The perfect dipping sauce will help turn any good meal into a great meal. While shrimp tastes delicious on its own, there’s no question that the perfect sauce will make it taste even better! Here are some of our all-time favorite sauces for shrimp to take your seafood meal to the next level.

 

Best sauces for shrimp

Our list of sauces features a whole variety of flavors, including sweet, spicy, savory, and more. 

Most of these sauces are made with only a handful of ingredients and take just a few minutes to mix together and prepare.

Better yet, many of them can be stored for a week or longer, making them the perfect easy recipe to prepare in advance and enjoy for multiple meals.

Look no further for the perfect dipping sauce! Whether you prefer a sweet or spicy sauce for shrimp, this list is sure to have something that will make your taste buds dance.

If you are looking for some easy ways to cook shrimp, check out these 44 shrimp recipes and some of the best shrimp side dishes.

1. Homemade Cocktail Sauce

Shrimp with classic cocktail sauce is a delicious party appetizer that is always sure to be a hit. This homemade cocktail sauce recipe is easy to prepare in advance and can be made with just 4 ingredients: chili sauce, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.

It’s ready to go in just 5 minutes, and it’s super easy to personalize how spicy or tangy it is by adjusting the amount of horseradish or lemon juice. Skip the grocery store and make this simple sauce at home!

2. Tartar Sauce

Creamy tartar sauce is one of the best sauces to go with shrimp. Made with mayonnaise, pickles, lemon juice, and capers, this creamy dip recipe only requires a handful of ingredients and is easy to whip up in a few quick minutes.

This is one of our favorite dipping sauces for all kinds of fried foods, and it will taste incredible with crispy or breaded shrimp.

3. Mardi Gras Sauce

This copycat Mardi Gras Mustard is just as good as the original recipe from Popeyes. With a zesty flavor and the perfect amount of sweetness and spice, this sauce recipe will add a little bit of New Orleans flavor to any dish or side. Perfect for shrimp, crab cakes, and even chicken tenders.

While Popeyes discontinued the sauce in their stores, this recipe allows you to recreate the same exact flavor combination at home — and enjoy it any time!

4. Remoulade Sauce

Remoulade is a creamy dip loaded with plenty of spice. It’s the perfect dip to serve with any seafood dish. The key ingredient in this Cajun-style recipe is Creole mustard, giving the sauce a unique and bold flavor.

In addition to how easy it is to make, one of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is to personalize with different mix-ins. Minced pickles, chopped capers, and fresh tarragon are just a few ideas for additions, but there are endless ways to customize this recipe to your own liking.

5. Garlic Butter Sauce

You can never go wrong with garlic butter sauce! Garlic butter is a creamy and satisfying sauce that will take shrimp to the next level. This recipe is made with just three ingredients: margarine, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt.

Don’t have margarine on hand? No worries! Regular butter will work just fine, but be sure to use unsalted butter or omit the additional salt from the recipe. For best taste and texture, it’s also important to use garlic powder rather than granulated garlic.

6. Buffalo Sauce

This delicious buffalo sauce is smooth and buttery with the perfect amount of spice to bring the heat. The ingredients are simple: butter, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and hot sauce –– our personal favorite is the Frank’s brand. Cayenne pepper is an optional ingredient for this spicy dip but will help increase the spiciness for anyone who loves some extra heat!

7. Sweet Chili Sauce

Sweet chili sauce is one of the best sauces for shrimp, especially coconut shrimp! It’s tangy, garlicky, and sweet with just a little bit of spice, plus this simple but flavorful sauce is easy to make at home. 

Beyond having a fabulous flavor, this sauce also has a great consistency for dipping or drizzling. One of our favorite things about this recipe is that it can be prepared in advance and stored in a jar for up to three weeks in the refrigerator! 

8. Bang Bang Sauce

Three minutes and five ingredients are all you need to make this addicting bang bang sauce! It’s the perfect balance of sweet with a spicy kick, thanks to the combination of mayonnaise, sriracha, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, and honey. 

Plus, you can make this sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to one week.

9. Bloves Sauce

Popularized by YouTuber Bethany Gaskin, bloves sauce is a rich butter-based sauce that tastes incredible with seafood. Best of all, it only takes 10 minutes to prepare, can be made in advance, and even freezes well.

This sauce features a blend of spices with garlic, onion, butter, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and chicken broth, resulting in the ultimate flavor combination.

10. Green Sauce

Here’s one of the best healthy sauces for shrimp! This spinach and cheese sauce is both flavorful and nutritious, packed with plenty of vitamins. Since the spinach is blended in, it’s a creative and easy ingredient to “hide” if you’re looking for a way to sneak some veggies in for picky eaters.

11. Lemon Pepper Sauce

Add a burst of flavor to your shrimp with this delightful lemon pepper sauce! This easy recipe is made with simple ingredients and takes only 5 minutes to prepare. The key to getting the perfect lemony flavor is using a combination of lemon juice and lemon zest.

We love that this classic recipe is easy to adjust to your own liking. You can make it a spicy sauce or make it more garlicky by adjusting the ingredients slightly.

12. Dill Sauce Recipe

This creamy dip with dill is the perfect dipping sauce to compliment any seafood dinner. The combination of mayonnaise and sour cream gives this dill sauce a rich flavor, brightened by lemon juice that helps tie it all together. While we prefer using fresh dill in this recipe, dried dill will also work as a substitute.

13. Coconut Shrimp Sauce

Coconut and shrimp are an underrated combination. You can recreate Red Lobster’s iconic coconut shrimp sauce at home in just 10 minutes! This copycat recipe tastes just like the original.

Loaded with bits of coconut and pineapple, this piña colada dip is both sweet and tangy. For best results, we recommend chilling this sauce in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Pair with your favorite coconut shrimp recipe, fried shrimp, or cooked shrimp.

14. Creamy Jalapeno Sauce

Creamy jalapeño sauce is sure to enhance any savory shrimp dish. This copycat Taco Bell quesadilla sauce tastes just like the restaurant version but is so easy to make on your own.

What gives this recipe such an amazing flavor is the addition of both pickled jalapeños and a little bit of the juice from the jar. You can control the heat level by adding more jalapeños or by increasing the amount of cayenne pepper in the recipe.

15. Creole Mustard

Save a trip to the grocery store by making this tasty Creole mustard sauce at home! A popular sauce in Southern cuisine, Creole mustard is different from most mustards with its distinct grainy texture and its spicy flavor.

This flavorful sauce is made by combining stone ground mustard, Creole seasoning, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, honey, and hot sauce.

16. Yum Yum Sauce

Here’s one of our absolute favorite sauces for shrimp! Yum yum sauce is a treat that surely lives up to its name, loaded with flavor in every bite. 

A fan-favorite at hibachi restaurants, this sweet and spicy sauce is perfectly rich and creamy. Be sure to use a whisk to combine all of the ingredients and help the sauce achieve the perfect consistency.

17. Boom Boom Sauce

Boom boom sauce is an explosion of flavor that will surely satisfy your taste buds! It’s similar to the popular Yum Yum sauce served at Japanese restaurants, but has a bolder, spicier flavor because of the addition of chili and hot sauce.

Not only is this sauce so simple to make in just a few minutes, but it’s also made with affordable ingredients and is incredibly versatile –– delicious on seafood and plenty of fried foods!

18. Old Bay Tartar Sauce

Old Bay seasoning is a versatile all-purpose seasoning and is the key ingredient that gives this classic sauce its savory flavor. This twist on traditional tartar sauce is easy to make and takes only 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish. 

The addition of sugar and sweet pickle relish adds a little bit of sweetness to balance out all of the flavors.

19. Blue Cheese Sauce

Tangy blue cheese sauce is bold and flavorful, making it the perfect dipping sauce to enjoy with shrimp. This cool and creamy dip is fresh, savory, and easy to make with only a few ingredients. 

Green onions or chives are optional additions but will enhance the color and flavor of the whole mixture. The consistency of this dip is on the thick side, but it can easily be thinned out by adding some milk or buttermilk.

20. Seafood Boil Sauce

Buttery seafood boil sauce is one of our favorite sauces for shrimp. This rich sauce tastes fancy but is actually so simple to make with just a few ingredients! You won’t believe how easily this recipe comes together.

A pro tip that makes this extra special: blend the sauce for 20 seconds. The result will be a creamy, luscious, emulsified sauce that will taste phenomenal when served with seafood.

21. Ginger Sauce

Benihana’s ginger dipping sauce is a delicious treat, and this copycat recipe is even better than the original! Made with lemon juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, onion, and rice wine vinegar, this sauce is loaded with flavor in every bite.

This sweet and tangy mixture goes perfectly with shrimp. Plus, it tastes even better the next day so it’s a great easy dipping sauce that you can make in advance or save to serve with leftovers.

22. Honey Mustard Sauce

One of the best sauces for shrimp is honey mustard. In this simple recipe, dijon mustard, honey, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and a pinch of cayenne pepper come together to make the ultimate flavor combination.

This creamy dipping sauce takes only 5 minutes to prepare and can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

23. Garlic Parmesan Sauce

This easy recipe is made with simple seasonings, including garlic powder, as well as mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and parsley. 

Use it as a dipping sauce or toss your shrimp right in to maximize the flavors. Once you’ve tried this homemade version, you’ll never need to buy the store-bought version again!

More sauce recipes

• Best sauces for pulled pork
• Mardi Gras sauce recipe
• Wingstop ranch sauce
• Best sauces for salmon
• Chicken wing sauces
• Broccoli sauces

Which one of these sauces for shrimp will you be making first?