18 Standout Dipping Sauces Made To Go With Southern Seafood

Recipe: Garlic Butter-Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Cocktail Sauce

Homemade cocktail sauce only requires a handful of ingredients, but the payoff for just a couple minutes of prep time is more than worth it. We credit this recipe's major flavor to three big tablespoons of horseradish and fresh lemon juice and zest. 

Recipe: Old Bay Rémoulade with Crudités and Shrimp

Is there anything that Old Bay seasoning can't do? We've yet to find it. In this recipe, classic creamy rémoulade gets an extra kick of flavor from Old Bay and stone-ground mustard. 

Recipe: Comeback Sauce

We all know this crowd-favorite dipping sauce that's often paired with hush puppies, fried shrimp, chicken fingers, or even slathered on a fish sandwich or burger. Similar to a rémoulade, it is super creamy, mayonnaise-based, and infused with just a tipple of hot sauce. 

Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea Ranchero Sauce

This might seem out of the ordinary for fried catfish, but a super smoky ranchero sauce made with black-eyed peas makes one delicious complement for crispy fried catfish spritzed with fresh lemon wedges. 

Recipe: Traditional Mignonette Sauce

Mignonette is a classic vinegary sauce made to be paired with freshly shucked oysters, with folks spooning just enough on to coat the taste buds when sucking the whole thing on. All it takes is three easy ingredients. 

Recipe: Air Fryer Popcorn Shrimp with Old Bay Sauce

What if we told you that there was always a creamy seafood sauce sitting in your kitchen? Mayonnaise, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, and a pinch of sugar can get you there. 

Recipe: Tortilla-Crusted Tilapia with Citrus Slaw and Chipotle Tartar Sauce

Tartar sauce can sometimes feel boring or overdone, which is exactly why we prefer this approach that includes canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and lime juice. Serve with any fried fish. 

Recipe: Hot Mignonette Sauce

We gave an extra kick to mignonette, the classic vinegary oyster sauce, by adding Sriracha sauce to the traditional recipe. 

Recipe: Roasted Gulf Shrimp with Romesco Sauce

Romesco is a warm, roasted red pepper-based sauce often paired with rustic Italian dishes—and it goes with oven-roasted shrimp like nobody's business. 

Recipe: Grilled Clambake Foil Packets with Herb Butter

Melted herb-infused butter literally always makes a delicious option for any form of boiled, broiled, or grilled seafood—from clam bakes to shrimp to mahi mahi. This recipe calls for the addition of shallot, dill, parsely, lemon, and—of course—Old Bay. 

Recipe: Boom Boom Sauce

Known for its signature tangy kick, thanks to sweet chili sauce, this four-ingredient sauce is a match made in heaven with our Boom Boom Shrimp recipe. 

Recipe: Dao Family Crawfish Sauce

Any crawfish boil can stand on its own with massive amounts of seasoning, of course; but we'd also like to have this chunky, spicy, fiery sauce (made with orange peels, onions, garlic, butter, and plenty of spices) on hand to ramp up the flavor and festivities. 

Recipe: Summer Sauce

This might not be solely just a seafood sauce, but man, does it really do some major good when brushed onto grilled fish or shrimp. Like a looser, fresher, lighter version of pesto, it's packed with fresh herby flavor. 

Recipe: Mini Crab Cakes with Cajun Sauce

Cajun sauce is a creamy finishing touch often paired with fried catfish or crab cakes, and it only requires a simple combination of hot sauce, lemon, Cajun seasoning, and mayo. 

Recipe: Sweet Mignonette Sauce

Another vinegary mignonette to top off freshly shucked oysters, this sweet three-ingredient rendition adds rice wine vinegar and diced green apple for a sweet zing. 

Recipe: Grilled Shrimp Po'Boys with Quick Rémoulade Sauce

By quick, we mean incredibly easy. A handful of ingredients you most likely have on hand has a rémoulade sauce ready to be spread onto a po'boy. 

Recipe: Grilled Hot-Pepper Sauce

Who doesn't love a couple sprinkles of hot sauce on their fresh catch, no matter the form? This homemade option gets epic smokiness from grilling all the peppers and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. 

Recipe: Coconut Shrimp with Maui Mustard Sauce

Coconut shrimp certainly always packs a flavorful punch, but the real sensation here is the super tangy mustard sauce made with pineapple preserves, apricot preserves, and stone-ground mustard.