Best Sauces for Seafood: 14 Recipes for Fish, Shrimp, and More

Choosing the Right Sauce for Seafood

Seafood is more delicate than poultry or red meat, both in flavor and in texture. This means the sauce needs to complement rather than compete. A heavy, smoky BBQ sauce would obliterate the subtle sweetness of pan-seared scallops, but a light lemon butter with capers would elevate them. The general rule is: the milder the fish, the lighter the sauce. That said, bold seafood like grilled swordfish, blackened catfish, or fried shrimp can handle bigger, bolder sauces. Fried seafood in particular benefits from tangy, acidic sauces that cut through the oil—this is why tartar sauce and cocktail sauce exist. The sauces below are organized by intensity, from light and delicate to bold and robust. Each includes specific seafood pairing recommendations and links to the full recipe.

Light and Delicate Seafood Sauces

1. Garlic Butter Sauce

Our Restaurant-Style Garlic Butter Sauce is the universal seafood sauce. Drizzle it over grilled lobster tail, pan-seared scallops, or baked salmon. The key is using just enough garlic to add fragrance without overwhelming the delicate seafood flavor. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and fresh parsley. This is the sauce that makes Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits irresistible—imagine it on actual seafood. Best with: Lobster, scallops, shrimp, mild white fish (cod, halibut, tilapia).

2. Chimichurri

Our Argentine Chimichurri is spectacular on grilled fish. The bright herbs and red wine vinegar cut through the natural oils in salmon and swordfish, while the olive oil adds richness to leaner white fish. Spoon it over grilled fish tacos with shredded cabbage and a squeeze of lime. Best with: Grilled salmon, swordfish, mahi-mahi, or shrimp skewers.

3. Tzatziki

Our Greek Tzatziki is the Mediterranean partner for grilled or baked fish. The cool cucumber and yogurt calm the heat of blackened seasoning, and the garlic adds depth without heaviness. It is traditional with grilled whole fish in Greek cuisine and works equally well with salmon burgers or fish cakes. Best with: Grilled fish, salmon cakes, fish gyros, baked tilapia.

Classic Seafood Sauces

4. Tartar Sauce

Our Copycat Red Lobster Tartar Sauce is the definitive fried fish companion. The combination of mayo, sweet pickle relish, capers, and lemon juice creates the perfect balance of creamy, tangy, and briny that makes fried cod, shrimp, or clam strips sing. Homemade tartar sauce is so vastly superior to the packets that once you try it, you will never go back. Best with: Fried fish and chips, fried shrimp, fish sticks, crab cakes.

5. Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette

Our Copycat Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette drizzled over a grilled shrimp salad is a perfect light dinner. The smoky sweetness of the chipotle honey complements the natural sweetness of shrimp, while the vinegar keeps everything bright and balanced. Best with: Grilled shrimp salads, blackened fish tacos, or seared tuna.

6. Honey Mustard

Our Honey Mustard Sauce is an overlooked seafood sauce. Its sweet-tangy profile pairs beautifully with coconut shrimp, fried calamari, and baked salmon. The Dijon mustard provides enough bite to balance the richness of fried preparations. Best with: Coconut shrimp, fried calamari, baked or glazed salmon.

Asian-Inspired Seafood Sauces

7. Teriyaki Glaze

Our Authentic Japanese Teriyaki Glaze brushed on salmon during the last two minutes of grilling creates the most popular salmon preparation in America for good reason. The sweet soy glaze caramelizes into a mirror-like finish, and the mirin adds a subtle sweetness that complements the fatty richness of salmon perfectly. Best with: Salmon (especially grilled or broiled), yellowtail, shrimp.

8. Thai Peanut Sauce

Our Thai Peanut Sauce is the classic accompaniment to shrimp satay and works beautifully as a dipping sauce for coconut shrimp or as a drizzle over grilled fish with rice. The peanut richness adds body while the lime and chili keep it bright and interesting. Best with: Shrimp satay, coconut shrimp, grilled fish bowls.

9. Sweet Chili Sauce

Our Thai Sweet Chili Sauce is the go-to dipping sauce for fried shrimp, spring rolls, and fish cakes throughout Southeast Asia. The garlicky, sweet-spicy glaze works because it does not try to overpower the seafood—it enhances the natural sweetness of shellfish while adding gentle heat. Best with: Fried shrimp, fish cakes, spring rolls, crab rangoon.

10. Yum Yum Sauce

Our Japanese Yum Yum Sauce is what you get at hibachi restaurants alongside grilled shrimp and scallops, and there is a reason it has become a household staple. The creamy, mildly sweet flavor lets the seafood remain the star while adding a silky, satisfying element to every bite. Best with: Grilled shrimp, scallops, hibachi-style mixed seafood, crab legs.

Bold Seafood Sauces

11. Sriracha Mayo

Our Spicy Sriracha Mayo is the modern sushi restaurant staple—drizzled over spicy tuna rolls, ahi poke bowls, and fried shrimp tacos. The creamy heat works with seafood because the mayo tempers the chili fire while the lime juice echoes the citrus that naturally pairs with fish. Best with: Poke bowls, sushi, shrimp tacos, fried fish sandwiches.

12. Chipotle Lime Sauce

Our Chipotle Lime Sauce is the perfect fish taco sauce. The smoky chipotle, bright lime, and creamy base create a trifecta of flavors that complement grilled or battered fish equally well. Drizzle it over tacos with shredded cabbage, pickled onions, and fresh cilantro. Best with: Fish tacos, grilled shrimp, blackened catfish, ceviche tostadas.

13. Harissa

Our Homemade Harissa Paste rubbed on fish before grilling creates a smoky, spiced crust that is absolutely stunning. Mix harissa with yogurt for a milder sauce, or stir it into olive oil for a bolder drizzle. It is particularly good with oily fish like mackerel, sardines, and salmon that can stand up to its intensity. Best with: Grilled mackerel, sardines, salmon, swordfish.

14. Honey Garlic Stir-Fry Sauce

Our Honey Garlic Stir-Fry Sauce turns shrimp into a five-star dinner. The honey caramelizes in the hot pan, creating a sticky, sweet-savory glaze that clings to each shrimp. Serve over steamed rice with snap peas and sesame seeds. The entire dish takes 15 minutes. Best with: Shrimp, scallops, firm white fish fillets in stir-fry preparations. For more on the fundamentals of building sauces from scratch—including the emulsification science behind many of these creamy seafood sauces—read our guide on the science of emulsification.