53 shrimp appetizer recipes

Classic cocktail sauce with horseradish heat, tangy ketchup, and fresh lemon for shrimp or crawfish. This bold, zesty sauce balances sweet tomato with sharp horseradish bite and works for any cold seafood platter.

Cajun crawfish or shrimp cocktail sauce loaded with horseradish, chili sauce, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. A fiery, no-cook dipping sauce ready in 10 minutes flat.

Ebi kimizushi: elegant Japanese stuffed-prawn sushi, with butterflied vinegar-marinated prawns filled with a silky, seasoned golden egg-yolk paste. A refined, bite-sized appetizer.

Crispy Chinese-American shrimp toast: golden-fried bread triangles topped with seasoned shrimp paste, fresh ginger, water chestnuts, and toasted sesame seeds. A classic dim sum starter.

Deep-fried ginger shrimp in a light batter with garlic, chili sauce, and whipped egg white. Crispy, golden, and served with the tail on for easy dipping.

Beer-boiled shrimp chilled in a seasoned broth with bay leaf, peppercorns, and garlic. Serve cold with bowls of beer for dunking on a hot summer day.

Homemade seafood sausage made with whitefish, salmon, and shrimp, seasoned with parsley and cayenne. Poached then grilled for a crispy skin and tender, briny bite.

Steak and shrimp wonton filling with marinated beef, lemon-kissed shrimp, water chestnuts, and cilantro. A surf-and-turf twist for fried or boiled dumplings.

Classic New Orleans crabmeat ravigote with lump crab, bell pepper, pimiento, scallions, and a bright lemon-cayenne kick. No cooking required. Ready in 20 minutes.

Chinese shrimp balls (pai chiao hsia chiu) rolled in stale bread cubes and double-fried until shatteringly crisp. Served with Sichuan pepper-salt dip. 30 pieces.

Lemon-marinated shrimp and thick mushroom slices threaded on picks with a tangy tarragon-Dijon dressing. A low-fat party appetizer ready in 15 minutes.

Homemade siopao steamed dumplings stuffed with a savory shrimp, ground pork, and water chestnut filling. Makes 30 pillowy buns from scratch, street-food style.

Crystal-clear dumpling wrappers reveal a savory filling of shrimp, pork, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. These bite-sized dim sum gems steam in just minutes and disappear even faster from the plate.

San Antonio seafood cocktail sauce made with picante sauce, ketchup, and fresh lemon juice. A Tex-Mex twist on classic cocktail sauce served with chilled shrimp, scallops, or crab.

A retro Southern appetizer of boiled shrimp suspended in seasoned consommé aspic with lemon, green onion, and a kick of hot sauce. Unmold onto crackers for a showstopping starter.

Plump shrimp simmered in beer with onion, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, celery, and lemon, then chilled for a cold appetizer that's pure low-country flavor.