Best Homemade Seafood Dipping Sauce

This homemade Seafood Dipping Sauce is buttery, garlicky, and loaded with flavors. Serve it with seafood boil, shrimp, or any seafood dishes to complete all the fixings!

We love a rich, flavorful seafood meal where the seasoning shines. Notes of garlic, citrus and spices come together for the ultimate in Creole comfort food.

Best Seafood Dipping Sauce

This dipping sauce will take your seafood experience to a new level! Shellfish are prized for tender meat that has the ability to deliciously embody whatever spices or sauce it’s paired with. 

For the best seafood dipping sauce, you can’t be stingy with the seasonings. Classic Old Bay seasoning gives this sauce its signature taste, while lemon pepper, garlic and onion add complexity to this spicy dish.

What is Seafood Boil Dipping Sauce?

Seafood boil dipping sauce is the rich, buttery sauce that forms the foundation of a seafood boil. 

Seafood boil is a Southern tradition that has gained popularity all over the world. Butter and garlic are the main ingredients in this dipping sauce, improved only by the addition of herbs and spices. Once this flavorful sauce comes together, throw in your seafood, potatoes and corn, let it simmer and dig in!

Seasoning for Seafood Dipping Sauce

It’s no secret that seasoning is the key to a good seafood sauce. First, you’ll need a hearty helping of garlic, sautéed in melted butter. Be generous with the Old Bay seasoning, the classic Southern mix that’ll give your sauce both flavor and color. 

Because we love a spicy seafood sauce, we’ll be stirring in cayenne pepper, lemon pepper and red pepper flakes, with the milder taste of paprika to balance things out. Imagine the aroma in your kitchen when it all comes together!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• olive oil
• garlic
• unsalted butter
• onion
• Old Bay seasoning
• chicken broth
• lemon pepper 
• paprika
• cayenne pepper
• red pepper flakes
• lemon juice
• brown sugar

How to Make Seafood Dipping Sauce

1. Add 1/2 cup of butter and oil to a saucepan over medium-low heat. 
2. Once melted, add onions and stir fry until they’re soft.

3. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and brown sugar. Mix together.

4. Turn the heat to low and add the remaining butter. Simmer until the butter is melted, stirring constantly. 

5. Add chicken broth and cook for a few minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. 

6. Remove from heat. Serve it as a dipping sauce. 

Tips and Tricks

• If you prefer a milder seafood boil, adjust the amount of cayenne and red pepper that you add in. Even without the extra spice, your meal will be full of flavor thanks to the rest of the herbs and spices. 
• Be sure to keep the heat on low to allow your sauce to slowly simmer to perfection.
• Store the homemade seafood sauce in an airtight container and it’ll last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. 

How to Store Homemade Seafood Dipping Sauce?

This sauce can easily be stored for an encore seafood boil. Pour any leftover sauce into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it again, just heat it up in a pot and toss in your potatoes, seafood and other ingredients.

How to Make Seafood Boil?

Seafood Boil is a delicious, yet simple one-pot meal that’s great for feeding a group. If you’ll be adding potatoes to the mix, you’ll want to put those in first, along with the seasoning. Next, add in corn and sausage, ensuring they’ve been cut into bite-size pieces. Shrimp should be added last, since they cook the fastest. They’ll be ready in about two minutes, so be sure not to overcook.

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Best Seafood Dipping Sauce Recipe

This homemade Seafood Dipping Sauce is buttery, garlicky, and loaded with flavors. Serve it with seafood boil, shrimp, or any seafood dishes to complete all the fixings!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 cups unsalted butter
• 1/2 onion diced
• 3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

• Add 1/2 cup of butter and oil to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add onions and stir fry until they’re soft.
• Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and brown sugar. Mix together.
• Turn the heat to low and add the remaining butter. Simmer until the butter is melted, stirring constantly.
• Add chicken broth and cook for a few minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.
• Remove from heat. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• Store the homemade seafood sauce in an airtight container and it’ll last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
• Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper to your preferred level for spiciness.