As soon as the weather warms up, I start craving fresh, colorful salads that are easy to make and bursting with flavor. This Honey Paprika Shrimp Recipe with Mango and Pickled Red Onions checks every box. It’s light yet satisfying, packed with juicy mango, creamy avocado, crisp vegetables, and perfectly seasoned shrimp that deliver the perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and savory flavors. It’s the ultimate summer shrimp salad or healthy shrimp salad to spice up your dinner rotation,
If you must know, Toronto is home to some of the BEST Thai food in the world. This recipe is inspired by a classic Thai-style shrimp and mango salad. However, I couldn’t resist putting my own spin on it (as a recipe developer often does!). The shrimp are coated in a simple honey paprika marinade that caramelizes beautifully, while pickled red onions and a generous sprinkle of tangy sumac add bright, vibrant layers of flavor. Every bite is refreshing, hearty, and full of delicious contrast, making this healthy shrimp salad one you’ll find yourself making on repeat all summer long.
Good food is made from good ingredients and good ingredients is what makes up really good food. I love the simplicity, the very few ingredients, the fact that you can leave the shrimp or remove it altogether and still have a delicious combo. If shrimp is not your thing- this salad is just as delicious with scallops or chicken.
Whenever I see creamy avocado and tangy pickled red onions, I’m instantly transported back to sunny Sundays at the beach growing up. Those flavors immediately bring to mind fresh ceviche and the many seafood dishes my mom used to make. She made the most incredible salads and seafood recipes, often using whatever fresh ingredients she had on hand—sometimes asparagus, sometimes tomatoes, and always plenty of bright, vibrant flavors.
One of the things I loved most about her cooking was how effortlessly she changed one or two ingredients while keeping the same delicious foundation. That simple approach is the inspiration behind this Honey Paprika Shrimp Salad with Mango. It combines sweet mango, creamy avocado, pickled red onions, and perfectly seasoned shrimp for a fresh, colorful salad that’s packed with flavor and perfect for warm-weather meals.
Plot twist: you CAN also make this with raw fish or shrimp. But for some reason- I really enjoyed sautéing the shrimp with a few, simple ingredients. I love to start with an equal amount of butter to olive oil on the pan and use spices like smoked paprika, a pinch of garlic powder and a little bit of sea salt, lemon and honey. You don’t need much to make food taste good; and that’s really the key premise behind this salad.
Make it, try it, share it- I promise you it will become one you’ll make on repeat.
FUN FACT: You can also serve it in your tacos, burritos, burrito bowls or on top of crunchy tostadas. This makes for the best shrimp tacos you’ll ever try! All you probably need is a pinch of your favorite salsa verde or cream. If you’re dairy-free, avocado mayo “cream” or cashew cream are a great alternative.
Enjoy! x
Shrimp, Avocado & Mango Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bag of fresh or frozen (thawed) shrimp ~ 1+ 1/2 pounds or ~700 grams
- 1 Tbsp of butter OR ghee
- 1 Tbsp of olive oil
- 1 Tbsp of smoked paprika
- 1/2 Tbsp of honey
- 1/2 tsp of garlic powder or minced garlic
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 large mangos, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 large Hass avocados, sliced into cubes
- 1 large cucumber sliced into thick rounds; then quarters
- 1/3 cup of pickled red onions
- 1 tsp of sumac to garnish
Honey Lime Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2.5 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder or finely minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pat dry your shrimp with a paper towel and place them in a bowl. Season with a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper on both sides and lightly coat them in half your olive oil.
- Heat up a pan to medium/high heat and warm up the butter and rest of your olive oil. Once hot, add the shrimp. Don’t stack them on top of each other, I like to spread them out and cook for ~2 mins on each side.. they’ll turn pink!
- Add honey, paprika and pinch of garlic powder and stir to coat evenly. Cook for another 3-4 mins; don’t overcook or dry out the shrimp.
- For the vinaigrette: throw everything into your blender and blitz for 7 seconds, except for the olive oil. Slowly add it and whisk as you go after you’ve blitzed the rest of the ingredients. It will help everything emulsify and thicken nicely, so yum!
- In a serving bowl, assemble all the ingredients together and mix with a few Tbsp of the vinaigrette, as desired. Store remaining vinaigrette in the fridge in a closed container for up to 3 days. Add you shrimp into the salad as the final step. Garnish with a little bit of sumac and enjoy!
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (adds freshness and complements the mango and shrimp beautifully)
- Fresh lime wedges, for serving (brightens all the flavors)
- Toasted sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds, for extra texture and visual appeal
By: Aleyda / The Dish On Healthy
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