Hot Honey Shrimp Salad: A Spicy Southwestern Inspired Salad

Get ready to spice up your salad game with this Hot Honey Shrimp Salad! Juicy, pan-seared shrimp are tossed in a sweet and spicy hot honey glaze, then paired with fresh greens, crunchy veggies, and a zesty citrus dressing. It’s a refreshing yet bold dish that balances heat and sweetness in every bite. Perfect for a light lunch or a quick weeknight dinner!

This Hot Honey Shrimp Salad packs bold southwest flavors, transforming it into a satisfying, hearty meal – much more than your typical shrimp salad. The combination of charred corn and creamy avocado takes it to the next level, bringing a burst of flavor that I absolutely love.

What ingredients do you need to prepare my Hot Honey Shrimp Salad?

Refer to the recipe card for precise measurements.

• shrimp
• spices: chili, garlic, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper
• salad mix – giving you a little creative freedom here (I used a 50/50 mix!)
• fruits and veggies: oranges, limes, corn, avocados, pickled red onion, green onion (optional)
• citrus dressing: orange juice and zest, lime juice, Dijon Mustard, Hot Honey, salt, pepper, and avocado oil
• cotija cheese (optional)

Is there any equipment necessary for preparing this Hot Honey Shrimp Salad?

Not necessarily, but you can’t go wrong with a great pan for searing the shrimp and a gorgeous platter for plating!

I swear by a hand blender for salad dressings! You’ll find it all over my blog. (While I appreciate a hand whisked vinaigrette in some salads, sometimes you really need a good blender for that creamy, fully emulsified affect!)

How to Prepare Hot Honey Shrimp Salad:

Refer to the recipe card for precise measurements.

Start with quick marinating the shrimp in some fresh squeezed orange juice, avocado oil, chili, garlic, and salt, and pepper. You can just let the shrimp sit in this marinade for about 5 minutes while you gather the rest of your ingredients and prepare the dressing.

Place a pan on the stove over medium high heat in preparation for searing the shrimp.

To prepare the dressing, combine the orange juice, zest, Dijon mustard, Hot Honey, salt, and a crack of black pepper. Start the hand blender and slowly drizzle in the avocado oil. Blend until fully emulsified. (Alternatively, you can hand whisk this dressing and drizzle in the oil. It will come out a little less creamy, but still a gorgeous silky, shiny dressing!)

Cooking the Shrimp:

If you are using raw shrimp, cook 3 minutes on one side, then 2 – 2.5 minutes on the other side.

My timing recommendations are based off of using large, raw red Argentinian shrimp. If you are using medium shrimp, decrease the recommendations by 30 seconds, and 30 seconds further if you are using small shrimp.

If you are using precooked shrimp, sear them in the hot pan for 90 seconds – 2 minutes per side. Just enough to get a good sear.

Pour in the hot honey and move the pan around just enough to coat all of the shrimp. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside, pouring any remaining honey directly over the shrimp.

Toss the corn into the hot pan and char it slightly. This should only take a couple of minutes.

Layer the salad mix, hot honey shrimp, pickled red onion, diced avocados, and green onion into a serving bowl.

Pour over the citrus dressing and enjoy!

What if I’m not a big fan of spicy? Can I use something in place of Hot Honey in this salad?

Absolutely! You can use regular honey and the shrimp are just as tasty! They just won’t have that chili heat that you are not fond of!

I can’t have honey, are there any substitutes?

If you need to watch your sugar intake, you could even omit the honey over the shrimp (the marinade is still lovely). For the citrus dressing (that also calls for the hot honey), just sub in maple syrup or agave nectar!

But what if I love spicy? And Hot Honey isn’t quite hot enough for me?

You’ve come to the right place! I enjoy some spice in my life as well! If you’re a heat lover, I recommend grilling some fresh jalapenos with the shrimp! They add this gorgeous charred flavor to the honey that is just perfect for all of my spice loving readers!

You could also add fresh minced jalapeno to the citrus dressing if you’d like.

Storage:

• Store the salad ingredients separately to keep the lettuce from wilting.
• The shrimp will keep for 1 – 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
• The citrus dressing will keep for 3 – 5 days in an air tight jar in the fridge.

I hope you loved this Hot Honey Shrimp Salad recipe! If you try it, be sure to leave a comment or tag me @atoastedcrumb on all socials! I’d love to see your work!

Hot Honey Shrimp Salad

Recipe by Amber Bogardus

Course: Recipe IndexCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Hot Honey Shrimp Salad featuring succulent shrimp sautéed in a sweet and spicy honey glaze, served over a bed of fresh greens. This dish is perfect for a light lunch or a delightful dinner, combining bold flavors with a refreshing crunch!

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

• 1 lb raw, large shrimp (deveined)

• 2 oranges (juice and zest), divided

• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp avocado oil, divided

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp kosher salt, divided

• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper, divided

• 3 tbsp Hot Honey, divided

• 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard

• 1/2 cup sweet corn (loose kernels)

• 1/4 cup pickled red onion

• 1 avocado, diced

• 2 tbsp green onions, chopped

• 2 tbsp cotija cheese (optional)

• lime wedges for serving

Directions

• Zest the oranges and set the zest aside.
• Quick marinate the shrimp in the fresh squeezed juice from one of the oranges, 1 tbsp of avocado oil, the chili powder, garlic powder, half of the salt, and half of the pepper. You can just let the shrimp sit in this marinade for about 5 minutes while you gather the rest of your ingredients and prepare the dressing.
• Place a pan on the stove over medium high heat in preparation for searing the shrimp.
• To prepare the dressing, combine the orange juice from the remaining orange, the zest, Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp of the Hot Honey, the remaining salt, and a crack of black pepper. Start the hand blender and slowly drizzle in the remaining quarter cup of avocado oil. Blend until fully emulsified. (Alternatively, you can hand whisk this dressing and drizzle in the oil. It will come out a little less creamy, but still a gorgeous silky, shiny dressing!)
• ,Cook the shrimp in the hot pan for 3 minutes on one side, then 2 – 2.5 minutes on the other side. My timing recommendations are based off of using large, raw red Argentinian shrimp.
• Pour in the remaining 2 tbsp of hot honey and move the pan around just enough to coat all of the shrimp. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside, pouring any remaining honey directly over the shrimp.
• Toss the corn into the hot pan and char it slightly. This should only take a couple of minutes.
• Layer the salad mix, hot honey shrimp, pickled red onion, diced avocados, cojita cheese, and green onion into a serving bowl.
• Garnish with lime wedges, pour over the citrus dressing, and enjoy!

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