9 of the Best Sauces to pair with Grilled Shrimp
Grilled shrimp is a staple of summer cooking. It has the perfect salty, sweet, and spicy mixture that takes your taste buds on an adventure with every bite. The best part? Grilling it is so easy!
This meal needs just a few ingredients which include:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil, and
- Lemon juice
But what about the sauces? Which one should you use to top off this delicious dish? Here are recommendations for the best sauces for grilled shrimp.
Shrimp Butter
The butter makes the flavor of the shrimp even better. A simple recipe is to saute some garlic in butter, add a little bit of lemon juice before taking it off the heat, and add parsley for color. You can also try making homemade cocktail sauce or aioli with mayo, ketchup, and horseradish.
Pesto Sauce
Grilled shrimp is one of the best summer recipes because it’s easy to make and delicious. Grilling adds a smoky flavor that goes well with many sauces, but pesto sauce offers something unique.
Pesto can be made from fresh basil or freeze-dried, so you don’t need to worry about having perfect leaves or having them go bad. The garlic and Parmesan cheese add richness to the sauce, while pine nuts give it a crunchy texture.
Cheddar Cheese Dipping Sauce
This sauce works well with shrimp and is a great way to add extra flavor. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize how easy it is to make quality dipping sauces, so they may settle for less when eating at home or in restaurants.
Ginger Dipping Sauce
This sauce can be used to flavor grilled shrimp or other seafood. It is also great on teriyaki chicken, steak, and much more. All you have to do is mix the ingredients in a bowl!
Ingredients include ½ cup soy sauce, ½ tablespoon sesame oil, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ⅛ teaspoon ginger powder. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Serve with your favorite dish immediately after mixing for best results!
Peanut Dipping Sauce
The peanut dipping sauce is a delicious and easy way to dress up grilled shrimp. To make this recipe, heat water in a small pot over medium heat. Add peanuts and let cook for about 15 minutes until the peanuts are soft and cooked through.
Remove from heat and add salt, ginger powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder (or chopped fresh garlic), paprika, or hot chili and oil if desired. Mix well with a spoon until combined, then mash into paste form with the back of the spoon if necessary before adding soy sauce.
Creamy Pineapple Lime
This creamy pineapple lime sauce is perfect on shrimp skewers. It only takes about five minutes to make, and it enhances the flavor of the grilled shrimp! If you love sweet-and-sour flavors, this sauce will become one of your go-to recipes for grilling season.
Creamy Parmesan
This sauce is very easy to make and tastes incredible. While it can be used for other things, this parmesan cream sauce pairs perfectly with grilled shrimp. Try using different types of seafood or meats if you want to mix up your dinners.
You need grated parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and pepper. Mix well with a fork to form an even paste. Add just enough olive oil until the mixture is thick but pourable (like pancake batter).
The key here is to add the olive oil a little at a time. The sauce should be thick enough to cling to whatever you pour it on but not too thick that it becomes difficult to pour. Pour the sauce over your shrimp and enjoy!
Buffalo Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
Use this sauce to top your grilled shrimp or chicken wings. It’s also fantastic on burgers! Ingredients include ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper salt and black pepper to taste, and milk (optional).
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Add milk if needed for desired consistency. Taste, then add salt and black pepper as necessary before serving with the grilled shrimp/chicken wings/burgers of your choice.
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
The honey mustard dipping sauce is a delicious condiment for shrimp. It’s also great with chicken or meatballs. Making the honey mustard sauce yourself tastes way better than store-bought bottles of dressing, and you can adjust it to your family’s taste preferences by adding extra honey if desired.
The ingredients you need are a cup of mayonnaise, ½ tablespoon yellow mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, and dash black pepper (optional). Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly blended.
Refrigerate at least one hour before serving, so flavors have time to blend.
Hopefully, this list gave you some ideas for those looking for the perfect sauce to pair with grilled shrimp. You can’t go wrong with any of these sauces – they’re all delicious! Just pick your favorite flavor and grill up a bunch of shrimp so you can enjoy it with your new favorite sauce.