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A marble board with four shrimp rolls garnished with herbs, surrounded by lemon wedges, spices, and celery on a light gray surface.
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East Coast Shrimp Rolls Recipe

These East Coast-style shrimp rolls hit all the cold seafood roll notes you crave—buttery seafood, crisp celery, bright lemon—but they're ready in 15 minutes and cost about $12 to make at home versus $28+ at a seafood shack. The secret is cooking the shrimp just until pink in butter and lemon juice, then chilling them before tossing with mayo so they stay tender instead of rubbery.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 362kcal
Author: Kita Roberts

Equipment

  • skillet
  • cutting board
  • Knife
  • mixing bowl

Ingredients

Shrimp

  • 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 lemon juiced

Dressing

  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 celery stalk finely diced
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

For Serving

  • 4 split-top hot dog buns or brioche rolls
  • Extra chopped parsley for topping, add fresh chives too
  • Lemon wedges

Instructions

Cook the shrimp

  • Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and cook for 3–4 minutes until shrimp are pink and opaque. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
    A skillet with raw shrimp in melted butter, surrounded by bowls of chopped celery, mayonnaise, spices, herbs, and lemon juice on a light gray surface.
  • Chop the shrimp into bite-size pieces.

Make the dressing

  • In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, celery, parsley, salt, and pepper.
  • Fold the chopped shrimp into the dressing until evenly coated.
    A bowl of shrimp salad next to a bunch of sandwich rolls on a white cutting board, with a small dish of fresh herbs above.

Build the sandwiches and serve

  • Fill buns with the shrimp mixture, sprinkle with extra parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
    Overhead view of New England shrimp rolls with herbs in baguette rolls, served on plates and a cutting board with lemon wedges and condiments on the side.

Notes

  • Shrimp size matters: Medium- to large-sized shrimp give you real texture without over-chopping. Avoid tiny shrimp; you want a meaty bite.
  • Don’t overcook the shrimp: Pull them from the heat as soon as they turn pink and opaque. Tight curls mean they’re already past their prime.
  • Chill for best texture: Let the shrimp cool slightly before folding into the dressing so the mayo stays thick and creamy. After mixing, refrigerate the shrimp salad for 30–60 minutes to let flavors settle, and the dressing tighten.
  • Dress lightly: The shrimp should be coated, not swimming. You can always add more dressing, but you can’t take it back, so start with less and add more as needed.
  • Toast the buns: Butter the split-top buns and toast them until golden. This adds flavor and keeps the rolls from getting soggy.
  • Season twice: Lightly salt while cooking the shrimp, then add the final seasoning after mixing for balanced flavor.
  • Best served fresh: Shrimp salad holds for a day in the fridge, but the rolls are best assembled right before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 198mg | Sodium: 485mg | Potassium: 381mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 112IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 2mg