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There’s nothing like easy Seafood Appetizers to kick off a party with a little extra pizzazz! And with my list of the best seafood appetizers you’ll find plenty of delicious, creative and elegant seafood appetizers for a crowd.
Seafood Appetizers
Living in Florida, seafood appetizers are a staple for me when it comes to hosting a fun dinner party with friends. I love the variety you have with seafood appetizer recipes – from shrimp, to crab, lobster, and even fish, there are plenty of options for what to make!
There is nothing like a crisp bite of shrimp with refreshing cucumber and dill, or a buttery, tender crab leg that’s been steamed or grilled to perfection. No matter what your favorite is, seafood apps are an amazing way to start off dinner!
Shrimp Appetizers
In my house, it’s not a party without shrimp. With their beautiful shape and color and perfect size, they’re made to be a seafood finger food, and make for some of the most elegant seafood appetizers I’ve ever seen!
Trust me, make up a big batch of Shrimp Shumai (recipe at the bottom of the post!) and you’ll be amazed at how pretty seafood apps can be. Or make use of the wonders of make ahead seafood appetizers, and make up a batch of Cucumber Shrimp Cups the day before!
Shrimp Shumai
Bring the taste and beauty of dim sum right to your home with tender, delicate Shrimp Shumai! These perfect little shrimp dumplings are one of my favorite fish appetizers and cook for less than 10 minutes. Read on for the recipe at the bottom of the post!
Crab Appetizers
If you’re looking for a dip, you can have fun pairing a tasty Remoulade Sauce, or an all-time favorite Lemon Butter Sauce!
Fish Appetizers
Oyster Appetizer
Lobster Appetizer
Seafood Dinner Recipes
- Air Fryer Lobster Tail
- Grilled Tuna Steak with Spicy Poke Bowl Sauce
- Sous Vide Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce
Sauces for Seafood
Appetizers with Seafood FAQs
Some appetizers with seafood to serve your guests are skewered shrimp, crab legs, or fried oysters, among other recipes like seafood soups. There are plenty of dishes to choose from when deciding on what to serve.
📋 Recipe
Shrimp Dumplings – Seafood Appetizers
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated/finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic grated/finely chopped (1 clove)
- 8 oz shrimp peeled, deveined, raw
- ¼ cup water chestnuts (from can)
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 20 gyoza dumpling wrappers (round dumpling wrappers)
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
- Finely chop (or grate) garlic and ginger. Add them to a food processor with peeled shrimp and pulse until the shrimp is well broken up.1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garlic, 8 oz shrimp
- Add the water chestnuts and pulse to chop. Then, add the egg white, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar and pulse to combine.¼ cup water chestnuts, 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- Set dumpling wrappers on a dry, clean surface. Add a tablespoon of filling to the middle of each wrapper.20 gyoza dumpling wrappers
- Dampen y our finger and run it along the edge of the dumpling wrapper. Pinch the wrapper together in small folds, working your way around so the middle of the filling still shows. Repeat with all dumplings.
- Brush a steamer with oil, or line with parchment paper with holes poked into it. Place the dumplings in the steamer with a little bit of space between them. If they won't fit all at once, cook them in batches.
- Set the steamer over a pot of water. Steam for 6-8 minutes until the shrimp filling is cooked through.
- Serve immediately, with your preferred dipping sauce or soy on the side.
Notes
- You can find ready-made dumpling wrappers in your local supermarket or Asian supermarket.
- To substitute the rice wine vinegar, try apple cider vinegar, or white or red wine vinegar.
- Shrimp shumai are generally served with a bit of flying fish roe (tobiko) on top for decoration, but you can also add finely chopped chives.
Amee says
So many fun ideas here! Thank you for including my recipe! 🙂
Jessica {Cooking my Dreams} says
I love seafood appetizers and there are so many great ideas in this post!
Em Beitel says
Thanks so much, Jessica! Is there anything better than a good seafood appetizer?