Our 10 Best Seafood Sauces, Marinades and Dressings to Simplify Your Life
Here it is, the ultimate guide to simplifying your dinner routine and it’s all based on repurposing sauces, marinades and seasonings. These 10 best seafood magical elixirs aren’t fancy, nor are they complicated, but they’re incredibly helpful because they can work on a number of different dishes and proteins, allowing you to assemble them in bulk and use again and again.
You’ll want to invest in a multitude of different size mason jars with twist lids or air tight containers so you can seal the sauces tightly and tuck them away for another day’s use.
These sauces and marinades will take your fish from standard to surprising and will require little effort. Many of these sauces can be amended and used as a dressing for salad or a side for dipping.
Let’s get sauced!
Tropical Mango Sauce or Dressing
Best use: A dipping sauce for our firecracker shrimp appetizer, a dressing for your favorite summer salad or pour it over fish tacos! This sweet and refreshing dressing is very versatile and a summer hit!
Storage: The mango sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 -48 hours (if you can keep it around that long without eating it up)
Best use: Believe it or not, but Chimichurri Sauce is a terrific addition to scallops. While most people know chimichurri and steak go hand and hand, this punchy condiment works well poured over fish, salads, even a bowl of lentils. The fresh parsley, argula and lemon will elevate a number of proteins and turn bland into bold.
Storage: Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 24 -48 hours
Avocado cream sauce or dressing
Best use: Plated with a blackened white fish, such as Cobia, a sauce for your favorite fish tacos or replace your regular salsa with this creamy, avocado sauce!
Storage: The avocado sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in an air tight container. The acidic nature of the lime helps to maintain the pretty green color!
Shark Tank Shrimp Cocktail Sauce
Best use: Cocktail sauce and shrimp go together like peanut butter and jelly. Use it with steamed, poached or fried shrimp. It’s a top choice when entertaining a group as it all comes together within minutes.
Storage: The cocktail sauce can be stored for up to one week in an airtight container in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
Best use: If you’re looking for an alternative to the shrimp cocktail sauce, look no further than this recommended tartar sauce. Use it as a dip for fried shrimp, homemade fish sticks or a condiment for a blackened fish slider sandwich.
Storage: The tartar sauce can be stored for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the coldest part of your refrigerator.
Best use: Blacken your protein for taco night or add a cajun inspired flare to your seared protein. We haven’t found a fish that doesn’t love this Blackening Seasoning, and the air fryer is especially fond of it. We love it so much, we may have a spicy secret to spill in the coming months.
Storage: You’ll want to double or triple this recipe to have on hand in a pinch! You’ll be glad you did!
Note: it’s not that spicy, so even littles enjoy it.
Best use: A dipping sauce for slightly seared tuna or cobia sashimi. If you’re planning a raw seafood type of night, sashimi, sushi, tuna or something else, this elevated soy sauce is great for dipping. It will also go well on fried rice or simply plain rice, to take the flavor up a notch.
Storage: Your upgraded soy sauce will store best in an air tight jar for a few days.
Best Use: Upgrade traditional Tahini into Tahini Butter. It’s gluten free, rich and nutty and can be used in a miriad of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fishes. We paired it with Cobia and Vegetable Kabobs as a tasty dipping sauce on the side.
Storage: Since the Tahini Butter is only 4 ingredients, it will hold well for a few days in an air tight jar tucked in your refrigerator.
Best Use: The best part about Tomato Butter is getting to use your garden’s bounty for a really delicious, yet simple summer recipe. It pairs well with a pan-seared white fish such as snapper or black drum, but can also be used to top ch*cken. Don’t skimp on the shallots as they add another layer of flavor.
Storage: Once again grab an air tight jar for storage. You should use the tomato butter up within 24 hours for the best flavor.
Chili Lemon Butter by Chef Jean-Paul
Best use: Smother your grilled fish in the Chili Lemon Butter as you cook it on the grill, or let it marinate for an hour or so. The rich flavors of the butter and chili will produce a slightly sweet and spicy combination.