Easy Homemade Shrimp Cocktail Recipe in 10 Minutes

Homemade shrimp cocktail is an easy appetizer for a get-together. Use a few simple ingredients to make your own sauce.

Fresh shrimp cocktail is something I’ve had at restaurants before as a common appetizer, at least here in the United States. When eating out, though, it can get expensive. Instead, try making this amazing recipe at home.

The ingredients are simple and it only takes a few minutes. You’ll want to give it time to cool before serving. It’s an easy appetizer to make, and you can increase the quantities for a larger get-together. If you do this, you’ll need to use a large bowl to mix the cocktail sauce. Of all the shrimp recipes I’ve made, this is easily the most simple.

If your grocery store doesn’t carry Texas hot sauce in particular, you can use any hot sauce. You could also try it with sriracha sauce or chili sauce for a different flavor. I’ve also seen shrimp cocktail served with lemon wedges or lime wedges.

I like to use jumbo shrimp for this recipe. The large shrimp tend to sit on the edge of the bowl and are easier to grab. You’ll want deveined shrimp, too, so they are ready to eat with your own homemade cocktail sauce.

Traditional shrimp cocktail is served with cooked shrimp. If you choose to get raw shrimp, you’ll need to precook the shrimp before making the shrimp cocktail recipe.

What Type of Shrimp Works Best for Shrimp Cocktail?

Typically, we buy frozen shrimp. Sometimes I get the raw shrimp, other times I get it pre-cooked. The kind of shrimp doesn’t matter as long as you make sure it’s cooked through. For this recipe, I prefer to get raw shrimp and cook it myself. I find it gives me more tender shrimp. The shrimp sizes don’t matter too much, but large shrimp are easier to handle when you are dipping them in the sauce. 

How Should I Prepare the Shrimp?

I like to purchase pre-cooked shrimp from the freezer section. Then it only has to be warmed up. There are many different ways to warm the shrimp including the poaching method, boiling, and sauteeing. For me, the best way is to boil water in a medium pot. Add the shrimp and cook until they are cooked through. The easiest way to know if shrimp is done is if it has a bright orange color. Then move to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. 

What Else Can I Add to the Cocktail Sauce?

If you want to change the flavor of your cocktail sauce, there are many things you could add. I suggest making it as written in the recipe card the first time, then making changes from there. 

• Add cayenne pepper or another dash of hot sauce for a spicy cocktail sauce
• Mix in fresh herbs such as bay leaves, celery salt, old bay seasoning, or onion powder for a zesty homemade cocktail sauce
• Mince some white onions or red onions and add that to your sauce

Shrimp Cocktail Step by Step

Ingredients

• 12 oz cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp horseradish
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp Texas hot sauce

Preparation

Rinse the shrimp in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

In a small bowl, combine all of the other ingredients.

Taste the shrimp cocktail. If it’s too spicy, add 1 tsp of ketchup. If it is not spicy enough, add 1/4 tsp of horseradish and more hot sauce.

Chill for 1 hour before serving in small glasses or a shot glass with the shrimp on the side.

Shrimp Cocktail Leftovers

Storage: Store any leftover shrimp cocktail in an airtight container. I suggest keeping the shrimp separate from the cocktail sauce.

Reheating: The shrimp cocktail is best served cool. You don’t want it to get to room temperature, especially the shrimp.

Freezing: You can freeze the cocktail sauce, but once the shrimp have thawed they shouldn’t be frozen again.

Recipe

Shrimp Cocktail

Homemade shrimp cocktail is an easy appetizer for a get-together. Use a few simple ingredients to make your own sauce.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Course:

Appetizer

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

appetizer

|

ketchup

|

shrimp

|

worcestershire sauce

Dietary Needs:

Dairy-Free

|

Gluten-Free

|

Nut-Free

Meat:

Seafood

Servings: 4

5 from 5 votes

Ingredients

• 12 oz cooked shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp horseradish
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp Texas hot sauce

Recommended Equipment

• Mixing Bowls – Stainless Steel
• Whisk – Wire

Instructions

• Rinse the shrimp in cold water and pat dry with paper towels
• In a small bowl, combine all of the other ingredients
• Taste the shrimp cocktail. If it’s too spicy, add 1 tsp of ketchup. If it is not spicy enough, add 1/4 tsp of horseradish and more hot sauce
• Chill for 1 hour before serving in small glasses or a shot glass with the shrimp on the side

Click the buttons below to share and print this recipe

Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Nutrition Facts

Shrimp Cocktail

Amount Per Serving (3 each)

Calories 124 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 0.1g1%

Trans Fat 0.01g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g

Cholesterol 107mg36%

Sodium 1062mg44%

Potassium 285mg8%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 0.3g1%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 463IU9%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 58mg6%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

More Shrimp Recipes

• Sriracha Shrimp with Ginger Broccoli
• Easy Homemade Shrimp Cocktail
• Shrimp Fried Rice
• Shrimp Scampi with Basil
• Roasted Shrimp with Sriracha Cocktail Sauce
• Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
• Ginger-Lime Shrimp
• Shrimp Boil Foil Wrap
• Seafood Gnocchi Soup
• Pineapple Shrimp Stir Fry
• Shrimp Tacos with Homemade Coleslaw Recipe
• Creamy Shrimp Pasta
• Shrimp and Okra Bowl
• Steak and Shrimp Kabobs
• Summer Basil Chicken and Shrimp Kabobs
• Shrimp Orzo with Lemon
• Shaggy Dog Sushi Roll Recipe
• Crunchy Roll Sushi Recipe