Did you cook a lot of shrimp– more than you and your family can handle, and now you don’t know what to do with the excess shrimp?
We’ve all been there and done that.
After all, it’s pretty challenging to determine how much shrimp a person can eat, right? (It’s either that or we just really love shrimp!)
So, what to do with leftover shrimp? That’s easy. You must transform them into delicious new dishes you and your family can enjoy.
Surprise: we have the best leftover shrimp recipes to do the job. Keep on reading to find out what your options are.
15 Leftover Shrimp Recipes to Make at Home
Now, you don’t need to waste that delicious leftover shrimp in your refrigerator. Instead, you can turn that into any of these delightful leftover shrimp recipes:
Appetizer Ideas
Surprise, you can turn your leftover shrimp into some of the best appetizers, and it’s the best way to start your meal. Here are some appetizer recipes you can try:
1. Shrimp and Cream Cheese Firecrackers– A Cheesy Delight
This appetizer is called firecrackers because they deliver an explosion of flavors and is a banging way to start any meal. Oh, and they’re shaped like firecrackers, so there’s that too.
The recipe features crispy wonton rolls filled with a cheesy and meaty shrimp and cream cheese mixture. Most people add jalapeños for that dose of heat which works perfectly well with the rich and creamy, cheesy texture.
You can serve it with marinara sauce to give the dish a sweet acidity that balances off the cheese’s richness. Another option is to serve it with Sriracha if you want more heat.
2. Creamy Shrimp Salad– A Refreshing Touch
Whatever type of leftover shrimp dish you have, you can quickly turn it into one of the most refreshing salads you can ever try.
In addition to the shrimp and mayonnaise, the salad also contains some of the most refreshing ingredients, including celery, scallions, and lemon juice.
To balance off its light and creamy taste, you can also add various seasonings like Old Bayor chili flakes.
Pro Tip: You can eat this creamy salad on its own, or you can use it as a filling for sandwiches, tomato stuffing, or lettuce salad topping.
3. Shrimp Dip– Shrimp-ly Amazing Dip
If you love the idea of serving crackers and dip at your parties, this will undoubtedly be the star of your party.
After all, it contains the two ingredients that are a match made in heaven—tomato soup and cream cheese. The result is the perfect marriage between the tomato’s acidity and the cheese’s creaminess.
If that’s not perfect enough, you toss in cocktail shrimp slices for a succulent bite and sweet flavor. Serve this with a few crackers; we promise you it will be a big hit!
4. Cheesy Garlic Shrimp Bread– Cheese and Shrimp at Its Finest
Don’t know what to do with your leftover shrimp boil? Its unique flavor would be perfect for cheesy garlic shrimp bread!
This seemingly simple bread is loaded with flavors and textures you’ll love. The dish featured crispy bread and was topped off with fragrant and savory garlicky butter, addictive cheese, and the naturally sweet flavor of shrimp.
It’s cheesy, shrimp-ly, and just simply delicious. And since it comes with a bread, it’s highly filling and satisfying.
5. Bacon-wrapped Shrimp– Smoky, Sweet, and Savory
What do you get when you combine bacon and shrimp in one dish? One of the most irresistible appetizers, of course!
This simple dish features the right balance of sweetness and saltiness that will delight your taste buds. That’s not all. It also has a play on textures thanks to the bacon’s crispiness and the shrimp’s succulence.
You can serve this with just any dip, but we highly recommend barbecue sauce. Thank us later!
Pro Tip: You can easily make this in an air fryer!
Soup Recipes
Guess what? You can also turn your leftover shrimp dishes into a bowl of comforting soup that’s perfect for those cold nights.
6. Shrimp Chowder– Creamy and Homey
Hot, comforting soups are not all about clear broths and lots of meats. Sometimes, it’s all about seafood, creaminess, cheesiness, and loads of flavor—and that’s what precisely this shrimp chowder is.
This is undoubtedly a breath of fresh air from all the other usual soups, especially with cream cheese.
Pro Tip: Adding more garlic, scallions, or leeks can make it even more flavorful. Or you can also use a dash of chili pepper flakes for a spicy twist.
7. Thai Shrimp Soup– Quick, Easy, and Flavorful
And when it comes to comforting soups, let’s give it to Asian cuisine because they know how to nail it. You’ll surely agree with us once you’ve taken a sip of this delicious Thai Shrimp Soup.
The thing that separates this soup from all the other shrimp soups is it has curry paste and coconut milk, so it gives you a creamy and flavorful broth like no other.
What we love the most about this shrimp recipe is it’s easy to make. You just need to throw all the ingredients in a soup pan, let it simmer, and dig in!
Healthy Choices
Make the most out of shrimp’s health benefits by using your leftover shrimp recipes to make the following healthy recipes:
8. Shrimp Cocktail Salad– Mexican-inspired Salad
If you have a leftover shrimp cocktail from last night’s party, it’s the perfect ingredient for making a shrimp cocktail salad.
This Mexican-inspired salad is perfect for the hot summer days as it contains many refreshing ingredients—tomato juice, cucumber, and lime juice.
The ingredients are not the only fun thing about this salad. It’s also served in the most exciting way—on top of tostadas and topped off with diced avocadoes.
Pro Tip: Add a splash of hot sauce to complete the summer flavors!
9. Shrimp-stuffed Avocadoes– The Keto Favorite
Here’s a salad that keto lovers will love because it contains two unique keto-friendly ingredients filled with healthy fats—shrimp and avocados. (*)(*)
It’s like ceviche but with a creamy and fat-filled twist.
Since it’s served in half avocado slices, the presentation (in addition to its taste) will make it an excellent showstopper for your summer parties.
This recipe would work well with leftover shrimp cocktail, plain fried shrimp, or any dishes without sauces.
Pro Tip: Add Sriracha or hot sauce for a dash of heat.
Main Dishes
We have the stars of the show for our final leftover shrimp recipes—the main dishes. Here are some of the best recipes that you can try:
10. Stir-fry Shrimp– Simple and Versatile
Who doesn’t love a good stir-fry? No one! And that’s why we’re sure you’ll love this simple recipe.
Stir fries are always a hit because the high heat gives the shrimp a smoky taste. Additionally, it has seasonings that give it a unique flavor and vegetables to make it a well-balanced meal.
- Pro Tip: You can make this recipe your own by changing some of the seasonings and vegetables.
11. Shrimp Skewers– Perfect for Summers
Garlicky, seafood flavor, and citrusy twist—this is what summers are all about, and you can get all of these in Shrimp Skewers.
The good news is it’s super quick and easy to make. You just need to coat the shrimp with the garlicky and zesty mixture and grill it to perfection!
Surprise: You can easily make this dish in just 10 minutes.
12. Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil– Shrimp Boil in the Oven
Did you know you can make shrimp boil without the stove? Yes, you can! You just need a sheet pan and an oven to make this classic shrimp dish.
With this dish, you can enjoy the delicious shrimp boil flavor using only one pan, so there will be no mess, no newspapers, no plastic bags, and most of all—no clean-up needed!
13. Shrimp Gumbo– A Southern Dish
If you love shrimp boil, then you’ll also definitely enjoy gumbo.
Gumbo is a Southern recipe with shrimp, sausages, fresh vegetables, and the perfect blend of Cajun spices.
The best part about gumbo is you can easily tailor the spices and ingredients to suit your taste.
But heads up, gumbo is one dish that requires lots of time, but we assure you: the deep flavors are well worth it.
14. Shrimp Scampi– A 15-minute Recipe
For quick dish ideas, shrimp scampi is our best bet. In particular, this shrimp scampi recipe will only take 15 minutes! Not only that, but it also requires less than 10 ingredients.
But despite the quick cooking time and having only a few ingredients, it’s still bursting with flavors. It features a garlicky, buttery taste and hints of sweetness and acidity from the white wine.
15. Shrimp Fried Rice– The Perfect Side
Do you love Chinese takeouts? If so, then you’d love this Shrimp fried rice.
If you have leftover shrimp, you just need to toss them in the pan along with eggs, day-old rice, and a few vegetables and seasonings.
Shrimp Fried Rice is one of the most versatile rice meals out there since you can mix it up by experimenting with seasonings and vegetables.
Pro Tip: Eat it with fried dishes or on its own.
Up Next:
- 21 Asian Shrimp Recipes (Better Than Takeout!)
- What to Cook with Shrimp: 24 Shrimp-ly Amazing Recipes to try!
