Shrimp may be a tiny sea creature, but it’s delicious when cooked and is high in calcium, iodine, and protein.
It’s one of the most widely consumed seafood commercially sold worldwide.
It isn’t just delicious and nutritious, but like most seafood, it’s versatile and compatible with most foods.
Fried shrimp is one of the most delightful dishes that you can make with it.
So, what to serve with fried shrimps?
If you aren’t in a hurry, stay a while because we will list the dishes that you can serve with fried shrimp at dinner or during a party.
Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Fried Shrimps?
You can cook shrimp in multiple ways, and each dish will taste amazing.
Fried shrimps are one of them, and it’s also effortless to cook them.
Fried shrimp pairs wonderfully with most other dishes, so if you plan to serve it for dinner or at a barbeque, you can also include some compatible items.
Though delicious and nutritious, shrimp isn’t safe to consume in large quantities.
Hence, you need other foods for balance and to satiate your cravings.
One aspect to keep in mind; when you buy shrimp, make sure they’re firm and their shells translucent.
Avoid any pieces which have darker shades and lean towards black.
What to Serve with Fried Shrimps? 7 BEST Side Dishes
We learned that fried shrimp complement plenty of other foods.
So, let’s take a look at the seven dishes that you can enjoy alongside.
1 – Fried Rice
An all-time favorite food in many households, fried rice pairs pretty well with fried shrimp.
You can enjoy the flavors of both dishes without either one taking over the other.
You can use any rice to make the dish, but brown rice is healthier as it’s nutrient and fibre-rich.
If you don’t have it, though, you can use whatever variety you have.
Fried rice has many variations as every culture or region has a specific recipe.
Any type will taste fantastic with fried shrimp.
But you can choose a simple recipe, especially if you don’t have much time to spare.
You can select veggies, herbs, and spices according to preference and availability of ingredients.
2 – Coleslaw
Salad and seafood go hand in hand so let’s add coleslaw to the list.
You will have complex flavors when you combine the two but also refresh your palate.
Cabbage is good, both cooked and raw.
But eating it raw gives you the best nutritional boost per serving.
You can make coleslaw using any cabbage.
So, include white, red, green, and purple to make your salad more beautiful.
There are many variations so you can make whichever you prefer.
There are two main dressings for coleslaw; vinaigrette and mayonnaise.
If you want a creamy version, choose the latter.
You can also add other veggies like onion, carrots, bell peppers, and herbs.
Slice the cabbage as thinly as possible to get maximum flavors.
3 – Baked Beans
Native Americans first made baked beans, but the dish is now popular worldwide.
It tastes fantastic with fried shrimp, so you can include it as a side dish.
Beans are also readily available as you can use several varieties to make the dish.
Pinto, Navy, kidney, and the Great Northern beans are some of the most used.
Making baked beans from scratch is the best method to obtain the flavors and nutrients.
However, if you’re short of time, you can buy readymade products too.
However, it’s vital to keep an eye on the salt and sugar content because canned baked beans can contain loads of them.
Read the label carefully and choose a brand that has a low amount of salt and sugar.
4 – Cold Potato Salad
A potato dish seems to be on every list, but how can we omit it? The spuds taste great with almost anything, so we must include the dish.
A potato salad can also stand alongside fried shrimp; believe us; nobody will be disappointed.
Potatoes are easy to obtain, and you can make the salad in large quantities.
Hence, the dish can be ideal if you have many guests to serve.
But it’s necessary to choose the right potatoes for making a salad.
You should choose waxy or all-purpose potatoes to make the salad.
Red varieties, fingerlings, and new potatoes are suitable for making a delightful potato salad.
5 – Tartar Sauce
People traditionally serve the sour and savory sauce with various seafood appetizers.
Hence, it can pair nicely with fried shrimp too.
You can buy the readymade product from the market or make it from scratch.
It takes just about fifteen minutes to complete the sauce, and you can do it in large amounts.
Hence, if you have fried shrimp on the menu, tartar sauce will be an ideal combination.
The typical sauce has mayonnaise, lemon juice, and pickles.
You can also use an aioli base and other ingredients like minced onion, parsley, horseradish, and Dijon mustard.
6 – Greek Salad
Fried shrimp isn’t that fatty, but it can make you feel overloaded if you eat too many.
But if you eat a fresh dish like Greek salad side by side, you will find a balance.
Both dishes are a great combo, and there isn’t much to do with a Greek Salad.
So, you can serve it alongside fried shrimp.
Greek salads offer Mediterranean flavors and usually contain tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives, and feta cheese.
A vinaigrette made with lemon juice and red wine vinegar completes the dish.
The American variant also has lettuce in the salad, so it’s up to you whether you wish to add it or not.
If not, you can use kale and other items like crispy chickpeas, diced avocado, and bell peppers.
7 – Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
It’s one more veggie dish, but nobody will complain because grilled vegetables are awesome, and they complement fried shrimp.
Grilling is also easy as it doesn’t take much time and you have many vegetables to choose from.
You can use onions, corn, bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms for a simple home-cooked grilled veggie dish.
Check the veggies from time to time and turn them on the other side so that you have some char on all sides.
Make sure to use veggies with a similar cooking time in a skewer, or your food may get ruined.
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