These are just sneaky good – so delicious, guys. Today, I’m sharing How to Make Shrimp Rolls at Home with you, and not just any shrimp roll – the very best I’ve ever had. There are a few good reasons as to why these classic shrimp rolls are the greatest, and I’ll dish it all up in today’s post. Or, you can just jump ahead to the recipe card and get to shrimpin. You are going to LOVE these things, y’all …

In This Post

What is a Shrimp Roll?

Okay, so a classic shrimp roll is like a lobster roll, but we’re replacing the lobster with shrimp. This is an equally delicious, yet far more affordable and accessible way to enjoy all of the creamy, buttery, goodness of a seafood roll, without having to shell out the dollars required when purchasing lobsta.

I mean, I love lobster rolls. But for my time and money, you’ll find me making these shrimp rolls every single time. They are truly one of my favorite things to make and people are always so surprised at how great they are. There’s something very unassuming about these shrimp rolls. I’ll be like, oh we’re having shrimp rolls for dinner … and it’s just crickets. It doesn’t sound all the showy or exciting by name alone, I get that. But man do these things make up for it in flavor and texture.

In today’s post all about How to Make Shrimp Rolls at Home, We’re talking all the classic shrimp roll stuff here but with the volume turned up. We’ve got buttery buns, plump and juicy shrimp, and a creamy and flavorful dressing. Plus? I like to gild the lily by crushing some salty kettle chips and showering them all over the tops of these things. SO GOOD!

Why roasted shrimp is the best for shrimp rolls

There is very little comparison between shrimp that has been roasted and shrimp that has not. (Can you tell I’m passionate about this topic?). By simply roasting your shrimp all at one time (400 degrees is the ticket) you ensure even cooking and give the little guys the best possible chance to wind up juicy, plump and absolutely perfectly cooked for you, when all is said and done.

I almost always ask you to roast your shrimp, in my recipes because it truly yields the best results – from both flavor to texture. People are always like, wow! these shrimp are so perfectly cooked! And it’s just from the roasting guys. That’s the whole trick. Like in my Best Ever Shrimp Creole, my etouffee, and my Slow Roasted Eggplant with Garlicky Walnuts and Shrimp.

Now you will read other articles and pieces that purport to know the best way to cook shrimp, sure. I’ve seen manifestos all about how high-heat searing on the stovetop is the best way, and low-and slow roasting is great. But in my experience (and I cook shrimp weekly), roasting large shrimp at 400 degrees for 6 to 7 minutes always yields the most succulent (yep), perfect results. Plus it’s really easy – the easiest in fact. So, that counts for a whole lot here on My Kitchen Little.

Plus again? We’re going to already be toasting up our buns – the oven will already be on – so why not go double duty with it and roast those shrimp, eh? Yes, it all just works.

What size of shrimp is best for shrimp rolls?

When it comes to learning how to make shrimp rolls at home, there might be a couple of basic need-to-knows that we should cover. 1) What buns should we use? That’s easy – hot dog! I just suggest thins because you can buy them literally everywhere. If you can get the split top buns – even better. But if not, no worries. It’s all good either way! 2) Do I have to use Old Bay? No, I suppose not. But a little sprinkle of some paprika and a good seasoning with salt and pepper on those shrimp, pre-roast, will make up for the absence of the seafood seasoning juggernaut.

Okay, so if you take a look at the photos of the shrimp, they’re large. That’s almost always what I call for in my recipes because they’re pretty much appropriate all of the time. But I also like to have you cut these shrimpies in half, as they’re easier to load up into the buns if we make the pieces a little smaller.

How to make shrimp rolls at home: what you’ll need

Here’s the architecture of these shrimp rolls:

Buttery, garlicky buns (split top please!)
Creamy, flavorful sour cream and chive dressing
Perfectly Roasted Old Bay Shrimp (either store-bought or my homemade blend)
Crunch potato chips topping

INGREDIENTS

1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined with the tails removed

Olive oil, for cooking

½ tablespoon Old Bay (approx)

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

6 split top hot dog buns

2 tablespoons melted salted butter (or you can lightly salt regular butter)

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Juice of half a lemon

1 tablespoon fresh minced chives, plus more for garnish

Handful of crushed potato chips (optional)

How to make the best Shrimp Rolls

This is a simple-as-can-be sort of thing, this Shrimp Rolls recipe of mine. It’s hella fast to throw together, and I usually do it in about 15 total minutes. I mean, you can drag it out as long as you’d like, but you can also truly bang this one out in less than 20 minutes, if you’d prefer (I prefer!). We love fast recipes here on MKL, and this one ranks up there among the very best of the bunch.

We’re going to weave flavor into every layer and aspect of these shrimp rolls, oh yes we are. We’re going to create toasty, garlic buttered buns into which we pile the plump, juicy, perfectly roasted shrimp. Yep, we’re roasting our shrimp here, not pan-frying or sautéing.

Also, we’ll build a simple yet hugely flavorful creamy dressing that combines mayonnaise and sour cream, along with fresh chives and garlic powder. It coats the roasted shrimp excellently and tastes amazing.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the top and middle third positions.

Cut the shrimp in half and put them on a baking sheet and drizzle with a couple teaspoons of olive oil and season liberally with the Old Bay. Roast on the middle rack for 6 to 7 minutes, or just until pink and curled.

Meanwhile, season the melted butter with ¼ teaspoon of the garlic powder and brush the insides and tops of the buns with this, ensuring a thorough coating. Place on a second baking sheet and put in the oven on the top rack just until crunchy and golden brown; about 5 minutes or so. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, 1 TBSP of minced chives, the remaining ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and a little salt and lots of pepper. When the shrimp are out of the oven, add them to the bowl with the dressing and toss to coat. Pile the creamy shrimp into the toasty buns and top with more chives and some crushed potato chips, if desired.

NOTE: These are best when slightly warm or at room temperature.