Marinated Shrimp & Ginger-Peanut Dipping Sauce
Marinate shrimp in an aromatic paste, grill or sear them, and serve them with a rich ginger-peanut dipping sauce. It is a Southeast-Asian-inspired appetizer or main — smoky, fragrant shrimp and a creamy, savory-sweet peanut sauce — that is impossible to stop eating.
Shrimp and peanut sauce are a beloved pairing across Southeast Asia, and this version makes the most of both. The shrimp marinate in a fragrant aromatic paste before a quick grill or sear, and they're served with a rich, creamy ginger-peanut sauce for dipping. The smoky, spiced shrimp against the savory-sweet, nutty sauce is a combination that disappears fast — equally at home as a party appetizer or piled over rice for a main.
The Aromatic Marinade
Flavor starts with the paste. Blend an aromatic marinade — ginger, garlic, and warm spices — and let the shrimp soak in it so they take on its fragrance before they ever hit the heat. The marinade seasons the shrimp through and helps them char beautifully. Don't marinate too long, since the shrimp are small and quick to absorb; a short soak is plenty to infuse them with the deep, aromatic flavor that makes them sing off the grill.
The Ginger-Peanut Sauce
The sauce is the star everyone reaches for. Blend peanut butter with ginger, garlic, a little acid, and a touch of sweetness and heat into a creamy, savory-sweet dipping sauce — loosen it to a dippable consistency and taste for balance, playing the salty, sweet, sour, and spicy against each other. Grill or sear the marinated shrimp fast, just until charred and curled, and serve them warm with the peanut sauce alongside for dunking. The smoky shrimp and nutty sauce are made for each other.
Marinated Shrimp & Ginger-Peanut Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Place the sliced green onions, minced garlic, tender lemongrass pieces, and grated ginger into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the machine repeatedly to create a thick, highly concentrated yellow paste.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the aromatic vegetable paste and cook until deeply golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the ground coriander, curry, cumin, turmeric, cane sugar, and sea salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the spices bloom and release their essential oils, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and allow the spice mixture to cool completely to room temperature.
- Place the peeled and deveined shrimp into a sealable plastic bag or glass bowl.
- Add the cooled, bloomed spice mixture to the shrimp, massaging gently until every piece is heavily coated.
- Refrigerate the shrimp for up to 3 hours to allow the aromatics to deeply penetrate the delicate protein structure.
- While the shrimp marinates, build the dipping sauce. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, aggressively whisk together the full-fat coconut milk, all-natural peanut butter, fresh lime juice, and grated ginger.
- Continue whisking until the fats from the coconut milk and peanut butter bind into a perfectly smooth, velvety sauce.
- Reduce the temperature to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes to marry the flavors. Remove from the heat. (This sauce can be served warm or at room temperature).
- Generously coat a heavy cast-iron grill pan with vegetable oil spray and heat over medium-high heat until slightly smoking.
- Carefully lay the marinated shrimp onto the hot pan. Grill undisturbed to establish a caramelized crust, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the shrimp and cook until just opaque and firm to the touch, about 2 minutes more. (Do not overcook, or the shrimp will become rubbery).
- Transfer the deeply golden, spiced shrimp to a warm serving platter and serve immediately alongside a bowl of the ginger-peanut dipping sauce.
The Heart of the Table
A platter of fragrant shrimp and a bowl of good sauce set out for dipping is generous, hands-on hospitality at its most fun — the kind of food that gathers people around and keeps them reaching. To grill something this flavorful and pair it with a sauce this crave-able is a warm gesture, an invitation to graze, dip, and linger happily together.
The Art of the Host
A grill or grill pan gives the shrimp their char, and a blender makes quick work of the peanut sauce. Marinate the shrimp just long enough to flavor them, grill them fast and hot so they char without overcooking, and adjust the peanut sauce for balance — it should be creamy, savory, and a little sweet and spicy. Serve the shrimp warm with the sauce for dipping.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: Both the marinade and the peanut sauce are made for getting ahead — the sauce keeps well for days and the shrimp can marinate in advance — so the only live step is the quick grill. That makes this an easy, relaxed dish to serve: prep the components early, then cook the shrimp just before your guests dig in.
- The Pour: An off-dry Riesling or a crisp lager suits the fragrant, savory-sweet flavors. For a non-alcoholic option, a ginger-lime soda or a coconut-lime cooler echoes the ginger and peanut.
- The Vibe: This is fun, dip-and-graze eating — pile the smoky shrimp on a platter with the ginger-peanut sauce for dunking, or serve them over rice for a main. It is a fragrant, crowd-pleasing dish made for sharing and for going back for one more.