Shrimp Salad Cups

Shrimp Salad Cups are a fun low-carb appetizer where tasty shrimp salad is eaten inside a cup of cabbage or lettuce. This recipe was inspired by Family Favorite Shrimp and Macaroni Salad, the dish I always make for the family Super Bowl party!

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Shrimp Salad Cups are a fun recipe where Shrimp and Macaroni Salad is served as an appetizer, inside a cup of cabbage or lettuce! And that famous salad is the most-requested recipe for the annual Super Bowl Party menu in my family.

That shrimp and macaroni salad is always a crowd-pleaser if you’re not too concerned about carbs. But these low-carb  Shrimp Salad Cups are a fun way to enjoy those same shrimp salad flavors, served in a low-carb cups made of lettuce or cabbage.

If you’re wondering about the cabbage, think about how cabbage with mayo dressing is so good on fish tacos! But just eat the shrimp salad in lettuce cups if you prefer. Either way, this is a fun appetizer that will make your tastebuds happy!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

• frozen cooked shrimp, thawed overnight in refrigerator 
• celery
• green onion
• green cabbage or large leaves of lettuce
• mayo
• fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
• Celery Seed (affiliate link)
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

A tip for success with the Shrimp Salad Cups:

What makes my famous Shrimp and Macaroni Salad over-the-top good is the way I catch the “juice” from the thawed shrimp and then simmer to reduce it to very flavorful shrimp-flavored liquid. That same tip will make a huge difference in the flavor in these shrimp salad wraps, so please don’t skip that step!

How low in carbs are the Shrimp Salad Cups?

The tasty appetizers or light lunch made with shrimp salad eaten in cabbage leaves or large pieces of romaine lettuce have about 6 carbs and 14 grams of protein each.

How to Make Shrimp Salad Cups:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Thaw shrimp in the fridge overnight; then drain and catch the “juice.”
2. Simmer the collected shrimp “juice” until it’s reduced and the flavor is concentrated.
3. Pull the tails off the shrimp. (I only had 3/4 pounds of shrimp, but I wished I’d had more so I’m making the recipe for one pound.)
4. I used Kitchen Shears (affiliate link) to cut the shrimp into small pieces.
5. Finely chop a cup of celery and slice about 1/2 cup green onion.
6. Mix the mayo, concentrated shrimp “juice,” lemon juice, and Celery Seed (affiliate link) to make the dressing.
7. The hardest part of making this was cutting the core out of the cabbage. Use a small, very fresh head of cabbage for best flavor.
8. Carefully pull off whole cabbage (or lettuce) leaves to make cups.
9. Mix the dressing with the shrimp, celery, and green onion, and fill each cabbage cup with a scoop of the mixture.  
10. Serve Shrimp Salad Cups right away and enjoy!

More Low-Carb Shrimp Recipes to Enjoy!

• Easy Garlic and Lemon Shrimp
• Green Beans and Shrimp Sheet Pan Meal
• Roasted Tomatoes and Shrimp with Feta

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Yield: 8 servings

Shrimp Salad Cups

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Shrimp Salad Cups are a tasty low-carb appetizer where tasty shrimp salad is served in a cup made from cabbage or lettuce leaves.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. frozen cooked shrimp, thawed overnight in refrigerator (see notes)
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
• 1 small head cabbage (see notes)

Dressing Ingredients:

• 5 T mayo
• 1 T concentrated shrimp “juice”
• 1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Thaw frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight or longer.
2. Drain the shrimp into a colander that’s placed over a bowl to catch the shrimp “juice.”
3. Put the juice into a small pan and cook over a low simmer until it’s reduced by at least half to concentrate the shrimp flavor.
4. While the shrimp liquid reduces, cut the shrimp into small pieces, chop the celery and thinly slice the green onion.
5. Use a sharp knife to cut the core out of the cabbage and carefully pull off whole cabbage leaves to make cups.
6. When the shrimp liquid has reduced, turn off heat and let it cool a few minutes.
7. Then whisk together the mayo, light mayo, shrimp “juice”, lemon juice, celery seed, salt, and pepper.
8. Put the shrimp, celery, and green onion into a bowl and combine with the dressing.  (You may not want all the dressing; use the amount you prefer.)
9. Fill cabbage cups with a generous scoop of the shrimp mixture and serve right away.
10. The shrimp mixture will keep in the fridge for a day or two if you don’t eat it all at one meal.

Notes

I used 26/30 size shrimp, but smaller ones would be fine too. Use mayo or light mayo, whichever fits your dietary preferences.

The Shrimp Salad Cups can be made with cabbage or lettuce, whichever you prefer.

This recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 155Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 126mgSodium 713mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 1gSugar 5gProtein 14g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
These tasty Shrimp Salad Cups are great for low-carb or Keto diets since shrimp, celery, and cabbage or lettuce are all great low-carb foods. This recipe could also work for the original South Beach Diet, which would prefer reduced-fat mayo. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Appetizers to find more low-carb appetizers like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
These cabbage or lettuce cups filled with shrimp salad were first posted in 2013. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2025.