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Home // Courses // Lunch and Dinner // Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad

Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad

A fresh and flavorful twist on a classic caesar salad. The charred lettuce and grilled shrimp skewers pair perfectly with the creamy homemade caesar dressing for a tasty summer meal!
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes minutes
Total Time 30 minutes minutes
Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

Grilled romaine lettuce and marinated shrimp skewers are served with a creamy homemade dressing for the ultimate caesar salad experience. The char of the grill creates a crisp bite to the lettuce and shrimp while sealing in the delicious flavor of seasoning. And the homemade caesar dressing has the perfect salty, tangy bite to compliment the salad!

This Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad is a delicious dinner that can be thrown together in less than 30 minutes. I love that it’s an easy and fun recipe to get Andy and I outside grilling on these stunning summer nights. And if you take a few extra minutes to make grilled croutons, they take this dish over the top!

A ceramic plate is filled with grilled romaine lettuce, marinated shrimp skewers, and charred lemon all drizzled with a creamy caesar dressing. There are serving spoons beside the salad and more dressing, cheese, spice, and wine sitting to the side.

For another shrimp inspired recipe, check out my Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce. These spring rolls are the perfect celebration of summer flavor and fresh produce! They’re light and crisp, gluten free, dairy free, and a fun variation of the traditional Vietnamese Spring Roll recipe.

Ingredients in Shrimp Caesar Salad

Shrimp – The main component of this grilled caesar salad, I prefer to buy my shrimp pre-peeled and deveined. I also go for bigger shrimp – usually a size 16-20.

Garlic – I love adding fresh garlic cloves to nearly every savory dish I make, and the fresh garlic is crucial for the homemade caesar dressing.

Greek Yogurt – To make this a homemade caesar dressing with no mayo I subbed for full fat greek yogurt. Make sure it’s nice and thick like Fage brand, full fat for sure!

Parmesan Cheese – The sharp bite of parmesan gives a kick of flavor to this dressing.

Red Wine Vinegar – This caesar dressing doesn’t have mayo so the red wine vinegar helps to balance out the flavors a bit. Adds that tang of vinegar typically found in mayo.

Anchovies – It may seem odd but anchovies are a classic addition to caesar dressing! I used flat-fillets that were also skinless.

Romaine Lettuce – I chose to use romaine lettuce as it’s easiest for grilling. You can prepare it and grill it without worrying of the leaves falling apart.

How Long to Marinate Shrimp

The first step to this grilled shrimp caesar salad is all in the marinade. I kept it pretty simple and focused on packing in lots of flavor with the classics of garlic, lemon, salt and pepper. You could experiment with adding in more spices or herbs if you’d like, let me know if you do!

Otherwise I suggest marinating the shrimp for 20-30 minutes at room temperature. Since the shrimp are raw and for safety standards, be sure that it’s not much longer than 30 minutes. Keeping them at room temperature speeds up the marination process anyway!

You can marinate the shrimp for longer but make sure that they’re in the fridge. With that, you’ll want the shrimp to be room temperature before grilling. Just something to keep in mind!

How To Make Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad

  1. Start by preparing your shrimp. Add peeled & deveined shrimp to a large mixing bowl. Add minced garlic cloves, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and stir until evenly coated. Add your olive oil and toss again. Leave to marinade for 20 minutes at room temperature.*
  2. Blend ingredients for caesar dressing with a hand blender. Set aside. 
  3. Preheat the grill to medium high heat (~350 – 400F), and grease cooking grates. My preferred method is dragging a paper towel dipped in olive oil over the grates with tongs.
  4. Rinse romaine halves thoroughly with water, being careful to keep the hearts intact, and pat dry well with a linen or paper towel. Sprinkle both sides evenly with salt and pepper. Brush all sides lightly with olive oil. Grill cut-side down for ~1 minute, or until lightly charred. Flip and repeat. Set aside.
  5. Prepare your shrimp skewers. Add marinated shrimp to wooden or metal skewers – you want the skewers to go through the tail end, and head so they resemble the letter “C.” Place on the medium-high grill, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until tightly curled and slightly charred on both sides.
  6. Assemble your salad – to a large serving platter, add your grilled romaine hearts. Drizzle with caesar dressing, and top with shaved parmesan. Top with grilled shrimp skewers, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Two plates filled with grilled shrimp caesar salad are surrounded by extra dressing, spice, cheese, and wine. There's silverware sets beside each plate.

How to Grill Shrimp Without Skewers

The shrimp skewers add a fun flair to this recipe + get the shrimp extra crisp while grilling … but they’re not 100% necessary. If you’re not using skewers I suggest grilling the shrimp on layer of aluminum foil or on a grilling sheet. This grill pan with holes would also work as it allows for a more direct heat source similar to using the skewers.

Homemade Caesar Dressing With No Mayo

I always have been and always will be a caesar salad fan. There’s just something about the creamy texture and fresh flavor that gets to me. Because of that, I knew I needed to make my own better-for-you version of the iconic salad dressing.

I wanted to make this homemade caesar dressing with no mayo so I subbed for full fat yogurt (don’t skimp with low fat!) for creamy texture + vinegar for some tang + parmesan cheese for the bite + anchovies for the slightly salty undertone. The result? Absolute deliciousness that’s much more fresh than traditional caesar dressing!

Grilled romaine lettuce is topped with grilled shrimp skewers and a homemade caesar dressing. There are charred lemon halves beside the salad as well as more dressing.

Tips for Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad

There are two major tips for this recipe that will really elevate the game.

  1. If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 15 minutes prior to cooking. This keeps them from drying out too fast and splintering into the food.
  2. Make grilled croutons! It wouldn’t be a true caesar salad without the crunch of croutons. To do this, coat both sides of sourdough with olive oil and cook until you see char marks on both sides. Remove from the grill and cut into crouton sized pieces.

For another shrimp inspired meal, check out my Spicy Tomato & Ginger Shrimp Pasta. The spicy sauce is full of flavor from fresh minced garlic, ginger, and onion all sautéed with a white wine and tomato reduction. Then to top things off, tender shrimp and al dente pasta that makes this dish into a true “chef’s kiss” creation.

If you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you and it helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad 🙂

Grilled romaine lettuce is served with marinated shrimp skewers, charred lemon, and a homemade caesar dressing.

Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad

Author Casey Colodny
Prep: 20 minutes minutes
Cook: 10 minutes minutes
Total: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 sides
Print Leave a Review
A fresh and flavorful twist on a classic caesar salad. The charred lettuce and grilled shrimp skewers pair perfectly with the creamy homemade caesar dressing for a tasty summer meal!

Ingredients

Grilled Shrimp Skewers

  • 20 ea raw shrimp size 16-20, peeled & deveined (~1.25lbs)
  • 6 ea garlic cloves peeled & minced
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Caesar Dressing

  • ⅔ cup full fat greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 anchovies flat fillets, skinless
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Salad

  • 3 hearts of romaine lettuce cut in half lengthwise
  • salt & pepper
  • olive oil
  • ⅓ cup thick cut shaved parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Start by preparing your shrimp. Add peeled & deveined shrimp to a large mixing bowl. Add minced garlic cloves, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and stir until evenly coated. Add your olive oil and toss again. Leave to marinade for 20 minutes at room temperature.*
  • Blend ingredients for caesar dressing with a hand blender. Set aside.
  • Preheat the grill to medium high heat (~350 – 400F), and grease cooking grates. My preferred method is dragging a paper towel dipped in olive oil over the grates with tongs.
  • Rinse romaine halves thoroughly with water, being careful to keep the hearts intact, and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides evenly with salt and pepper. Brush all sides lightly with olive oil. Grill cut-side down for ~1 minute, or until lightly charred. Flip and repeat. Set aside.
  • Prepare your shrimp skewers – add marinated shrimp to metal or wooden skewers**. You want the skewers to go through the tail end, and head so they resemble the letter “C.” Place on the medium-high grill, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until tightly curled and slightly charred on both sides.
  • Assemble your salad – to a large serving platter, add your grilled romaine hearts. Drizzle with caesar dressing, and top with shaved parmesan. Top with grilled shrimp skewers, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

*You can marinade shrimp for longer in the fridge, but you need to make sure shrimp is at room temperature before grilling.
**If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 15 minutes prior to cooking.
***You can also serve with grilled croutons. To do this, coat both sides of sourdough with olive oil and cook until you see char marks on both sides. Remove and cut into pieces.

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Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Green Goddess Slaw

Salmon Taco Bowls

Pan Seared Salmon Salad with Pepperoncini Dressing

About Casey Colodny

Avid home cook and baker since College, Casey went on to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and complete the basic intensive cuisine course. Interested in creating healthier recipes for the V/GF, vegetarian, pescatarian, and paleo eaters! Started The Mindful Hapa in 2018 and has been cooking and sharing tasty recipes and photography ever since.

Reader Interactions

4 comments

  1. Cassandra Brecht says

    September 5, 2021 at 9:37 am

    This looks amazing…can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
    • Casey Colodny says

      September 7, 2021 at 3:38 pm

      Wohooo!! Let me know what you think!! – Casey

      Reply

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✨MY MOM’S NOT SO ‘SECRET SAUCE’ NOODLE STI ✨MY MOM’S NOT SO ‘SECRET SAUCE’ NOODLE STIR FRY* featuring @beyondmeat, a veggie and protein filled dinner you need to try for dinner!

Now what’s the secret to this sauce? The secret is that it’s so easy to make, just 5 simple ingredients, and the perfect way to add lots of flavor! I also made sure to add the new Beyond Beef with avocado oil for extra delicious flavor and protein, a whopping 21 grams per serving! This is the 4th generation of @beyondmeat and the flavor is the best yet 👏🏼

Here’s everything you need to make this for dinner this week:

My Mom’s Not So ‘Secret Sauce’: 
⅔ cup mirin
⅔ cup sake
⅓ cup soy sauce
2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced 

Noodle Stir Fry:
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
⅓ cup red onion, finely diced 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
16oz Beyond Beef 
1 tsp salt
6 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced into thin strips
1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
1 cup bean sprouts
10 oz ramen noodles, cooked al dente (1 minute less than package instructions)
⅓ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Chili crisp drizzle, optional garnish

Instructions included in comments below ⬇️ 

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A fun week in Punta Mita full of sand, endless poo A fun week in Punta Mita full of sand, endless pool time, margaritas🍋‍🟩, and golf cart rides 🏝️🌊☀️🐚🫶🏼
💚🌱SEARED SHRIMP SALAD WITH GREEN GODDESS DRE 💚🌱SEARED SHRIMP SALAD WITH GREEN GODDESS DRESSING loaded with roasted asparagus, zucchini and bell pepper,  crumbled feta, marinated artichoke hearts, sunflower seeds, and some radish microgreens I grew in my @grow.leath fieldhouse 🏠 Here’s how you make this beautiful and flavorful salad ⬇️
—
Green Goddess Dressing:
2 scallions (washed & roots cut off)
½ cup fresh cilantro (loosely packed leaves & tender stems)
¼ cup fresh basil leaves 
¼ cup full fat greek yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice 
2 tbsp water
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp kosher salt + move to taste

Seared Shrimp:
1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined with tails removed (I used size 22-25 ct)
1 tsp chili powder
¾ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp cayenne
2 tbsp olive oil, divided

Grilled Veggies
½ red bell pepper, seeded & cut into 1” pieces
1 small zucchini, cut into half moons
½ bunch asparagus, ends removed and cut into 1” pieces
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil 

Salad:
5 cups butter lettuce (1, 4.5oz container)
2 cups baby arugula
1 cup radish microgreens
1 cup marinated quartered artichoke hearts (1, 6.5oz container)
½ cup feta, cubed
⅓ cup roasted sunflower seeds
—
Full instructions continued in the comments below ⬇️ 
.
.
.
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A week of sandwiches 🥪 save for the next time y A week of sandwiches 🥪 save for the next time you need some sandwich inspo!

🥖 MONDAY: smoked salmon baguette with horseradish aioli, lemon zest, fresh dill, smashed avocado, capers, and pickled red onions 

🌱TUESDAY: roasted mushroom focaccia melt with melted havarti, arugula, and a horseradish mayo 

🍳 WEDNESDAY: southwest avocado breakfast sandwich, with whipped cream cheese, scrambled eggs, avocado slices, @sidedish southwest drizzle (use code CASEY10 for 10% off!), @growleath microgreens, and pickled red onion

🐟 THURSDAY: tinned salmon chili crisp with @fishwife x @flybyjing sichuan chili crisp smoked salmon, tomato slices, avocado, and sliced scallions

✨ FRIDAY:  herby tahini roasted cauliflower sandwich with fresh dill and pepperoncini peppers 

#sandwiches #sandwichrecipes #lunchrecipes #lunchinspo #sandwich #sandwichrecipe #easylunch #easyrecipes

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