For as long as I can remember, these are the prawn dipping sauces that my family has used. We also use them on our seafood platter! You can choose from Cocktail Seafood Sauce, Tartare, Marie Rose/Thousand Island, or a Thai Chilli Lime Sauce for a more refreshing taste. Plus, our Family Favourite Sauce!.
It’s really worth making your own dipping sauces when you’ve invested in fresh juicy prawns. The jarred stuff lacks the fresh flavour of homemade seafood sauces and just doesn’t do prawns justice!.
A couple of weeks ago, we catered my mother’s annual Christmas party for 30 of her friends. I’ve noticed that we get approached to do this every 2nd year. It seems like the organizers think that we’re still traumatized by the experience (maybe because we looked so raggedy at the end?) and that by waiting a year, we’ll only remember how much fun we had, so we never say no.
We mix it up from year to year. But two things have always remained a constant: Maple Glazed Ham and freshly cooked prawns with dipping sauces. There’s no doubt these two are always the most popular items there.
So, peeling 5 kg (10lb) of fresh cooked prawns is always at the top of the list of tasks that no one wants to do. I never put up my hand for that one. So I remain silent until someone volunteers. I say “someone”, but it’s always mother. She has to do it several times a year. For example, at a big beach BBQ last month, she had to peel and skewer 3 kg/6lb of raw prawns, which is even worse!
I will peel prawns for my mother’s friends. But that is not the Aussie way for a gathering of family and friends. We serve whole, peeled prawns in big bowls and buckets with different dipping sauces on the Christmas Feasting Table.
I know it’s easy to grab a jar of store-bought because, at this time of year, fish shops and supermarkets are nice enough to put out stands with all kinds of seafood sauces right next to the prawns.
That being said, you can make your own with very little work (just a few minutes), and the fresh taste will make you dislike the stuff in a jar. It’s just not the same, the jarred stuff has an edge of artificialness. I know this for sure because I bought a few jars of store-bought prawn dipping sauces to compare the flavors of these ones I was making. I think these ones I made myself are better, no matter what.
Shrimp is one of those versatile proteins that goes great with a variety of sauces. The sweet, briny flavor of shrimp pairs well with creamy, tangy, spicy, and herbaceous sauces. But with so many options out there, it can be tough to choose the right sauce for your shrimp dish.
As a home cook and food blogger, I’ve experimented with countless shrimp sauce recipes over the years. In this article, I’ll share 10 of my favorite shrimp sauces to give your shrimp an extra kick of flavor. These sauces are easy to whip up at home and take shrimp from boring to bold and exciting!
1. Cocktail Sauce
You can’t go wrong with the classic shrimp cocktail sauce This zesty tomato-based sauce only requires a few simple ingredients ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasoning Just mix everything together and you have a quick, easy dipping sauce that pairs perfectly with poached or boiled shrimp. I love the balance of sweet tomato flavor with the zip of horseradish and hot sauce. It’s a crowd-pleasing sauce for shrimp platters and appetizers.
2. Garlic Butter Sauce
Buttery garlic sauce is one of my all-time favorites with shrimp. The creamy, rich butter blends beautifully with the briny seafood flavors of shrimp. And who doesn’t love the garlicky punch? For an easy garlic butter shrimp sauce, just melt some butter over low heat and add minced garlic, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Let the garlic infuse into the butter and drizzle it over seared or sauteed shrimp. The lemon brightens up the sauce while the parsley adds some freshness. This sauce also works for many other seafood and chicken dishes.
3. Cajun Remoulade
If you like a little kick of heat with your shrimp, Cajun remoulade is sure to satisfy. This New Orleans-style sauce has a mayonnaise base seasoned with Cajun spices, Creole mustard, hot sauce, lemon, and herbs. The creamy, spicy sauce pairs perfectly with fried or grilled shrimp. I like to serve it alongside blackened shrimp for a full-on Cajun flavor experience. The remoulade sauce also works well as a dip for french fries, fried pickles, and other appetizers.
4. Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce
Asian-inspired soy ginger sauce is excellent with grilled shrimp skewers or shrimp tempura. The salty soy sauce, sweetness of honey or brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, and ginger blend together for a savory umami flavor. I like to mix up a batch of this sauce to have on hand for dipping whenever I make shrimp or chicken satay, spring rolls, dumplings, or other finger foods. The sauce comes together quickly with pantry staple ingredients.
5. Lemon Butter Caper Sauce
Here’s another delicious, easy butter sauce for shrimp: lemon butter caper sauce. All you need is butter, lemon juice, capers, and parsley. Melt the butter, then stir in the lemon juice, capers, and parsley. Pour the bright, tangy sauce over sauteed or grilled shrimp. The briny capers pair perfectly with sweet shrimp. I like to serve this sauce alongside linguine or angel hair pasta for a quick weeknight dinner.
6. Sweet Chili Sauce
If you like just a touch of heat along with sweet and tangy flavors, sweet chili sauce is the way to go. This vibrant orange sauce packs a flavor punch from chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, ginger and sweetener. I like to mix up a quick sweet chili shrimp sauce by combining sweet chili sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, grated ginger, and garlic. Stir up the sauce in 5 minutes flat and use it to coat fried shrimp or shrimp skewers before grilling. The sweet chili pairs well with the charred flavors from the grill.
7. Bang Bang Shrimp Sauce
Creamy, spicy bang bang sauce was made for shrimp. This sauce mimics the flavor of boneless bang bang shrimp you get at restaurants like Bonefish Grill. To make it, simply whisk together mayo, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, lime juice, garlic powder, and green onions. Dunk crispy battered shrimp into the velvety, slightly spicy sauce for an explosion of flavor. You could also use this sauce as a dip for french fries, chicken tenders, summer rolls, or dollop it on burgers.
8. Orange Marmalade Sauce
Here’s an unexpected yet delicious sauce pairing for shrimp: orange marmalade sauce. Orange marmalade gives the sauce a sweet, vibrant citrus flavor that caramelizes beautifully when cooked. I like to make a quick sauce by simmering orange marmalade with chili-garlic sauce, butter, lime juice, and cilantro. Brush the glossy sauce on shrimp before broiling or grilling. The slight char from the heat pairs nicely with the orange glaze. It’s a simple sauce that makes shrimp shine.
9. Honey Sesame Sauce
Honey, ginger, sesame, and soy sauce meld together to form this tasty glazed sauce for shrimp. Drizzle the sauce over sauteed or baked shrimp during the last few minutes of cooking so the honey sesame flavors really permeate the shrimp. I also like to reserve some of the sauce to serve tableside as a dip. The sweet honey and toasty sesame play off the briny shrimp beautifully. Serve it alongside some steamed rice and vegetables for a complete meal.
10. Creamy Cajun Sauce
Lastly, don’t overlook this phenomenal creamy Cajun shrimp sauce. It’s similar to a Cajun alfredo sauce made with heavy cream, cajun seasoning, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley. Saute the shrimp first, then toss it with the creamy sauce and pasta. The Cajun spices give a nice heat that cuts through the richness of the cream. I prefer linguine or fettuccine with this sauce, but any pasta will do. Just be sure to have crusty bread on hand for dunking in the luscious sauce!
RecipeTin Family’s Prawn Dipping Sauce
It’s kind of like the love child of Marie Rose Sauce and Tartare Sauce. It has the sour and sweet flavors of Marie Rose Sauce mixed with the chopped vegetables and fresh dill from the Tartare side. At my mom’s Christmas party, we served this with the prawns, and everyone loved it, especially the fresh dill flavor. So I thought I should share it.
Marie Rose / Thousand Island Sauce
Marie Rose and Thousand Island Sauce are basically the same thing. There are lots of different ways to make these two sauces, but at its core, this is just a basic pink sauce made with mayo, ketchup, and spices. It actually doesn’t have much flavour, and it’s not intended to. It’s a neutral sauce that let’s the flavour of the prawns really shine.
How to make YUM YUM SAUCE -SECRET Sauce for Steak Burger Chicken Fish Shrimp Seafood & Dipping Sauce
What is a good sauce for grilled shrimp?
Quick Recipe: Combine 1 cup of sweet chili sauce with the juice of one lime and a handful of finely chopped cilantro. Serving Suggestion: Drizzle over grilled shrimp or use as a dip for a refreshing twist. Garlic aioli is a creamy and rich sauce with a deep garlic flavor, ideal for adding a luxurious touch to your shrimp.
What is the healthy substitute for oyster sauce?
Oyster sauce is a sweet and salty condiment made primarily from oyster juices, salt and sugar. It is commonly used in Asian, Chinese, Thai cuisines for stir-fries, meat marinades and dipping sauces. Healthy substitutes are fish sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, worcester shire sauce with soy sauce, vegan mushroom sauce and teriyaki sauce. In this way there are also options for vegan, vegetarian or gluten free diets.
What is the best sauce for fried shrimp?
This lemon butter sauce, made with dry white wine and fresh dill, is the upgrade your shrimp dish craves! This Buffalo Wing Sauce recipe can be made mild, medium or hot to suit your taste preference. It’s the BEST Buffalo Sauce and made with only 4-ingredients and is SO good on breaded fried shrimp.
What sauce goes with shrimp & rice?
Yum Yum sauce can be used as a dipping sauce for your shrimp or mixed into your rice for added flavor. It pairs particularly well with white rice and is an excellent way to add some creaminess and sweetness to your shrimp and rice dish. What is an easy sauce for shrimp and rice?