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Shrimp Cocktail is the easiest fancy appetizer there is, with chilled shrimp draped over the rim of little shot glasses filled with zippy homemade cocktail sauce. I serve these at every holiday party, and they vanish before the main course. If you love an elegant make ahead starter, you will want these next to our Maryland crab cakes.
A quick three ingredient cocktail sauce gets a kick from horseradish and lemon, then the shrimp shooters come together in minutes for a no fuss, crowd pleasing appetizer.
Shrimp Cocktail Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 shooters
- ⚡ Calories: 83kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Cool, briny shrimp with a tangy, horseradish spiked sauce
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our shrimp boil
Quick Answer
Stir together ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to make a quick cocktail sauce, then chill it so the flavors meld. Spoon the sauce into small shot glasses and hang a chilled, cooked, peeled shrimp on the rim of each one. Garnish with fresh parsley and a lemon wedge and serve cold. For a platter, simply serve the shrimp around a bowl of the sauce.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Homemade cocktail sauce beats store bought. A few pantry ingredients make a brighter, fresher, more flavorful sauce than the jarred kind, and you control the horseradish heat.
- Shot glasses make it party ready. Serving shrimp cocktail in individual shooters means no double dipping and an elegant, grab and go presentation.
- It is completely make ahead. Both the sauce and the shrimp can be prepped and chilled hours in advance, so there is zero last minute cooking.
- Horseradish and lemon do the heavy lifting. Prepared horseradish brings the signature sinus tingling kick while lemon juice keeps the sauce bright and balanced.
- Cold shrimp is refreshing. Chilled, cooked shrimp is light and clean tasting, the perfect contrast to richer party foods.
- Naturally light and low calorie. At around 80 calories a serving, shrimp cocktail is an appetizer you can feel good about setting out.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It looks impressive but takes 15 minutes and zero cooking if you use pre cooked shrimp.
- The tangy, horseradish spiked cocktail sauce is miles better than anything from a jar.
- It is a naturally light, gluten free, crowd pleasing appetizer, perfect next to our Maryland crab cakes.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes this shrimp cocktail so fresh and flavorful. See the recipe card below for the exact amounts.
- Shrimp: Large cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp with tails on are easiest. Thaw frozen shrimp or poach raw shrimp until just pink.
- Ketchup: The sweet, tomatoey base of classic cocktail sauce.
- Prepared horseradish: This is what gives cocktail sauce its signature kick. Add more or less to taste.
- Lemon juice and Worcestershire: They add brightness and a savory depth that balances the sweetness.
- Salt and pepper: A little of each rounds out the sauce. Fresh parsley and lemon wedges finish the platter.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to make this shrimp cocktail your own.
- Make it spicy with a few dashes of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne in the sauce.
- Serve it as a classic platter with the shrimp arranged around a bowl of sauce instead of in shooters.
- Add a seafood spread with our panko fried shrimp for a hot and cold combo.
- Swap the cocktail sauce for a remoulade or a creamy avocado dipping sauce.
How to Make Shrimp Cocktail
- In a bowl, combine the ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk until smooth, then cover and chill for at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld. Taste and adjust the horseradish to your liking.
- Spoon the cocktail sauce into small shot glasses and hang a chilled shrimp on the rim of each. Garnish with parsley and lemon and serve cold.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use large or jumbo shrimp so they look impressive and hang nicely on the glass rims.
- Chill everything well. Cold shrimp and cold sauce taste cleanest and most refreshing.
- Make the sauce ahead. It only gets better as it sits, so a few hours or overnight in the fridge is ideal.
- Adjust the horseradish to your crowd. Start with less, taste, and add more for extra heat.
- Pat the shrimp dry before serving so they do not water down the sauce.
- Buy shrimp by count, not size words. Look for 16 to 20 count for big shooters, the same shrimp we love for our shrimp boil.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Shrimp cocktail is the ultimate party starter. Set out a tray of the shooters at a holiday gathering, New Year party, or game day spread and watch them disappear.
For a full seafood appetizer table, serve it alongside our Maryland lump crab cakes, panko fried shrimp, and a big shrimp boil so there is something for everyone.
It is also a beautiful light starter before a steak or pasta dinner. Make the sauce and prep the shrimp earlier in the day, then assemble the shooters right before guests arrive for a stress free appetizer.
Shrimp Cocktail FAQs
Large or jumbo cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp with the tails on are best for shrimp cocktail. A 16 to 20 count per pound gives you big, impressive shrimp. You can buy them pre cooked or poach raw shrimp until just pink and chill them.
Stir together ketchup, prepared horseradish, fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Chill it for at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld. Adjust the horseradish up or down depending on how much kick you like.
Yes, it is a great make ahead appetizer. Make the cocktail sauce up to 3 days in advance and keep the cooked shrimp chilled. Assemble the shooters up to a few hours before serving and keep them cold in the fridge.
Store the shrimp and sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Keep the shrimp well chilled and only assemble what you plan to serve so the shrimp do not sit in the sauce too long.
The shrimp need to be cooked but served cold. The easiest route is buying pre cooked shrimp and thawing them. To cook your own, poach peeled shrimp in salted water just until pink and opaque, then plunge them into ice water and chill.
Shrimp cocktail is one of the lighter party appetizers. Shrimp is low in calories and high in protein, and the cocktail sauce adds big flavor with very little fat. Each serving comes in around 80 calories, making it a guilt free starter.
Looking for more easy seafood? Try our New Orleans BBQ shrimp next, then come back and tell us how your shrimp cocktail turned out.
Set out our warm beer cheese with soft pretzels for an easy crowd pleaser.
Shrimp Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 Cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 16 large cocktail shrimp cooked, tail on
- fresh chopped parsley optional garnish
- lemon wedges optional garnish
Instructions
- Combine the ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt in a small bowl and mix until fully combined.1 Cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Spoon the mixture evenly into 8 shot glasses. I use 8 2-ounce glasses, but if you have some a little smaller, that’s fine too. Be sure the sauce sits just under the top of the glass so that when you add the shrimp, it won’t spill over.
- Put two cocktail shrimp on the side of the shot glass (I lightly press the tip of the shrimp into about the middle or close to it, before letting it rest against the glass so it holds in place well).16 large cocktail shrimp
- If desired, top each shot glass with minced fresh parsley, a sprig of parsley, or a lemon wedge.fresh chopped parsley, lemon wedges
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use Jumbo Shrimp: Larger shrimp like jumbo or extra-large shrimp make a better presentation and are easier to handle.
- Cook Your Own Shrimp: For the best shrimp taste, cook fresh shrimp yourself. Boil them in a large pot with Old Bay seasoning and then cool them in an ice bath.
- Make the Sauce Ahead: Prepare your own homemade cocktail sauce in advance to save time on the day of your event.
- Customize the Sauce: Adjust the amount of horseradish or add hot sauce for a spicy cocktail sauce that suits your taste.
- Use Martini Glasses: For a fancy touch, serve the shrimp shooters in martini glasses instead of shot glasses.
- Keep It Cold: Place the assembled shooters on a tray over ice to keep them chilled during your party.
Nutrition
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