Food and Recipes Seafood Shrimp The 30 Best Shrimp Dishes for Lunch or Brunch By Sierra Guardiola Sierra Guardiola Sierra is a writer and editor with many interests. She comes from a newspaper background and has over four years experience writing for magazines. She enjoys learning about new topics and providing readers with helpful tips and ideas. She has covered everything from how to make the best apple pie to transforming your outdoor space with a few key decorations. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on April 18, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner More often than not, we turn to shrimp when we're looking to cook a delicious seafood dinner but here's a secret: Shrimp can be used any time of day. We love throwing together these easy shrimp lunch ideas and shrimp brunch recipes so we can enjoy this seafood staple all day long. A few favorite recipes that come to mind? Crispy-Shrimp Salad with Avocado Dressing for a filling but healthy lunch; Shrimp-Tomatillo Tacos for a flavor-filled meal; and Bang Bang Shrimp, well, any time of day. We love shrimp because it really takes on the flavor of whatever dish in which it's used. It tastes great as a topper on a salad like our Shrimp Cobb Salad with Bacon Dressing, as the meat in soup like our Quick Shrimp and Corn Chowder or even as a hearty breakfast like our Buttermilk Grits with Country Ham and Shrimp. This wide variety of recipes will keep you satisfied all morning and afternoon and will leave you wanting seconds for sure. 01 of 30 Shrimp-and-Corn Succotash Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Shrimp-and-Corn Succotash Succotash is traditionally a side dish, but with a healthy serving of shrimp, it can make a nice lunch—especially in the summertime. This recipe, straight from the Southern Living test kitchen, calls for shrimp, fresh corn kernels, and green beans, served cold. 02 of 30 Shrimp and Bacon Salad Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Shrimp and Bacon Salad You sold us a two words: shrimp and bacon. And, yes, bacon is the secret ingredient that takes this shrimp salad recipe to the next level. 03 of 30 Cajun Shrimp Foil Packets with Red Potatoes and Zucchini The Recipe Critic Recipe: Cajun Shrimp Foil Packets with Red Potatoes and Zucchini Think of this lunch idea as a "lowcountry boil on the go." Inside each foil packet, you have all the flavors—shrimp, potatoes, and zesty Cajun seasoning—you're used to, only this dish is portable and ready to be packed in a lunchbox or heated up as an individual serving for a quick, at-home lunch. 04 of 30 Grilled Shrimp Lettuce Wrap Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Recipe: Grilled Shrimp Lettuce Wrap Often thought of as a healthy alternative to a sandwich, a lettuce wrap can often feel like a let down to freshly baked bread. But trust us: You won't even miss the bread in this recipe, thanks to the flavor-filled charred shrimp, pickled veggies, cilantro, and tasty, homemade marinade. 05 of 30 Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp Southern Living Recipe: Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp Sometimes, fried food is a must. Next time you have a craving for chicken fingers or something breaded and crunchy, try this crispy shrimp recipe instead. These little poppers can be tossed on a salad, added to a wrap, or dipped in sauce on their own. 06 of 30 Garlic Shrimp and Herbed Couscous Salad Recipe Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Garlic Shrimp and Herbed Couscous Salad This light and fresh pasta salad is made with Israeli couscous, feta cheese, cucumbers, and tender garlic shrimp. Top with tangy lemon-olive oil vinaigrette, fresh herbs, and voila—it's great on its own or served atop a bed of leafy greens. 07 of 30 Lemon-Garlic Butter Shrimp with Broccoli Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Lemon-Garlic Butter Shrimp with Broccoli You can't go wrong with the classic combo of lemon, garlic, shrimp, and broccoli. 08 of 30 Pasta Primavera with Shrimp Jennifer Causey Recipe: Pasta Primavera with Shrimp Another one pot wonder, this dish can be whipped up in 30 minutes max. Pasta can be filling mid-day, but don't fret: This sauce isn't too heavy (thanks to chicken stock as a base) and the fresh veggies are always welcome. 09 of 30 Italian Shrimp Kebabs Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Italian Shrimp Kebabs Sometimes, presentation can be lost in lunchtime meals. Don't let that happen to you by making your own shrimp kebabs—they look nearly as good on a plate as they taste. 10 of 30 Shrimp Perloo Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Shrimp Perloo These days, anything goes so if you want to serve Shrimp Perloo for lunch instead of dinner, the world is your oyster. Plus, this dish can be made with a one-pot recipe, so why not!? 11 of 30 Heirloom Red Corn Grits Southern Living Recipe: Heirloom Red Corn Grits This recipe is courtesy of Chef Steven Greene, executive chef at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in North Carolina. His creation? Creamy grits, plus eggs, ham, shrimp, and Cheddar cheese. Yum! 12 of 30 Chicken Enchilada Casserole Hector Sanchez Recipe: Chicken Enchilada Casserole Casseroles are great because they can be made in advance. This recipe can be treated the same, and we can't think of a more perfect dish for a Mexican-inspired brunch menu or pack-and-go lunch. 13 of 30 Fried Shrimp-and-Okra Po'Boys Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Fried Shrimp-and-Okra Po'Boys Pair shrimp with fried okra for a great crunch in one of our favorite sandwiches. 14 of 30 Shrimp and Grits Casserole Antonis Achilleo; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Shrimp and Grits Casserole This Southern breakfast dish is transformed into a casserole for an even easier brunch recipe. 15 of 30 Shrimp Cakes Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Shrimp Cakes Skip crab cakes and make these shrimp ones instead. You can prepare and refrigerate them up to four hours before you cook them. 16 of 30 Quick Shrimp and Corn Chowder Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Quick Shrimp and Corn Chowder Soups are one of our favorite lunch and brunch options, and this quick chowder recipe is a light and flavorful choice. 17 of 30 Bang Bang Shrimp Micah A. Leal Recipe: Bang Bang Shrimp This crispy shrimp dish is great for afternoon snacking. Serve with Sriracha for extra spice. 18 of 30 Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits Iain Bagwell Recipe: Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits This lowcountry dish is coastal comfort food at its best. 19 of 30 Kardea Brown's Okra Soup with Shrimp Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Kardea Brown's Okra Soup with Shrimp This recipe honors Gullah cuisine and is full of vegetables, spices, aromatics, and fresh shrimp stock. 20 of 30 Crispy-Shrimp Salad with Avocado Dressing Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Crispy-Shrimp Salad with Avocado Dressing If you make extra dressing, serve it alongside this salad with fresh vegetables as a dip. 21 of 30 Orzo Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Dressing Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Orzo Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Dressing This recipe makes for a tasty leftover lunch the next day. 22 of 30 Mini Shrimp Rolls Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Mini Shrimp Rolls These tiny sandwiches have great crunch thanks to the toasted rolls the shrimp salad sits in. 23 of 30 Shrimp Cobb Salad with Bacon Dressing Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Shrimp Cobb Salad with Bacon Dressing This colorful salad is fresh, nutritious, and indulgent, as any good Cobb salad should be. 24 of 30 Buttermilk Grits with Country Ham and Shrimp Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Buttermilk Grits with Country Ham and Shrimp Country ham is added to these stone-ground grits. 25 of 30 Shrimp Cake Sandwiches Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Shrimp Cake Sandwiches This simple seafood sandwich is a great handheld lunch option that's packed with summer flavor. 26 of 30 Grilled Shrimp Po'Boys with Quick Rémoulade Sauce Max Kelly Recipe: Grilled Shrimp Po'Boys with Quick Rémoulade Sauce Grilled shrimp sits atop lettuce, rémoulade sauce, and a charred hoagie roll. 27 of 30 Vietnamese-Style Shrimp Noodle Bowls Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Vietnamese-Style Shrimp Noodle Bowls This recipe comes together in just 25 minutes and makes for a comforting weekday lunch. 28 of 30 Skillet Corn with Shrimp and Sausage Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Skillet Corn with Shrimp and Sausage Creamy corn, hickory-smoked sausage, and tender shrimp pack the flavor into this dish. 29 of 30 Shrimp-Tomatillo Tacos Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Shrimp-Tomatillo Tacos This taco twist brings summer flavor to the table. 30 of 30 Shrimp Boil Vegetable Bowls Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Shrimp Boil Vegetable Bowls This bowl recipe tastes like your favorite seaside meal. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit