Shrimp Sauce Recipe (Easy & Delicious!)

Need a creamy and tangy dipping sauce with a kick for your next shrimp cocktail party? Try this flavorful, rich shrimp sauce that only takes 15 minutes to whip up and pairs well with just about any steamed seafood. Our variation of this traditional English shrimp sauce is full of rich, umami flavor with citrusy lemon juice, spicy Tabasco sauce, and fresh minced shallots for extra texture.

This shrimp sauce’s origins

This sauce is based on English Marie Rose sauce and is used to dip shrimp. Marie Rose sauce is traditionally made of mayonnaise, tomatoes, lemon, and Worcestershire sauce, but ketchup is a common and easier tomato replacement. It’s similar to American Thousand Island dressing.

Our version of shrimp sauce is similar to cocktail sauce, except it adds mayonnaise to make a creamy base. We also add other ingredients like Tabasco and horseradish for a kick of spicy flavor and aromatics like garlic and shallots. This shrimp sauce is perfect for other types of seafood like fresh dungeness crab, air fryer salmonand salmon bites.

Ingredients in this shrimp sauce recipe

This homemade shrimp sauce is based on Marie Rose sauce from England, so we use a base of mayonnaise, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce but add many other ingredients for seasonings.

• Mayonnaise is the creamy base for this shrimp dip, and its richness complements even minimally prepared steamed shrimp.
• Ketchup is an easier ingredient to use than the original tomato puree in Marie Rose sauce. It adds a sweeter and tangier flavor overall.
• Fresh minced shallots add texture and a slightly sharp note to the sauce. You can also use red onions if you want a little more spice.
• Lemon juice balances the richness of the mayo and brightens the sauce.
• Condiments like Tabasco, Dijon mustard, and fresh horseradish add tanginess, spice, and sharpness to the sauce.
• Worcestershire sauce gives a bit of umami complexity to the dip.
• Honey rounds out all the acidity and richness with a hint of sweetness. You can also use other types of sweeteners like agave, brown sugar, or cane sugar.
• For extra seasonings, we also top off the shrimp sauce with dried spices like garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

How long this sauce stays fresh

You can premake this homemade shrimp sauce and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Make sure you use a clean utensil each time you serve out portions to prevent contamination. We like to stir the sauce before serving because it can thicken in the fridge.

Cooking shrimp for this sauce

The easiest way to cook shrimp to enjoy this creamy sauce is to steam them! Steaming shrimp gently cooks them and prevents a rubbery texture from overcooking. Since this sauce is so full of flavor, you don’t need to season the shrimp before steaming.

Depending on the size of your shrimp, steaming can take 3-6 minutes. We used 31-40 (large) shrimp, and it takes 5 minutes to steam. You’ll know they’re done when they’re cooked when they turn opaque, firm in texture, and measure at 145°F internally with a thermometer. Note that not all shrimp turn orange when they’re cooked, so don’t solely rely on color for doneness. For example, domestic brown shrimp turns a lighter pink instead of orange.

If you’re fancy and love texture, you can also fry up a batch of shrimp tempura–just make sure to devein the shrimp before battering and frying. Other ways to cook shrimp for this sauce are grilling shrimp over the BBQ or quickly sauteeing them on a pan until they’re bright and orange. For another type of seafood sauce, try our crab cake sauce.