What To Serve with Boiled Shrimp (Easy Sides and Salads)
Whether you serve boiled shrimp hot or cold, the right sides make all the difference. These easy side dishes pair perfectly with shrimp and round out the meal. Keep it fresh and simple for a dinner that’s light, balanced, and full of flavor.
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Best Side Dishes for Boiled Shrimp
The best dishes are made with simple, fresh ingredients. Pairing it with fresh produce like sweet corn, red potatoes, green beans, and asparagus bring fresh flavor and bright color to your plate.
Visit your local farmer’s market for the season’s freshest picks.
- Corn on the Cob
- Steamed Asparagus
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Summer is the time to pull out fresh fruit. Mango, peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, and watermelon are perfect sides for shrimp.
Our Favorite Sides for Boiled Shrimp
1
Roasted Tiny Red Potatoes
Roasted red potatoes are little tiny red potatoes found in specialty stores. They cook quickly and theyre the perfect side for seafood.
2
Sautéed Garlic Parmesan Green Beans
Sautéed Parmesan Green Beans are a tasty side dish that goes great with shrimp. The green beans are cooked in a skillet with garlic until tender but still a little crisp. Then they’re topped with Parmesan cheese and lemon zest for extra flavor.
3
Lemon Asparagus Rice
Lemon Asparagus Rice is a light side dish with fresh asparagus, fluffy rice, and lemon zest.
4
Roasted Baby Gold Potatoes
Learn how to roast baby gold potatoes to crispy, golden deliciousness with this easy recipe. Perfect for a side dish!
5
Steamed Red Potatoes
Potatoes and shrimp go together like cream cheese and jelly! Steamed Red Potatoes with Butter and Parsley is a simple and delicious side dish. They’re steamed in a steamer basket an easy healthy side dish for your meals.
6
Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Our easy cheddar mac and cheese recipe uses melty cheddar for the perfect weeknight dinner or anytime comfort food fix. Kids love it!
7
Authentic Spanish Rice with Peas
My mom’s authentic Spanish Rice recipe is easy to make, full of flavor, and always a hit! Using Uncle Ben’s rice, frozen peas, and a delicious tomato sauce, this dish comes together quickly and goes well with any meal. It’s a family favorite that brings comfort and taste—one you’ll want to prepare time and time again!
Cold Salads
Fresh cold salads are perfect for summer entertaining. They’re light, colorful, and easy to prep ahead.
8
Deli Style Macaroni Salad
Macaroni Salad is a sweet, creamy pasta salad made with elbow macaroni, mayo, vinegar, sugar, and finely chopped vegetables.
9
Sweet Coleslaw Recipe
This sweet coleslaw is easy to make and full of flavor. It’s made with crunchy cabbage, a little carrot, and creamy dressing. Great with shrimp, burgers, or any summer barbecue.
10
Low Carb Caesar Salad
Enjoy a classic Caesar salad without the carbs! This low-carb version skips the croutons and adds extra Parmesan, crispy bacon, or toasted nuts, all tossed with Romaine and creamy anchovy dressing.
11
Chickpea Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad
Chickpea Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad is a fresh and simple Mediterranean-style dish that goes great with shrimp. Just mix juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, parsley, olives, and feta for a healthy and tasty salad.
More Seafood!
Try these fish and crab dishes with your boiled shrimp and have a fiesta!
12
Stone Crab Claws with Mustard Sauce
Enjoy the sweet taste of Stone Crab Claws with mustard sauce alongside your shrimp. You might have to come to Florida to get them, but it’s worth the trip. Nothing beats fresh claws cracked open and dipped in that creamy, tangy sauce.
13
Panko Crab Cakes With Crab Claw Meat and Creamy Cocktail Sauce
Use Maryland lump crab, claw meat, or Florida stone crab claws for irresistible crispy crab cakes packed with flavor.
14
Pan Seared White Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce
Let’s keep it healthy with Pan-Seared White Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce. Season white fish fillets with you favorite spices and finish with a simple lemon butter sauce.
15
Blackened Swordfish Recipe
This blackened swordfish is ready in 30 minutes. It’s seared in a hot cast-iron skillet for big flavor. Add a few shrimp on the side and you’ve got the perfect seafood dinner.
Beverages
For drinks, keep it simple and refreshing.
A cold white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc goes great with shrimp.
Chilled champagne or prosecco is always a special touch.
Cold beer works too!
If you want something without alcohol, make a big pitcher of infused water with lemon, cucumber, and mint. It’s nice and cold and an unexpected touch for serving water.
Garnish
Make the shrimp look as great as they taste! When you peel the shrimp, leave the tails on to make them easier to grab and better for presentation.
Serve the shrimp on a platter or in a big bowl and garnish with fresh parsley, lemon wedges, and a bowl of cocktail sauce and melted butter.
Dessert
In Key West Florida, we eat Key Lime Pie with everything!
Check out our recipe for an easy refreshing dessert or pick one up at Kermit’s Key Lime Shop in Key West or your grocer’s freezer.
Shrimp Recipes
We boil a lot of shrimp. Our local caught Key West pink shrimp are an excellent source of protein and iodine, and we can’t get enough!
Summary
For summer entertaining, boiled shrimp are amazing. They can be served cold, warm, or hot right out of the pot. A classic shrimp boil calls for simple side dishes like corn on the cob, red potatoes, baked beans, and coleslaw.
Serve shrimp cold, warm, or hot right out of the pot.
Serve the best sides like fresh corn, creamy potatoes, coleslaw, and crusty sourdough bread.
FAQ
Place frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you’re not in a rush, you can also thaw them overnight in the fridge.
Yes, you can boil shrimp a few hours ahead. Chill them quickly in an ice bath, then store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Yes, add salt and lemon to the water for extra flavor. Add Old Bay seafood seasoning for extra flavor.
Cold shrimp goes well with cocktail sauce, lemon wedges, cold salads such as coleslaw. Add crackers or sliced sourdough bread to make it more filling.
Leaving the shells on adds flavor and helps keep the shrimp tender. You can peel them before serving or let guests peel their own.
Sourdough, French bread, or garlic bread are all great choices. They’re perfect for soaking up the flavorful juices.
More Seafood Recipes
Make your seafood feast even better with by adding fresh caught fish, lobster and other local seafood. Down here in the Keys, a typical dinner can include many different types of seafood.
Air-Fryer Snapper: A quick and healthy way to cook snapper fillets. Just season, spray, and let the air fryer do the work–ready in 20 minutes.
Snapper Tacos: A fun way to enjoy yellowtail, red snapper, or any thin white fish fillet. Load them up with slaw, avocado, and a squeeze of lime.
Green Mussels: Sold frozen, New Zealand green mussels are sweet and delicious. They’re simmered with garlic, shallots, butter, and white wine for a dish that’s hard to beat.
Boiled Spiny Lobsters: Key West Lobsters have great flavor and no claws like their cousins from Maine. Catch them and boil in salted water for one of the finest delicacies of the Keys.
