncooked shrimp (tail on)
  • 1 medium shallot (thinly sliced)
  • 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint
  • 3 Tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems

For serving:

  • 2 cucumbers (spiralized)
  • 1 carrot (spiralized)

Instructions

DRESSING:

  • Mince the garlic and one of the chile halves and place in a small bowl. Slice the remaining chile half into thin rings and add it to the bowl, along with the lime juice, fish sauce, lemongrass and brown sugar. Taste and adjust seasonings with additional lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, if needed. Stir well and set aside.

SHRIMP:

  • Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sautee the shrimp until it is cooked through and fully pink.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, shallot, mint and cilantro. Stir the dressing and pour it on top. Toss gently. Serve on top of spiralized cucumber and carrots.

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!
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5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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10 responses

  1. James Clarke
    July 18, 2018

    5 stars
    best recipe, simple and make at home easily. thanks

    Reply
  2. Waz
    July 18, 2018

    It’s spiralizer season! I have a little $10 spiralizer which gets the good job, but I think that it might be time to upgrade to the KitchenAid attachment. I recently picked up a bottle of vegan fish sauce, so I’ll let you know if I try a vegan version of this recipe with tofu!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      July 19, 2018

      The KitchenAid makes it so fast and SO speedy. I am seriously obsessed with it Waz!

      Reply
  3. Pech
    July 19, 2018

    What a cool idea for the spiralizer and for this salad which sounds so refreshing and full of flavor for a summers meal!

    Reply
    1. Erin
      July 19, 2018

      Thank you Pech!

      Reply
  4. Catherine @ To & Fro Fam
    July 19, 2018

    Oh my goodness, spiralized cucumber is GENIUS! I still haven’t gotten a spiralizer, but I may just ask for it for Christmas/my birthday so I can make cucumbnoodles. (Is that a thing?!)

    Reply
    1. Erin
      July 19, 2018

      I think it SHOULD be a thing! I hope you get your gift soon! The KitchenAid attachment is absolutely amazing!

      Reply
  5. Katie @ Garnish Blog
    August 22, 2018

    5 stars
    I made this last night and it was incredible. Honestly one of the best dinners I’ve made in a while. And so healthy too! Definitely going into the regular rotation. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Erin
      August 23, 2018

      So happy to hear that you liked it Katie!

      Reply
  6. Pat
    June 24, 2024

    5 stars
    I left out the lemongrass, the mint, and substituted a little chili oil for the jalapeños. I was out of cilantro but I still had some cilantro paste the stuff in a tube. Mixed it in the dressing. I tripled the dressing. It was so good!

    Reply

Hi, I’m Erin!

Can I pour you a glass of wine? Let’s have some fun in the kitchen! Maybe some pasta? A juicy steak? I’ve got loads of yummy, easy recipes for you! Because cooking should feel as comfy as your favorite yoga pants. ♥

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