Grilled Blackened Shrimp Salad – Culinary Ginger

July 17, 2026

Who wants to cook indoors when it’s hot? My Grilled Blackened Shrimp Salad with Zesty Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette is the perfect excuse to dine al fresco. Featuring fresh and smoked shrimp tossed with your favorite salads and a light, refreshing vinaigrette, it delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort, making it your new go-to for effortless summer evening cooking.

Pour green cilantro vinaigrette over shrimp and salad

What are blackened shrimp?

The shrimp is coated in a bold blackened seasoning blend, which can vary depending on the spice combination you use. My favorite is a homemade blend of smoked paprika (which pairs perfectly with seafood and gives a nice, deep smoke), oregano, onion powder, ground coriander, and a touch of cayenne pepper for a mild kick.

What I love most about cooking deveined shrimp is how quickly they cook. You get a hearty, delicious restaurant-quality salad on the table in just minutes.

Close-up of grilled shrimp

The Easiest Cilantro Lime Dressing

Even the dressing only takes moments to prepare in a blender or food processor. Fresh herbs add a huge punch of vibrant flavor to a homemade vinaigrette.

Although cilantro is my favorite choice here to accompany the lime, you can easily substitute it with fresh basil if you’re not a fan of cilantro. Swapping in the basil makes for a gorgeous, bright herb dressing that still contrasts beautifully with the smoky heat of the shrimp.

Pro dressing tip: Whether you use cilantro or basil, don’t throw those stems away! They pack a ton of sweet, concentrated flavor. Blend the entire handful – stems and all – right in the blender

Expert Tips for Perfect Grilled Shrimp

  • Shrimp vs Shrimp: If you’re shopping in the UK, look for prawns at the fish counter. They work exactly the same for this recipe!
  • Do not overcook: The shrimp cooks incredibly quickly (about 2-3 minutes per side). They are done the second they turn opaque and form a loose “C” shape. If they roll up tightly into an “O” shape, they are overcooked.
  • Use skewers: To make work on the barbecue grills even easier, thread your shrimp onto skewers before grilling so you can turn them all at once without losing a single one in the fire.
  • Tip for the wooden skewer: If you use bamboo wood skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling so they don’t catch fire on the grills.
  • Dry the shrimp well: Before brushing the shrimp with oil and spices, dry them thoroughly with a paper towel. This helps the oil and blackened seasoning adhere perfectly instead of steaming.
A wooden bowl filled with salad greens, cherry tomatoes and blackened shrimp

Can I make this with chicken?

Absolutely! If you’re not a fan of seafood, this blackened spice blend and cilantro-lime vinaigrette pair wonderfully with chicken breast or chicken thighs.

Simply toss the thin chicken cutlets or fillets in the spice mixture and grill over medium-high heat for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Slice it, layer it on top of your greens and dinner is served.

Personalize your salad bowls

I kept the base of this salad beautifully simple with my favorite salad mix, juicy cherry tomatoes and creamy avocado. However, this bowl is highly customizable! You can add any of your favorite ingredients to dress it up.

Here are some delicious additions that pair wonderfully with the smoky, blackened spice:

  • Cheese: Crumbled blue cheese, feta, or tangy goat cheese add a rich, creamy contrast.
  • Crunchy: Roasted corn kernels or black beans make this a Tex-Mex style treat.
  • Fruit: Diced chunks of mango or pineapple contrast with the smoky heat and bright summer sweetness.

Mix It Up: Other Dressings to Try

A close-up showing blue cheese crumbling into a vinaigrette
Miso dressing in a bowl garnished with black and white sesame seeds
Meyer lemon marinade and vinaigrette in a glass container with a salad

While the cilantro-lime vinaigrette pairs perfectly with these smoked shrimp, this versatile salad base pairs well with so many different flavor profiles. If you want to change things up, try swapping it for one of these favorite homemade options:

  • For a rich steakhouse atmosphere: Skip the vinaigrette and drizzle with a creamy chunky blue cheese dressing. The contrast between the fresh, tangy cheese and the spicy blackened seasoning is incredible.
  • For an umami touch: Give the salad a flavorful, modern twist with a quick miso vinaigrette. The deep savory notes pair wonderfully with grilled seafood.
  • For a luminous, sun-kissed finish: Keep it ultra-light and citrusy with a sweet and tangy Meyer lemon vinaigrette. It’s the ultimate refreshing option for a scorching summer afternoon.
Pour green cilantro vinaigrette over shrimp and salad

Grilled Blackened Shrimp Salad

Janette

Fire up the grill for the ultimate quick summer dinner! This vibrant salad features succulent blackened and smoked shrimp layered atop fresh greens, all drizzled with a homemade cilantro-lime vinaigrette. It’s light, full of flavor and on the table in less than 15 minutes.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 6 minutes

Total duration: 21 minutes

Servings: 4

Prepare the vinaigrette:

  • Add the lime juice, vinegar, cilantro, agave nectar, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend until the cilantro is finely chopped.

  • With the blender running on low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil until fully emulsified. Taste for seasoning, pour into a vinaigrette jar and set aside.

Prepare the shrimp:

  • Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.

  • In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, salt, onion powder, black pepper, oregano, cayenne pepper and cilantro. Mix well.

  • Sprinkle seasoning mixture evenly on both sides of shrimp.

  • Thread the shrimp onto skewers. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until opaque and lightly charred.

  • Remove from grill and let cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, slide the shrimp off the skewers.

  • Arrange your favorite green salads and fresh vegetables in bowls. Top with grilled shrimp and drizzle generously with cilantro-lime vinaigrette.

Portion: 1, Calories: 113kilocalories, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated fats: 2g, Cholesterol: 3mg, Sodium: 450mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 16g

PakarPBN

A Private Blog Network (PBN) is a collection of websites that are controlled by a single individual or organization and used primarily to build backlinks to a “money site” in order to influence its ranking in search engines such as Google. The core idea behind a PBN is based on the importance of backlinks in Google’s ranking algorithm. Since Google views backlinks as signals of authority and trust, some website owners attempt to artificially create these signals through a controlled network of sites.

In a typical PBN setup, the owner acquires expired or aged domains that already have existing authority, backlinks, and history. These domains are rebuilt with new content and hosted separately, often using different IP addresses, hosting providers, themes, and ownership details to make them appear unrelated. Within the content published on these sites, links are strategically placed that point to the main website the owner wants to rank higher. By doing this, the owner attempts to pass link equity (also known as “link juice”) from the PBN sites to the target website.

The purpose of a PBN is to give the impression that the target website is naturally earning links from multiple independent sources. If done effectively, this can temporarily improve keyword rankings, increase organic visibility, and drive more traffic from search results.

Jasa Backlink

Download Anime Batch