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Southwest Shrimp Salad is a fresh, flavorful, and filling meal that gives classic Cobb salad a delicious Mexican twist. Juicy grilled shrimp, charred corn, avocado, and Cotija cheese come together on a bed of crisp lettuce with a zesty Jalapeno Ranch Dressing. You’ll be making it all season long to shake up your summer dinners!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free option, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Southwest Shrimp Salad – Cobb Salad with a Twist!
Cobb Salad is such a classic. With the chicken, eggs, bacon, avocado, blue cheese, and more, it’s definitely not just a pile of greens. It’s a dinner-worthy salad that will satisfy even the biggest appetites. However, sometimes even the classics need an update to give an old favorite new life. With a little summertime flair and Mexican inspo, you are going to love this version. Here’s why…
- Naturally gluten free. No need to change any of the ingredients to make a gluten free meal that even the gluten eaters will enjoy without missing out on anything!
- Incredible flavors. While is keeps the tomatoes, avocado, hard boiled eggs, and, of course, the bacon, swapping out the chicken to make it a grilled shrimp salad and adding corn gives it a bit of summer vibes. It also gets a Southwestern spin from crumbly, salty Cotija cheese and a little kick from Jalapeno Ranch that has just a little jalapeno kick.
- Restaurant-worthy. This is the kind of salad that, once you realize how easy it is to make at home, you won’t want to spend your money ordering restaurant salads ever again!
Recipe Ingredients
The best thing about a Cobb salad is how satisfying and flavorful it is because it is loaded with tasty toppings. That’s why this ingredient list might look a little long. But don’t let that scare you off. Here’s a quick rundown with some helpful info. The full amounts and detailed instructions can be found further down in the recipe card.
- Corn: Since you’ll be grilling it, you want it on the cob, but shucked
- Raw extra large shrimp: Peel them, but preferably leave the tail on. You can use fresh or frozen and thawed shrimp. Smaller shrimp will work too, but adjust the time accordingly.
- Avocado oil: Or another high smoke point oil such as canola for grilling the corn and shrimp.
- Seasonings: Smoked paprika, garlic, powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, or whatever you like to season the shrimp and corn.
- Fresh cilantro: Use some on the shrimp and the rest in your salad.
- Romaine lettuce: Wash, dry, and chop a few hearts.
- Bacon: You’ll want it cooked and chopped. Tip: See my post on how to cook bacon for 6 different methods you can use.
- Hard boiled eggs: Just cut them in half. Tip: See my post on how to make hard boiled eggs for 6 different methods you can use.
- Limes: These are optional, but adding a squeeze of lime gives the salad a little zing.
- Tomatoes: The photos show chopped tomatoes, but you can also use grape tomatoes sliced in half.
- Avocados: Make sure to slice the avocado at the last minute, or squeeze a little lime juice on them
- Cotija cheese: This Mexican cheese crumbles nicely and adds a salty topping to the salad. You can substitute Parmesan or Romano cheese, and even feta will work.
- Jalapeno Ranch Dressing: Add a bit of Southwestern flair to the salad with this creamy homemade dressing that even has light, keto, and dairy-free options.
Time Saving Tip
Don’t have time to cook the bacon and hard boiled eggs?
You can pick up pre-cooked bacon in the prepared meats section and cooked eggs from the dairy case or salad bar at the grocery store.
How to Make Southwest Shrimp Salad
Prep the toppings and assemble – it really is so easy!
- Grill the shrimp and corn. Drizzle or brush some of the oil over the corn and shrimp, then season them as you prefer. Toss both on the grill, about 5 to 7 minutes for the corn and 3 or 4 minutes per side for the shrimp. Set both aside, and cut the corn off the cob once it is cool enough to handle.
- Make the dressing. Combine the ingredients in a blender and puree till smooth.
- Assemble the salads. Make a base of Romaine in one big bowl or make individual salads. Add the bacon and eggs, and sprinkle on the grilled corn, tomatoes, limes (if you are adding them), avocado, and cheese. Finally, top it with the shrimp and cilantro.
- Add the dressing. Now give the grilled shrimp salad a nice drizzle of the Jalapeno Ranch Dressing. Or let everyone pour it over their individual servings. And get ready to dig in!
Tips and Variations
- Season to taste. For the corn, I like a little smoked paprika, plus salt and pepper. On the shrimp, a bit of the cilantro, and some garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper taste great. But you can also use a basic grill seasoning, taco seasoning, or just salt and pepper.
- Customize your toppings. You can always skip, add, or substitute anything to really make this Southwest Shrimp Salad your own. Feel free to add cucumbers, croutons, or crushed tortilla chips. Or skip the corn to make it keto-friendly. Add a little Pico de Gallo on top. You can even swap the shrimp for some Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken.
- Try another dressing. Red Wine Vinaigrette is actually the traditional dressing for a Cobb Salad. Hot Bacon Dressing adds a rich touch with more smoky, salty flavors and a hint of sweetness. And then there is always a nice basic Creamy Maple Dijon Dressing to give it a little tangy bite.
Storing Leftover Salad
Any remaining salad can be stored in the fridge for an extra day, be sure to cover it tightly. If you were to make this ahead of time to pack the next day for lunch, I would recommend leaving the bacon and avocados off until the last few minutes. Otherwise, the avocados will turn brown and the bacon will get soggy.
You can even prepare all of the toppings and store them separately in individual containers, then assemble the salad right before serving.
Make it a Meal
While Shrimp Cobb Salad is definitely filling enough for dinner, maybe you’d like to add something else to finish off your meal.
- Seafood is always delicious with Cheddar Bay Cauliflower Tots.
- Dill Hash Browns would be tasty on the side or even as an alternative to croutons on top.
- Melt butter over a slice of Gluten Free Cornbread.
- Add some more summery vibes to the salad by tossig some Grilled Zucchini on top too!
Helpful Tips
More Grilled Salads
Southwest Shrimp Salad
Southwest Shrimp Salad is a fresh and flavorful twist on Cobb salad with grilled shrimp, corn, avocado, Cotija, and Jalapeno Ranch. Perfect for summer meals!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 3 ears of corn, shucked
- 16 raw extra large shrimp, peeled and tail on (fresh or frozen and thawed)
- 1-3 teaspoons avocado oil, for grilling
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional or preferred seasonings for the corn
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, optional or preferred seasonings for the shrimp
- 1 teaspoon cumin, optional or preferred seasonings for the shrimp
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 hearts of Romaine lettuce
- 16 slices (about 1 lb) cooked and crumbled or chopped bacon
- 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced in half
- 4 limes, cut in half (optional)
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 3 tablespoons crumbled Cotija cheese (or grated Parmesan or Romano)
- Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
For the Jalapeno Ranch Dressing:
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 cup fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)
- 2 tablespoons chopped jalapeño (seeds removed unless you want it extra spicy)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Grilling the shrimp and corn:
- Heat an indoor or outdoor grill to high heat (about 500°F).
- Brush 3 ears of corn, shucked, with 1-3 teaspoons avocado oil,. Season corn with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and pinch of salt and pepper, or use your preferred seasonings.
- Place the corn on the grill. Cook for about 5-7 minutes turning every so few minutes to achieve even grilling. When the corn is tender and browned it’s ready to remove. Set aside.
- Drizzle 16 raw extra large shrimp, with 1-3 teaspoons avocado oil, and season with about a teaspoon of the 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and salt and pepper, or use your preferred seasonings.
- Place shrimp on the grill. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on the first side. You should start to see them turn pink about halfway up and notice the browning on the bottom.
- Flip the shrimp and cook for an additional 3 minutes on the second side until it is browned. Set the shrimp aside.
Assembling the salad:
- Wash 3 hearts of Romaine lettuce and pat dry. Slice in half and cut away the core, then chop it into smaller pieces about 1 inch to 1 ½ inches wide. Place it in a large bowl.
- Next, add 16 slices (about 1 lb) cooked and crumbled or chopped bacon and 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced, on top of the Romaine.
- Cut grilled corn off the cob and place it on top. Add the 4 limes, if using, 1 cup chopped tomatoes, 2 avocados, chopped, 3 tablespoons crumbled Cotija cheese,
- Finally, place shrimp on top and sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Drizzle with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing, prepared as directed below.
Making the dressing:
- In a blender or food processor, combine 1 cup milk, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 1 cup fresh cilantro, 2 tablespoons chopped jalapeño, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried), 1 tablespoon chopped chives (or 1 teaspoon dried), 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and a pinch of salt.
- Blend on high until all of the ingredients are completely mixed. You should have a nice light green color and texture should be smooth.
- Store dressing in the refrigerator covered until ready to use. If kept refrigherated, it will keep for about a week.
Nutrition Facts
Southwest Shrimp Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 361
Calories from Fat 216
% Daily Value*
Fat 24g37%
Saturated Fat 7g35%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 12g
Cholesterol 193mg64%
Sodium 698mg29%
Potassium 767mg22%
Carbohydrates 20g7%
Fiber 6g24%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 1853IU37%
Vitamin C 21mg25%
Calcium 117mg12%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
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