Easy Grilled Shrimp with Dipping Sauce

This Grilled Shrimp with dipping sauce uses the same Creole butter to baste the shrimp and then as a flavor-packed sauce. Simple ingredients mean it all comes together easily and quickly for a weeknight dinner.

Jump to:

• Ingredient Notes
• Expert Tips
• A few items you'll need:
• Storage Information
• Other Dipping Sauces for Grilled Shrimp
• What to Serve with Grilled Shrimp
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe
• Seafood Main Dishes

Y'all, I've been making these grilled shrimp for our family cookouts for years now, and they never fail to disappear fast.

What I love most about this easy grilled shrimp recipe is how simple it is to throw together, even when company shows up unexpectedly.

This dish makes the perfect appetizer, salad topping, taco stuffer, or light main dish!

The Creole butter does double duty - it bastes the shrimp while they're cooking and serves as the perfect dipping sauce. Plus, it's the same butter mixture we use as a topping for steaks, so you know it's got to be good!

Ingredient Notes

• Shrimp - Go for large to jumbo shrimp. They're easier to grill and look more impressive on the skewers. You can buy deveined shrimp or use our guidance on How to Devein Shrimp (and Peel) Quickly!
• Unsalted Butter - Using unsalted lets you control the saltiness since the Creole seasoning already adds plenty of salt.
• Creole Seasoning - We swear by Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning. It's our go-to for everything from Seafood Gumbo to Fried Green Tomatoes.
• Cayenne Pepper - Adds an extra kick. Feel free to adjust to your heat preference.
• Dried Thyme - Brings an herbal note that goes with the seafood perfectly.
• Garlic - Fresh minced garlic works best here. Pre-minced will work in a pinch.

For more information on southern flavors like Creole and the regions they come from you'll want to read "Southern Food Then and Now".

For the steak, we blend the butter and make little scoops to put on the hot steaks right as they come off the grill. For the shrimp skewers we melt it and brush the shrimp while they're cooking. Set some aside and keep it hot to use for dipping.

Expert Tips

• Use large to extra large, or even jumbo shrimp
• Your shrimp should be shelled and deveined, but with the tails still on. Try our easy deveining method for quick results.
• Use wooden skewers. We find shrimp a bit delicate to skewer on metal ones.
• Soak your wooden skewers in water for at least an hour so they don't burn up.
• Divide the melted creole butter and leave plenty for dipping sauce on a warm burner while the shrimp are grilled and basted with the rest.
• If you have time to make the Creole Butter the day before it's even better. It's still plenty delish if you don't have time for that.

A few items you'll need:

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• Shrimp deveiner tool (this is our favorite - it's very inexpensive, but it works great.
• wooden skewers (we like the 10 inch length)
• our favorite Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning

This recipe made the suggested list for the Backyard BBQ Menu Ideas. You'll want to visit for lots of other recipes as well as tips, tricks and planning help for your cookout.

Storage Information

Keep any leftover shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The butter sauce can be stored separately in the fridge for up to a week - just warm it gently when you're ready to use it again.

I don't recommend freezing the cooked shrimp as they can get tough, but you can freeze the Creole butter for up to 3 months.

Other Dipping Sauces for Grilled Shrimp

We love to use Creole butter as a sauce, but there are lots of other ways to enjoy grilled shrimp with dipping sauce!

• Remoulade Sauce - A classic New Orleans favorite
• Lemon Garlic Butter - Simple but always delicious with bright flavors. Be sure to use fresh lemon juice!
• Cocktail Sauce - Make it fresh for the best flavor
• Cajun Aioli - Perfect when you want something creamy. We have a perfect recipe for aioli sauce that we serve with our Homemade French Fries!
• Feeling super adventurous? Try our Creamy Poblano Sauce or Saffron Cream Sauce with your grilled shrimp for a creamy dipping sauce!

What to Serve with Grilled Shrimp

We have tons of side dishes that would be perfect with grilled shrimp at backyard BBQs! Try them with:

• Easiest Summer Slaw Recipe
• Easy Dirty Rice
• Easy Smoked Vegetables on a Grill or Smoker
• Barbecue Shrimp Salad with Grilled Corn and Vidalia Onions

Recipe FAQs

📖 Recipe