Shrimp is a very versatile seafood. You can use it for appetizers or main dishes, quick snacks or full entrées. There are so many shrimp recipes and ways to prepare shrimp (as famously proven by Bubba in Forrest Gump!).
Here are seven fun ways to incorporate shrimp into dishes.
Shrimp Cocktail
This classic shrimp dish was popular between the 60s and 80s and remains a fun and classy shareable appetizer. All it requires is frozen, pre-cooked prawns dipped into a special cocktail sauce. You can use fresh or frozen shrimps (for the best results use fresh shrimps and poach them). You can also DIY your cocktail sauce with just three ingredients: ketchup, lemon juice and horseradish.
That said, you can make the dish fancier by adding other ingredients. You can add spices to the prawns (sprinkled hot sauce, lemon juice, or Tajin). For the cocktail sauce, if you want to add more richness of flavor, you can add Worcester sauce, egg mayonnaise or Tabasco.
Shrimp Tacos
Shrimp also works well in tacos. This is ideal for a Mexican night sans red meat. For a tasty taco sauce, mix together Greek yogurt, lime juice and cilantro. You can spice up the shrimp with cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic and honey.
[See this shrimp tacos recipe for more tasty ideas!]
Shrimp Pasta
You can also throw shrimp into pasta dishes! Shrimp can work really well with a creamy garlic sauce. This is typically made from parmesan, garlic, onions and butter. Alternatively, you can pair it with a spicy tomato sauce. For this sauce, you’ll want to mix together some tomatoes, garlic, oregano and chilies
[See this spicy shrimp pasta recipe!]
Shrimp Salad
If you’re looking for a light lunch dish, consider adding shrimp into a salad! Pan-sauteed shrimp with lemon and garlic works particularly well in a salad with lettuce/kale, avocado and mayo. If you’re feeling lazy, buy some pre-cooked shrimp that you easily mix in.
Shrimp Creole
Shrimp creole is a popular New Orleans dish that’s bursting with flavor. It typically incorporates a range of ingredients such as tomato, onion, garlic, peppers, celery and butter. You can also add sausages into shrimp creole for some extra meaty flavor. It’s typically served with rice.
[Here’s a great one-pot recipe for creole sauce!]
Shrimp Curry
There are a few different ways to incorporate shrimp into curry, one of the most popular is a coconut curry. This involves using coconut milk along with popular curry ingredients such as garam masala, garlic, ginger, onion, cumin and turmeric. For a hotter Thai option, consider making your own yellow curry paste and combine with tomato and coconut milk (and rice, of course).
Shrimp Fried Rice
Shrimp fried rice is a popular East Asian dish that’s easy to whip up. (It’s also great if you have leftovers you want to throw in!) Start by frying the shrimp and then add the rice and any other ingredients you want to throw in (veggies, leftover meats, or even fruits like pineapple, mango, or apple slices!)
A few ingredients that are commonly used for an authentic Chinese taste include egg, soy sauce, onions and oyster sauce. This can be an easy lunchtime or evening meal.
For other shrimp ideas, check out our recipes.
Featured Image Credit: Maggie Hung
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