What to Serve with Shrimp Cocktail: 44 Best Side Dishes
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Wondering What to Serve with Shrimp Cocktail? We’ve gathered up all the best sauces and sides that will take your next shrimp cocktail from a delicious appetizer to an unforgettable dining experience.
Best Side Dishes for Shrimp Cocktail
Shrimp cocktail is a timeless classic appetizer that has been around for years. Whether served at a fancy dinner party during the holidays or by the pool on a hot summer day, they are always a hit. Succulent shrimp are boiled with a variety of seasonings and typically draped over the edge of a small bowl of zesty cocktail sauce. It’s a simple, yet delicious dish.
But who says it has to stop there? With these recipes, you’ll turn a simple shrimp appetizer into so much more. With homemade sauces and salsa, fresh salads, and colorful veggies, each of these recipes complements sweet, juicy, and tender shrimp. Make sure you check out the tips listed at the bottom of this article on how to make the perfect shrimp cocktail.
Why We Love These Recipes
- Adds variety: Different sauces and tasty sides are a nice way to change up traditional shrimp cocktails.
- Easy to make: These sauces and sides are all hassle-free recipes that are super easy to make using simple ingredients.
- Versatility: These recipes don’t just complement shrimp cocktails. They can be enjoyed with different types of foods.
1. Zesty Ritz Crackers
These melt in your mouth Zesty Ranch Ritz Crackers are loaded with robust flavor from ranch seasoning, parmesan cheese, and a kick of heat from spicy red pepper flakes.
Get the Recipe Here
2. Olive Garden Copycat Breadsticks
Make your own Olive Garden breadsticks from scratch with yeast, sugar, flour and oil. These are an easy appetizer with Alfredo sauce, or alongside your favorite pasta dish, or salad.
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3. Air Fryer Ranch Oyster Crackers
Ranch Oyster Crackers are a nostalgic treat that you can make in your air fryer! Air fryer ranch oyster crackers are ready in under 10 minutes.
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4. Alabama Fire Crackers
Alabama Fire Crackers are a crispy snack made with saltine crackers, spices and red pepper flakes for a spicy and delicious kick!
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5. Easy Garlic Butter Ciabatta Bread
The crunchy outer crust on this stuffed garlic ciabatta bread gives way to a pillow-soft interior, packed with fragrant garlic and butter.
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6. Easy Semi-Homemade Seasoned Tortilla Chips
This seasoned tortilla chips recipe is semi-homemade with your favorite store-bought tortilla chips and spices you already have on hand. It is a perfect snack recipe for easy entertaining.
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Sauce Recipes
7. Easy Dill Tartar Sauce
Homemade Tartar Sauce made with mayonnaise, dill pickles and fresh dill, lemon juice, dijon mustard, and capers. So easy to make and way better than any of the jarred stuff you’ll find at the store, you’ll love this tangy, creamy, delicious tartar sauce recipe.
Get the Recipe Here
8. Easy Prawn Cocktail Sauce
Marie rose sauce, also known as seafood sauce, is most commonly used as the classic prawn cocktail sauce.
The sauce pairs well with seafood and can be used as a dipping sauce, salad dressing or topping.
Get the Recipe Here
9. Creamy Horseradish Sauce
With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up the best homemade creamy horseradish sauce for your next steak or roast beef.
Check out this recipe
10. Homemade Cocktail Sauce
This Homemade Cocktail Sauce is the perfect condiment for your classic or grilled shrimp cocktail, with fresh ingredients, lots of zest, plus some heat, perfect with the sweetness of the shrimp!
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11. Cocktail Sauce with Horseradish
This Cocktail Sauce with Horseradish is only 4 ingredients so it’s easy to throw together. You’ll never need another homemade cocktail sauce recipe!
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12. Yum Yum Sauce
Yum yum sauce is a tangy, creamy, savory, sweet sauce served in hibachi restaurants that pairs perfectly with seafood, fried rice, and more.
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13. Lemon Yogurt Sauce
Lemon flavored yogurt sauce. Serve it with meats, vegetables, fish and other seafood this summer. Makes a great BBQ tailgating dip.
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14. Chipotle Crema Sauce
Chipotle crema is a creamy sauce or dressing that typically includes chipotle peppers, lime juice, Mexican cream, and garlic.
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15. Cajun Butter Sauce
Drizzle Cajun butter sauce over your favorite lobster tails, shrimp or crab. Have this delicious garlic butter sauce on the table in 5 minutes!
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16. Easy Gochujang Aioli
Gochujang Aioli, or Gochujang Mayonnaise, is an easy, creamy, spicy, tangy dip made in minutes! It’s the perfect sauce for crudites, shrimp or fries!
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17. Lemon Herb Sauce
This lemon herb sauce is perfect for dressing up simple dishes when entertaining. It’s delicious drizzled on roasted vegetables, seafood or potatoes.
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18. Fast and Easy Tomatillo Hot Sauce
Did you know you can easily make your own homemade hot sauce? Here is a tasty, tomatillo hot sauce recipe that doesn’t require fermentation.
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19. Italian Chili Oil
Italian Chili Oil is the super-easy condiment made by gently infusing olive oil with crushed red peppers and a little heat–in only 10 minutes!
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20. Zesty Creole Style Rémoulade
This Zesty Creole style Rémoulade Sauce mixes together quickly and adds a spicy zip to home fries, burgers, and shrimp sandwiches.
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Salads and Salsa Recipes
21. Deviled Egg Potato Salad
This incredible recipe for Deviled Egg Potato Salad combines the best of two classic recipes, deviled eggs and creamy potato salad. A delicious combination of tender potatoes, and hard-boiled eggs is mixed with simple homemade tangy dressing to create an unforgettable side dish!
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22. Cowboy Caviar Recipe
This Cowboy Caviar recipe is colorful, bursting with flavor, and makes a perfect salsa for your upcoming party. It’s full of sweet corn, beans, peppers, and topped with a delicious oil vinaigrette.
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23. Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe
This easy broccoli salad recipe combines some of the best flavors through raw broccoli florets, sunflower seeds, sultana raisins topped with a creamy dressing that everyone will love!
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24. Thai Cucumber Salad
Tangy, zesty, and absolutely mouth-watering, this fresh Thai Cucumber Salad is full of cool crisp cucumbers, onions and crunchy peanuts tossed in a tasty homemade Thai dressing.
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25. Crab Potato Salad
Delicious crab potato salad is not your average potato salad. Crab adds so much unique flavor to the dish and makes it an absolute hit on every party.
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26. Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad
Sicilian Fennel and Orange Salad combines juicy oranges and sweet fennel in a beautiful, easy to make salad perfect for any occasion.
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27. Caribbean Mango Avocado Salad
Bursting with color and light, fresh flavor, this easy mango-avocado salad is simple, healthy, and goes together in just minutes!
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28. Mango Corn Salsa
This fresh mango corn salsa recipe is the perfect summer side dish. Packed with the perfect combination of sweet and savory ingredients, it’s a delicious taste of the tropics in every bite!
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29. Authentic Mexican Salsa Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes
This authentic Mexican salsa recipe with fresh tomatoes is the perfect side dish for any Mexican food. It's also great served with chips alongside a Mexican Shrimp Cocktail (Cóctel de Camarones).
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30. Creamy Southern Coleslaw
Creamy coleslaw with vinegar is more than just a salad in the south. It’s also a beloved side and condiment for any main dish.
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31. Watermelon Feta Salad with Basil and Cucumber
This refreshing and tasty Watermelon Feta Cheese Salad with Basil and Cucumber is a great side dish for hot summer days.
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32. Sweet and Tangy Southern Coleslaw
This southern coleslaw has beautiful colors, flavors and textures. It features a bright, sweet/tangy dressing that’s creamy and delicious.
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33. Caesar Salad with the Best Caesar Salad Dressing
With this simple recipe, it’s easy to make delicious Caesar Salad with homemade Caesar Salad Dressing! Classic flavors with a couple of fun twists!
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34. Pearl Couscous Salad with Asparagus
This Israeli or Pearl Couscous Salad with roasted asparagus and chickpeas is the perfect side dish for summer picnics, BBQs and meal prep!
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Simple Vegetable Side Recipes
35. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
These creamy, fluffy, and utterly delicious, mashed potatoes are so easy and quick to make. With the Instant Pot, you can make these creamy potatoes in just 20 minutes, a perfect side dish for a busy weeknight dinner.
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36. Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
This easy Instant Pot corn-on-the-cob recipe will make cooking corn so on the cob quick and easy.
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37. Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
Tender fresh asparagus wrapped in salty cured prosciutto with a dash of pepper and simple honey glaze makes a delicious, quick cooking grilled side.
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38. Air Fryer Parmesan Potatoes
These parmesan potatoes are a perfect side dish for any meal, but they're just as delicious on their own as a tasty snack. And with their quick and easy preparation, they're perfect for those busy weeknights when you need something delicious but don't have a lot of time.
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39. Air Fryer Baked Potatoes with Crispy Skins
Baked potatoes are a wonderfully warming and deliciously filling meal. Air frying baking potatoes is a great way to get perfectly fluffy potato with crispy, salty skins!
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40. Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables
Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables are bursting with the sweet flavors that happen when you roast vegetables. The rainbow of cherry tomatoes, peppers and other tender vegetables are seasoned with oregano, thyme and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
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41. How to Air Fry Frozen Brussels Sprouts
Quick and easy, this recipe for Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts shows you just how to air fry frozen Brussels sprouts as well as fresh ones. They make a great addition to any main course.
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42. Roasted Broccoli
This is the best way to make roasted broccoli and have those caramelized crispy bits! No more soggy, overcooked broccoli.
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43. Air Fryer Green Beans
These Air Fryer Green Beans are full of garlicky goodness, finished off with freshly grated parm and fresh lemon. They’re a delicious side dish for any main course.
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44. Crispy Parmesan Zucchini Fries
This delicious crispy and golden brown air fryer zucchini parmesan fries are a hit as a side dish, appetizer or snack, just add dip!
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Step-by-Step Instructions for a Classic Shrimp Cocktail Recipe
- Thawing: Thaw your fresh shrimp in cold water or overnight in the fridge. Never thaw them on the counter or at room temperature.
- Season the water: Fill a pot with water and add salt to season it. You can also add other seasonings like bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic cloves, and herbs to infuse extra flavor into the shrimp. I like to tie the seasonings up in a piece of cheesecloth, so it is easy to remove from the pot. You can also use store-bought bags of shrimp boil seasoning. Bring it to a full rolling boil.
- Cook the shrimp: Carefully add the raw shrimp to the boiling water. Boil for 2-3 minutes until they turn pink. The cooking time will vary based on the size of the shrimp.
- Ice bath: Remove the cooked shrimp from the boiling water using a slotted spoon or strainer. Directly add them to a bowl of cold water with ice cubes to stop the cooking process.
- Peel and devein: Once the shrimp have cooled for a few minutes in the ice bath, peel them. Then use a small paring knife to devein the shrimp.
- Serve: Serve the chilled shrimp with your preferred cocktail sauce. Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh herbs if you like.
