Joe’s Crab Shack Coconut Shrimp Dipping Sauce
Joe’s Crab Shack coconut shrimp is one of the restaurant’s most recognized dishes, and the dipping sauce that comes with it is a big part of why. This copycat version combines pineapple, plum preserves, sweet-and-sour sauce, and sugar into a fruity, tangy condiment that captures the original’s tropical flavor. Making it at home means you can keep a jar in the refrigerator and serve it with any fried seafood or appetizer, not just on restaurant visits. The entire recipe comes together in under five minutes with no cooking required.
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Joe’s Crab Shack serves this dipping sauce alongside their coconut shrimp, and its fruity, slightly tangy flavor is what makes that dish work as well as it does. The sauce hits a balance of sweet and tart that complements the crispy coconut coating without competing with it.
The four-ingredient formula is straightforward: two fruit preserves build the sweet, tropical base, while a sweet-and-sour sauce adds tartness and body, and a small amount of sugar brings the sweetness level in line with the restaurant’s version.
Why this recipe works
The combination of pineapple and plum preserves creates a layered fruit flavor rather than a single-note sweetness. Pineapple brings bright, tropical acidity, while plum adds a deeper, slightly darker fruit character that keeps the sauce from tasting flat.
Sweet and sour sauce acts as both the liquid base and the primary source of tartness. It also adds body to the sauce, giving it the consistency needed to coat fried food rather than slide off it.
The small amount of added sugar allows the recipe to be adjusted to match the specific sweetness of the preserves used. Different brands of pineapple and plum preserves vary significantly in sugar content, so a measured addition of sugar brings the final product to a consistent level.
Ingredients
- Pineapple – Provides the bright, tropical sweetness and light acidity that defines the fruity base of the sauce.
- Plum preserves – Adds a deeper, darker fruit flavor that balances the pineapple and gives the sauce complexity.
- Sugar – Adjusts the overall sweetness level and compensates for variation between different brands of preserves.
- Sweet and sour sauce – Contributes tartness, body, and a smooth consistency that allows the sauce to coat food evenly.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight jar or container for up to 2 weeks. Stir before each use, as the ingredients may settle slightly during storage.
- Reheating Method: This sauce is typically served cold or at room temperature and does not require reheating. If using as a warm glaze, heat gently in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently.
- Freezer Storage: Not recommended. The texture of the preserves changes after freezing and thawing, resulting in a watery, separated sauce.
Serving suggestions and pairings
Joe’s Crab Shack serves this sauce with coconut shrimp, and that pairing remains the best use for it. The fruity tartness of the sauce cuts through the richness of the fried coconut coating in a way that a plain sweet-and-sour sauce does not.
Beyond coconut shrimp, it works well with other fried seafood (shrimp tempura, fried scallops, fish strips), fried chicken tenders, egg rolls, and spring rolls. It can also be used as a glaze for grilled shrimp or salmon.
For a simple appetizer spread, serve it alongside Joe’s Crab Shack Coconut Shrimp, with a side of Joe’s Crab Shack Crab Dip, for a full restaurant-style spread at home.
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Joe’s Crab Shack Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple in natural juice (do not drain)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup red plum preserves
- 1/2 cup bottled sweet and sour sauce
Instructions
- Place the crushed pineapple with its juice, sugar, red plum preserves, and sweet and sour sauce in a saucepan over low to medium-low heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Serve warm or chilled with coconut shrimp, chicken nuggets, or your favorite fried appetizers.
Notes
- This sauce benefits from at least 30 minutes of chilling before serving. The brief rest gives the flavors time to blend, and the sauce tastes noticeably more cohesive after sitting in the refrigerator than it does immediately after mixing.
- If the sauce looks thicker than expected, stir in a small amount of additional sweet and sour sauce to loosen it. If it looks thinner than expected, the preserves may have a higher liquid content than usual; stir in a small additional amount of preserves to compensate.
- The sauce can also be served warm as a glaze. Warm it gently in a small saucepan over low heat and brush it over grilled shrimp or chicken during the last few minutes of cooking.
Nutrition
Husband loves this recipe. Says it tastes just like the original. Thank you.
would this sauce be good as a baked ham glaze?
I’m curious to know how to make King Crab Shack’s (in Milwaukee) crab dipping sauce.
*2-3 sticks salted butter, Italian season, Asian fish sauce, Thai peppers, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne powder, rice wine vinegar, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce brown Sugar(optional), cilantro, scallion, paprica lemon zest/juice..WARM ingredients to marry flavors and chop and grade garlic, ginger and cilantro….try and adjust to taste…B did say the sauce wasn’t sweet thats why when you make this batch set aside some then pit brown sugar and decide which you like most.
I love Joe’s crab shack.. I live in OCALA , Fl. Please build one here
plum preserve? where can i find this
you can find it at Kroger- bonne mama 9black and white label with ed checkered lid.
This looks delicious.
I am interesting on this crispy fried Shrimps recipe in the picture, how can I make it.