17 Amazing Side Dishes For Shrimp

Shrimp is an awesome type of seafood that is popular all around the world.

However, finding new side dishes to serve alongside your shrimp-based main meal can be tricky – but that’s where we come in.

Here are 17 amazing side dishes that perfectly complement shrimp-based meals. Check them out for some inspiration for your next dinner!

1. Zucchini Noodles

Zucchini noodles are a great way to swap out carbs for some more veggies in your diet, but they are such a great choice to go with when serving shrimp.

These ‘zoodles’ (that’s a cross between zucchini and noodles) are light, delicious, and their flavors are enriched in this recipe with the additions of parmesan cheese and garlic.

These flavors all work incredibly well with complementing seafood – shrimp included.

2. Caprese Salad

Light, mediterranean flavors work amazingly well with shrimp and help create a summer-vibe to your dinner.

As a result, caprese salad just makes perfect sense as a side dish to serve with shrimp.

With creamy mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and plenty of fragrant basil, this salad is perfect when paired with the sweet and saltiness of shrimp.

3. Coconut Rice

Shrimp is quite a sweet type of seafood and so, this sweetness can be enhanced by seeing it alongside an equally sweet side dish.

Coconut rice (see also ‘23 Super Easy Rice Side Dish Recipes‘) is perfect for this because not only is it very nutritious and sweet, but its sweetness is far more subtle and tropical which suits shrimp perfectly.

So, if you want a rice to serve with shrimp, coconut rice is the best one to choose in our opinion.

4. Caesar Salad

Another summer Mediterranean salad that pairs amazingly well with shrimp is the classic Caesar salad.

It’s super light and crispy thanks to the fresh lettuce and croutons, and is coated in a lip-puckering dressing that complements the salad and the shrimp amazingly well.

5. Coleslaw

This side dish is most commonly served up at barbecues and picnics (see also ‘36 Incredible Picnic Recipes And Ideas‘) but coleslaw is such a versatile side dish that it pretty much goes well with any main – including shrimp!

As a result, this recipe is for a sweet yet citrusy coleslaw.

By adding ingredients such as corn and honey, this coleslaw features sweet notes that perfectly complement the sweetness of the shrimp, while the touch of lemon zest helps enhance the saltiness.

Overall, it’s a summery-seaside side dish that has been adapted to further suit a shrimp main dish.

6. Lemon Sauteed Asparagus

Sauteed asparagus is a safe side dish to serve alongside any main meat dish but this recipe has adapted the ingredients to help it further complement seafoods, including shrimp.

The addition of zesty lemon helps infuse the asparagus with a sharp flavor that is refreshing and energizing – perfect for a seaside inspired meal!

7. Corn Salad

Sweet foods make great side dishes for shrimp and as a result, this recipe for a corn salad is definitely one you should try out.

It’s bright and delicious, packed with all the classic summer ingredients that makes it a great side dish to serve on a hot day.

The sweetness of the corn, fresh tomatoes, and cucumber is only further enhanced by the sweet and zesty dressing made from combined ingredients including lemon juice, honey, red wine vinegar, and minced garlic (for more lemon cucumber recipes, read here). Delicious!

8. Lime Rice

Citrus flavors work amazingly well with shrimp so if you would prefer a different kind of rice that would suit your shrimp main, then lime rice is a great choice.

It’s far more energizing than coconut rice and a great alternative if you prefer to avoid too much sweetness in your meal.

Lime rice also works as a great alternative to any lemon-infused sides that are often paired with shrimp and other sea foods – so try it out if you don’t like either lemon or coconut.

9. Pesto Gnocchi

Potatoes are used to make super filling side dishes, and a great way to cook them to suit a shrimp main meal is by making pesto gnocchi.

This creamy side dish is filled with great flavors thanks to the white wine sauce and generous helpings of parmesan cheese, making it a great side dish to dip your shrimp into.

If you want something filling as a side, then this recipe for pesto gnocchi is definitely one to try out.

10. Risotto

This Italian rice dish may be a strange choice for a side in some eyes, but risotto is a great way to bump up the calories of your meal while keeping it light, creamy, and delicious.

Risotto doesn’t go overboard with the flavors, which allows you to taste the shrimp as you eat your meal.

It isn’t completely tasteless, however – it has plenty of flavor including garlic, parmesan cheese, seasoning of black pepper and kosher salt (and any other chopped herbs you would like to add) – it just doesn’t overpower your taste buds to the point where the shrimp is drowned out.

So, if you want a filling meal while keeping the taste of shrimp firmly on your palette, then this side is a great one to go with.

11. Succotash

Like with corn salad, succotash is a type of salad that infuses the tastes of many light yet sweet vegetables.

This is what makes it such a good choice for a shrimp side dish – and it’s a fun, quirky recipe that is sure to turn heads at dinner parties.

This salad is also super easy to make with easy to find ingredients including fresh cherry tomatoes, red peppers, lima beans, sweet corn, and onions.

You can quickly whip it up in no time and serve alongside your shrimp as a healthy dose of daily veggies.

12. Lemon Couscous

We head back to the lemon infused side dishes now with this recipe for lemon couscous.

Couscous is a great side for any meal as it’s super filling and a fun alternative to the likes of pasta or rice.

It’s light, fluffy, and features all the zest and sourness needed to perfectly complement a shrimp main dish!

13. Roasted Greek Potatoes

If you want a potato-based side dish to serve alongside your shrimp, then some classic Greek-style roasted potatoes is definitely a recipe to try out!

These wedges are crispy on the outside yet light on the inside, with strong flavors of lemon and garlic infused into them.

This means that they are the perfect potato side dish to accompany seafood dishes so try something new with these Greek roasted potatoes!

14. Arugula Salad

Arugula salad is a light way to enjoy a side dish and due to this recipe’s lemon dressing, it’s the perfect side dish to serve for those who only want something easy with their shrimp.

Not only does the lemon help enhance the flavor of the shrimp but the sweetness of the honey also complements the sweetness of the shrimp – so it’s a great salad option to serve!

15. Roasted Garlic And Lemon Broccoli

Broccoli is a great vegetable to serve with any meal and it’s no different when it comes to shrimp.

This recipe brings a taste of zesty lemon to this classic vegetable while deepening and enriching the flavor through roasted garlic.

So, if you want to serve broccoli, try using this recipe to help enhance it to suit your shrimp.

16. Kale Salad

This recipe for a classic kale salad has all the trimmings needed to help it suit a shrimp main dish.

From the sharp yet sweet ingredients of almonds and carrots to the light lemon dressing that is poured on top, this kale salad is definitely one best suited to accompanying a seafood dish.

17. Roasted Squash

Our final favorite side dish for a shrimp main meal is roasted squash.

This recipe is super quick and easy and will leave you with a healthy helping of sweet yet savory roasted butternut squash.

It’s perfect to serve alongside shrimp due to its deep sweetness and crispy texture. Although you can add this roasted squash to another salad as an additional ingredient, it also works great as a side on its own.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Drinks Pair Well With Shrimp?

Some drinks go amazingly well with seafood to the point where some people avoid serving side dishes and instead pair their shrimp with a great alcoholic beverage.

Gin martinis (see also ‘20 Easy Gin Cocktail Recipes‘) are the most commonly served drink paired with shrimp but other gin cocktails also go well.

This is because citrus pairs well with seafood and the slices of lemon or lime often served with gin helps enhance the flavor of both.

What Desserts Go Best With Shrimp?

If you want something sweet after your shrimp-based dinner, then there’s plenty you can choose from.

Like we mentioned earlier, shrimp pairs amazingly well with citrus flavors so desserts like lemon cheesecake and pudding, key lime pie, and fruit tarts are a great way to round up your seafood themed dinner.

Even just plain old fruit salad is a great choice for a dessert after serving shrimp for dinner!

How Do You Cook Shrimp?

There are lots of different ways you can cook shrimp – tempura, southern fried, grilled, sauteed, broiled, even a cocktail that is often served as an appetizer!

Because shrimp is so versatile when it comes to cooking methods, this means that there are lots of very different side dishes that go well with each one. We have mentioned them all above so check them out!

Final Thoughts

There are tons of different side dishes (see also ‘26 Sumptuous Side Dishes For Salmon‘) you can try out alongside your shrimp-based meal, and each one has its own unique flavors and tastes.

So, check out our list above, pick out your favorites, and give them a try! Good luck!