What to Serve With Shrimp: 25 Mouth-Watering Parings!

Shrimp

Shrimp can be prepared in many various ways.

And if you are a fan of such a dish you will naturally wonder what can you pair it with to have an even more complex meal. You can cook your shrimp by frying it, baking it, steaming it, or boiling it. We put together the best ideas of dishes that will go with your shrimp, regardless of how you cook it.

Best Side Dishes for Shrimp

Choose the best side dish to enjoy with your shrimp by considering your preferences as well.

1. Pasta Salad

pasta salad

Pasta salad of all kinds will complement the taste and flavor of your shrimp perfectly. This type of side dish goes great with baked or fried shrimp.

However, if you have boiled or steamed shrimp, you should try mixing it with the rest of your pasta salad and you will not regret it.

2. Potato Salad

Potato salad

Potato salad can be a meal by itself but if you combine it with baked or roasted shrimp, you will like it even more!

You can make a potato salad with mayonnaise or without, depending on the recipe you follow. And if you want to simplify your meal, add the shrimp in the same bowl with your salad. The flavors will combine beautifully.

3. Fresh Salad

Greek salad

During summer days, there is a wide variety of veggies. Choose your favorite combination to put together a fresh salad with a tasty dressing and have a side of shrimp next to it.

You can try a tomato and cucumbers salad with leaves of lettuce and steamed shrimp next to it!

4. Grilled Potatoes

Grilled sweet potatoes

If you like potatoes and shrimp, there is no reason why you couldn’t have them together in the same meal.

To combine these two foods even better, try serving grilled potatoes with grilled shrimp. Use the seasonings you prefer and maybe a fresh salad to complete your meal and keep hunger away for a while! 

5. Risotto

Risotto

Risotto is a delicious meal by itself. You can make it with rice and mushrooms, but you can also add other veggies such as carrots or peppers for a more complex dish.

Serve your risotto next to some baked shrimp or grilled shrimp and you will love the outcome. If you steam or boil your shrimp, you can successfully mix it with the risotto too!

6. Fries

French fries

Are you looking for a simple meal that can become the ultimate comfort food? If so, you can’t go wrong with fries and shrimp!

You can use regular potatoes or sweet potatoes and even add some cheese on top of them for some extra flavor. Just don’t forget your favorite dipping sauce and you will not enjoy other comfort food more than this one for a long time!

If you want a healthier version of fries, you can bake them in the oven rather than fry them in oil. The flavor will be just as tasty even if slightly different.

7. Grilled Carrots

Carrots

You will love the sweet flavor of grilled carrots next to your shrimp. Grill your carrots along with salt, pepper, and some herbs of your choice, and enjoy them next to your grilled shrimp.

This side dish goes great with baked shrimp and even marinated shrimp. Some of the best herbs that go with carrots are rosemary and oregano.

8. Zucchini Noodles

Zucchini

If you like pasta, you will love zucchini noodles too.

Just cut thin strips of zucchini and fry them in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Then, season them by taste and serve next to your shrimp. Or mix them with chopped pieces of shrimp for a more complex dish!

Zucchini can substitute pasta and even bread in almost any recipe. Therefore, you can use this veggie a lot in the kitchen.

9. Couscous Salad

Couscous

The best couscous salad to try is the couscous primavera. It not only tastes better next to your shrimp, but it is also fairly easy to make.

All you have to do is boil the couscous and mix it with your favoritite chopped veggies such as carrots, peppers, or cucumber. You can add corn for taste and texture as well, then serve it next to boiled or baked shrimp but note that this salad goes great with grilled shrimp as well.

We don’t suggest mixing the shrimp with the salad as they are both tasty dishes but you can do as you prefer most!

10. Quinoa

Quinoa

Quinoa is very versatile and it goes great as a side dish in many recipes. It is easy to make and it goes great with any seasonings you might like, including the spicy ones.

You can either mix your quinoa with veggies of your choice or eat it plain next to shrimp. Quinoa is done in just a few minutes. All you need is boiled water and it tastes even better if you add some chopped onion and minced garlic to it.

Don’t be surprised if everyone in your house comes to the kitchen to see what are you cooking quinoa smells so inviting!

11. Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the most loved veggies worldwide, even if you can’t find it all year round.

All you have to do is saute your asparagus in a tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. You can use a tablespoon of butter instead of olive oil. Furthermore, sprinkle minced garlic on top of your asparagus while you are cooking it as well.

Serve next to your grilled shrimp for a great combination!

12. Guacamole

guacamole

You can find guacamole already made in different grocery stores or you can make it at home by following any recipe you want. You will need avocado, tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic, cardamom, salt, and pepper as well as other seasonings by taste.

The great aspect of guacamole is that you can adapt the recipe the way you want to taste it just as you would love it. Just dip the shrimp into this creamy paste and enjoy the ideal snack or meal.

13. Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad

If you are looking for a more fresh side dish for your shrimp, it doesn’t get better than a Caprese salad. This Italian salad is easy to make and extremely tasty.

You will need tomatoes and mozzarella along with olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well all the ingredients and enjoy next to a delicious baked, grilled, or roasted shrimp.

It is not the best choice for steamed shrimp unless you add it to your Caprese salad.

14. Coleslaw

Buttermilk Coleslaw

The delicious coleslaw salad is easy to make, commonly found in supermarkets, and a great side dish for shrimp.

You can easily prepare it at home with some finely cut carrots and cabbage and a dressing of mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Recipes differ depending on where you are in the world but you also have the freedom to adjust the recipe to suit your taste.

15. Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad with Anchovies

Caesar salad is one of the best salads to have and if you combine it with some pieces of shrimp you are in for a winner meal!

To prepare this popular salad you will need anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, eggs, garlic, onion, lettuce, lemon juice, mustard, pepper, and parmesan cheese.

Steamed shrimp is a great option to go with this salad and you can add some hot spices as well if that is what you prefer.

16. Steamed Veggies

Steamed veggies

If you want to keep your meal simple, try to combine shrimp with the steamed veggie of your choice.

Broccoli, squash, carrots, and potatoes are only a few options you can consider. Add butter, salt, and pepper to your veggies and you will have a delicious and fast to cook meal put together.

This side dish goes best with steamed shrimp. However, you can try it with baked shrimp as well and it will be just as tasty.

17. Stir-Fries

Stir-fries

You can combine your fried shrimp with any type of stir fry you prefer.

Just fry your shrimp along with the rest of the ingredients in your recipe. Or simply combine it at the end. You can find different stir fry mixes with veggies already cut. Or you can make your own and it will be just as tasty.

Make sure to cut the veggies into thin pieces so you get more of the Asian aesthetic when you cook such food!

18. Baked Eggs

Baked Eggs

Baked eggs can add a significant amount of protein to your meal. You will need a mold to cook your eggs in a cupcake shape and they will be done in just a few minutes.

Baked eggs go great with boiled shrimp and any seasonings you prefer. If you want to add more flavor to your eggs, chop some ham and mix it in the eggs before you place them in the oven. I prefer mushrooms over ham, so you can try this combo as well.

As a general rule, you can use the same ingredients that you would use for your favorite omelet and bake the recipe instead of frying it.

19. Broccoli

Broccoli

Looking for a healthy yet tasty side dish for shrimp? If so, there is no need to look further than broccoli.

You can steam, fry or bake your broccoli and add some cheese on top of it for extra taste. It takes only a few minutes to prepare broccoli and you can serve it next to grilled shrimp any time you want a fast but tasty meal.

We suggest frying your broccoli in butter for an even more delicate flavor. You can use butter if you bake it as well and it will make your broccoli more tender and creamy, which is perfect next to your shrimp.

20. Instant Noodles

ramen noodles

Time is a precious resource for all of us and you might have days when you are looking for a fast meal. In this case, instant noodles can’t disappoint you.

The noodles are ready in a couple of minutes. All you have to do is add your boiled shrimp on top of them for a great mix.

You can find plain instant noodles or varieties that come in different flavors, however, all of them require boiled water and less than five minutes to be ready to eat.

21. Cream Soup

Cream Soups 

Veggie cream soup is delicious by itself but adds a few pieces of boiled shrimp to your bowl and you will love it even more.

This could be a great meal for cold, winter evenings and you can prepare it fairly fast. Just boil the veggies you like the most and blend them until you obtain a cream soup.

Season with some salt, pepper, and other herbs of your choice, and add the boiled shrimp when the soup is ready.

22. Watermelon Salad

Watermelon Salad

One of the best summer salads is the watermelon salad and you will love it even more when you will have it next to your shrimp.

You will need watermelon, cucumber, and feta cheese, all sliced in even pieces, so you can easily grab them with your fork. Finally, add a dressing made of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to your salad.

23. Baked Beans

Baked beans are a popular Mexican dish that will enhance the taste and texture of your shrimp in any type of combination.

Make your baked beans spicy by adding chili and bring the Mexican taste to your kitchen! It will be even more interesting if you combine beans with fine pieces of chopped shrimp!

24. Croissant

If you want a tasty brunch, you can try adding one or two croissants next to your shrimp.

For this combination, prepare your shrimp however you like and enjoy it with croissants of your choice. Butter croissants tend to be the best match for shrimp.

You can find fresh croissants or even frozen ones and if you have some experience in the kitchen you can even make them at home!

25. Stuffed Potatoes

baked potatoes

Stuffed potatoes are such a versatile dish that you can use any type of filling combination from ham and cheese to other veggies, chopped in little pieces.

And if you add some grilled shrimp next to your stuffed potatoes, you will not regret it for sure! This combination goes great with a side of fresh salad as well!

What Are Good Side Dishes With Seafood?

Seafood goes great with all kinds of veggies from salads to stir-fries and baked recipes or even soups. As long as you keep the side dish light, you can count on having a delicious meal as well as a healthy one.

You can combine seafood with pasta as well. In this case, you will use the seafood as one of the ingredients in your pasta recipe and you can add a white or a red sauce, depending on your preferences.

Lastly, we don’t suggest pairing seafood with other types of meat such as beef, pork, chicken, and turkey as doing so will reduce the flavor of the seafood. And it would be a shame to miss this interesting flavor as it deserves.

What to Serve With Shrimp Pasta?

Shrimp pasta is one of the most delicious pasta recipes. And it goes great with many white sauces such as cheese sauce.

However, if you don’t want to eat your shrimp pasta by itself, you can always pair it with a fresh veggie salad or even a watermelon salad. Caprese salad goes particularly well with this dish too.

If you feel the need for more carbs, add a croissant to your meal and you should be more than satisfied. This recipe goes great with a stir fry side dish too. So, allow yourself to experiment in the kitchen until you find the combination you want.

What to Serve With Shrimp as an Appetizer?

If you are looking to serve your shrimp with an appetizer, a few croissants might be the best choice. You can also make a fresh salad that will offer you a light yet highly nutritious meal.

The best shrimp to serve along with an appetizer is boiled or steamed shrimp with seasonings such as salt and pepper.

Conclusion

Shrimp are not only tasty but also very nutritious. If you like this dish, don’t refrain from making it even better with one of the side dishes in our guide.

Make sure you consider your personal preferences and choose the right recipe for your taste!

Shrimp can be one of your go-to comfort foods. And depending on the side dish that you pick, you can enjoy it on both cold winter days and warm summer days.

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