Shrimp Cocktail is hands-down my wife's favorite food. Her reaction when she sees me making it is the number one reason why I make it. Pure excitement and joy. Included in this recipe is a quick and easy cocktail sauce.
Looking for more easy shrimp recipes? Try my bang bang shrimp next!
About This Recipe
I don't actually eat shrimp cocktail that often. It's one of those foods that is really popular at restaurants, but I don't really crave it at all. My wife, however, absolutely loves it. Back when I used to work in restaurants, it was one of the appetizers I would prepare a lot.
We used to boil the shrimp in plain salt water, and then it would be stored in a plastic container in our walk-in fridge. The shrimp cocktail sauce was made in a big batch every 2 weeks. The recipe I'm sharing today is very close to how we made it in the restaurants. The only difference is that I have added some extra seasonings, which you can add to the boiling water.
Once you cook the shrimp, it can last in your fridge for up to 3 days. But if you're anything like my wife, it won't even make it out of the dinner table.
Key Ingredients
Shrimp: For the plumpest and bounciest shrimp, I recommend going with large or jumbo shrimp, typically in the 15-25 count range (meaning 15-25 shrimp per pound). However, when I photographed this recipe, I only had size 31-40, so that's what I used. But in general, bigger is better.
Water seasonings: For the simplest recipe, just season the boiling water with salt. If you want to do extra, you can add some Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, and garlic.
Cocktail sauce: This is made with a combination of ketchup, chili sauce (we love Heinz), prepared horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce (I use Tabasco).
Instructions
STEP 1: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and optional seasonings. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
STEP 2: Immediately plunge into an ice bath to cool down.
STEP 3: Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
STEP 4: Drain the shrimp and serve with the sauce!
Quick and Easy Shrimp Cocktail
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
- 1 pound large shrimp (defrosted; peeled and deveined; tails on)
For the cocktail sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup mild chili sauce (I use Heinz)
- 3-4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce (like Tabasco)
Instructions
- Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set it aside.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and any of the optional seasonings (Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, and minced garlic).
- Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Immediately drain and plunge into the bowl of ice water. While they cool down, you can prepare the sauce.
- In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients.
- Drain the shrimp and serve with the sauce. Enjoy!
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