Name: New England-Style Shrimp Rolls
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lb shrimp (900 g), shelled, deveined, tails on and butterflied; 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil; salt and pepper to taste; ½ cup (120 ml) mayonnaise; 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon zest; 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice; Pinch of Cayenne Pepper; ½ cup (120 ml) celery, diced; 2 tbsp (30 ml) shallots, minced; 1 tbsp dill, minced; salt and pepper to taste; Split top hotdog buns; 2 tbsp melted butter

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These New England-Style Shrimp Rolls are easier and less expensive than traditional lobster rolls but just as delicious! When served with my easy corn salad recipe, you’ll have a classic New England dinner!

Both of these dishes can be made ahead of time and all you have to do before serving is grilled the buns! It’s the perfect summer entertaining fare that is even better when it’s just too hot to fire up the grill!

Shrimp Rolls are Less Expensive Than Lobster

I grew up in New England and summers for me always meant lobster rolls down by the beach. But here in L.A. good lobster can be hard to find, at an affordable price, so instead, I find my New England Style Shrimp Rolls are the next best thing!

Recipe Pairing Ideas:

For a refreshing drink, idea try my Rose Pamplemousse Cocktails
Serve with my Beet Hummus Veggie Platter or my Veggie Quesadillas and Homemade Guacamole
For dessert, you can’t go wrong with my Classic Blackberry Crumble or my Ginger Molasses Ice Cream Sandwiches

Watch My Video Demo of This Recipe Below!

An Easy Recipe For Hot Weather

When entertaining in the heat of the summer, who wants to be slaving over the grill?
Instead you can whip these up ahead of time and serve a chilled dinner! (All you have to do at the last minute is toast the buns)
The day before all you have to do is roast the shrimp to bring out its best flavor.
Then mix up the dressing, add some celery, shallots, and dill and then combine it all together and load it into a buttery split-top bun.

Step#1: Prep the Shrimp

Purchase your shrimp with the tails on.
This will prevent your shrimp from drying out when you roast it in the oven. I also find they are less expensive this way too!
You can also use frozen shrimp too, since you are roasting them which brings out more flavor, and tossing them with dressing, no one will know you used frozen!

How to Make Shrimp Look Like Lobster

I like to score the backs of the shrimp after cleaning them and removing the vein. Otherwise known as “butterflying”.
This plumps them up while cooking and will give them a similar texture to lobster, but for a lot less money!
It also helps the shrimp fill out the bun, and create a generously stuffed appearance too!

Cutting The Shrimp Into Chunks

Once the shrimp is cooked through, remove the tails and chop them into bite-sized pieces around 1-inch in size. I wouldn’t go bigger otherwise it will be harder to fill the buns when it comes time to serve.

Step#2: Prepare Dressing

You’ll love the flavor of the shrimp roll dressing! It is a wonderful lemony mayo dressing that is loaded with crunchy celery, shallots, and dill.
It pairs beautifully with the shrimp and its flavors become even better the longer the salad sits in the fridge.
Add the dressing to the cooked shrimp and toss to coat well.
I also like to reserve 3 tablespoons of the dressing and place in a separate bowl. That way I have a little more dressing to toss in to freshen the salad right before serving.

Step#3: Grill the Buns

A critical component to this shrimp roll recipe is of course the split-top buns, which are a bit of a unicorn here on the West Coast. No seriously, they don’t exist. Not anywhere!
It’s the strangest thing I’ve come across, being an “east coat” transplant, the complete absence of a split-top bun. Why is that? I’m sure Westerners would love them as much as New Englanders do, but alas to no avail.

The Split-Top Buns Are Worth Buying Online

But, as is the case with most things these days, I found them on Amazon!
They are also known as “split top hot dog buns” so don’t be confused.
I buy a big batch of them and then freeze them. Yes, they are pricey, yes a tad inconvenient.
But when you bite into the buttery, crispy roll that is as light as a feather, you’ll agree it was worth the effort.

Grilling the Buns

Simply butter their sides with melted butter and grill on a griddle. I love this large All-Clad Griddle because you can grill a big batch at once! It’s also handy for Pancakes, Quesadillas, and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches too!
I love this recipe for entertaining because this is the only “cooking” you need to do the day of the party.
Everything else can be made the day before!

Assemble + Serve

After grilling the bun, all you have to do is fill the buns with the shrimp salad and set them out on a platter. How easy is that?! For an easy summer dessert idea try my Plum Crumble or my Strawberry Cobbler.

More Great Summer Recipes!

Please let me know if you make these shrimp rolls

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