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Shrimp Cocktail is the appetizer that looks fancy but takes almost no effort, with plump, perfectly poached shrimp and a zippy cocktail sauce. I make a big platter every New Year’s Eve and the girls hover over it before the clock even strikes nine. The secret is a flavorful poaching liquid, just like the one we use for a shrimp boil.
Poaching the shrimp in seasoned wine and aromatics instead of plain water is what makes them taste restaurant-good.
Shrimp Cocktail Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 35 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 45 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 130kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, briny shrimp with a tangy, zesty cocktail sauce
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a no-stress appetizer like our shrimp cocktail shooters
Quick Answer
Simmer a flavorful poaching liquid of white wine, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, Old Bay, and spices for about 30 minutes, then add peeled shrimp and cook just until they turn bright white and float, up to 5 minutes. Strain, discard the vegetables, and chill the shrimp. Serve them cold around a bowl of cocktail sauce with lemon wedges. Poaching in seasoned liquid instead of plain water is the secret to the best flavor.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Poached in seasoned liquid. Cooking the shrimp in wine, aromatics, and Old Bay instead of plain water seasons them all the way through.
- Gentle simmer, not a hard boil. A low simmer cooks the shrimp evenly so they stay tender and snappy instead of tough.
- Shrimp cook in minutes. Adding the shrimp at the very end means they cook just until opaque, never rubbery.
- Tails on for serving. Leaving the tails on gives everyone a built-in handle for easy dipping.
- Chill for the classic bite. A quick chill firms up the shrimp for that cold, refreshing shrimp cocktail everyone expects.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It comes together in well under an hour and can be made ahead.
- It is an impressive, party-ready appetizer with almost no hands-on work.
- It is the easiest crowd-pleasing appetizer, right up there with our shrimp cocktail shooters for a party.
Key Ingredients
A handful of pantry aromatics turns plain shrimp into a flavorful, party-worthy appetizer. Here is what you will need.
- Large Shrimp: Peeled and deveined with tails on, 16 to 20 count, for a meaty, dippable bite.
- White Wine and Aromatics: Onion, carrot, celery, and garlic build a flavorful poaching liquid.
- Old Bay Seasoning: The classic seafood seasoning that flavors the shrimp from the inside out.
- Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Black Pepper: Round out the poaching liquid with extra savory depth.
- Cocktail Sauce and Lemon: For serving; tangy sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon finish it off.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Easy ways to make this shrimp cocktail your own.
- Make it spicy: stir extra hot sauce or horseradish into the cocktail sauce, or add a pinch of cayenne to the poaching liquid.
- Grilled version: skip the poach and quickly grill the shrimp for a smoky twist, the way we do with our shrimp boil flavors.
- Make your own sauce: stir together ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and hot sauce for a homemade cocktail sauce.
- Boil instead: use the same seasonings for a quick stovetop shrimp boil and serve warm.
- Citrus poach: add a halved lemon or orange to the poaching liquid for a brighter flavor.
How to Make Shrimp Cocktail
- In a large pot, combine the white wine, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, Old Bay, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
- Add water until it is about three-quarters of the way up the pot, stir, and bring to a boil uncovered.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to build a flavorful poaching liquid.
- Add the shrimp and stir them in. Cook just until they turn bright white and float to the top, up to 5 minutes.
- Strain the mixture and discard the vegetables. Serve the shrimp warm, or chill in the fridge and serve cold with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not overcook the shrimp. They are done the second they turn opaque and curl into a loose C, usually under 5 minutes; an overcooked shrimp gets rubbery fast.
- Buy the right size. Large 16 to 20 count shrimp hold up best and look impressive on a platter.
- Leave the tails on. They make the perfect handle for dipping and look prettier on the platter.
- Chill fast. For cold shrimp cocktail in a hurry, plunge the cooked shrimp into an ice bath to stop the cooking and chill them quickly.
- Make it ahead. Poach and chill the shrimp up to a day in advance and keep them covered in the fridge until serving.
- Save the flavor. A splash of the poaching liquid keeps make-ahead shrimp from drying out.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Pile the chilled shrimp around a bowl of cocktail sauce on a big platter with lemon wedges, and watch it disappear at any party or holiday gathering.
Round out a seafood spread with our crispy panko fried shrimp, Maryland lump crab cakes, or a big shrimp boil.
Leftover shrimp are great chopped into a salad, tucked into tacos, or piled on toast the next day. Save any extra cocktail sauce for our salmon patties too.
Shrimp Cocktail FAQs
Yes, it is the perfect make-ahead appetizer. Poach and chill the shrimp up to a day in advance, then arrange them on a platter with cocktail sauce just before serving.
It is traditionally served cold, which is why it is such a great make-ahead. That said, the shrimp are delicious warm right out of the poaching liquid too.
They are done the moment they turn opaque and bright white, curl into a loose C shape, and float to the top, usually in under 5 minutes. Pull them right away to avoid rubbery shrimp.
Absolutely, and frozen shrimp are often fresher than the thawed shrimp at the seafood counter since they are flash-frozen at their peak. Just thaw them completely in the fridge overnight or under cold running water, then pat them dry before poaching so they cook evenly.
A classic mix of ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and a dash of hot sauce is hard to beat. Start with a quarter cup of horseradish to a cup of ketchup and adjust to your heat preference. Make it a few hours ahead so the flavors meld, and store-bought works great in a pinch when you are short on time.
Cooked shrimp keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep them well chilled and serve over ice for parties.
Hosting a party? Turn these into individual shrimp cocktail shooters for an easy passed appetizer.
For an easy weeknight seafood dinner, fry up a batch of our salmon burgers.
Classic Shrimp Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 small white onion peeled and cut into 4ths
- 3 medium carrots cleaned and cut into large chunks
- 2 celery stalks cut into large chunks
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 Tablespoons old bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 pounds large shrimp (16-20 count) peeled, deveined, tails on
- Cocktail sauce for serving
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the wine, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, old bay, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.1 cup dry white wine, 1 small white onion, 3 medium carrots cleaned and cut into large chunks, 2 celery stalks, 4 cloves garlic smashed, 2 Tablespoons old bay seasoning, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add water until it is 3/4 of the way up the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, uncovered.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Add the jumbo shrimp and stir them into the pot. These shrimp cook in just a couple minutes. You know they are fully cooked when they rise to the top of the water and are a bright white color on the inside, up to 5 minutes.3 pounds large shrimp (16-20 count)
- Strain the mixture and discard the veggies.
- Serve warm or place in the fridge until cold. Serve with lemon wedges and your favorite dipping sauces like cocktail sauce or aioli.Cocktail sauce for serving, Lemon wedges for serving
Notes
- Use your favorite dry white wine for this recipe.
- This can be doubled to serve more people.
- You can use store-bought cocktail sauce or use the recipe linked above.
- We like to use fresh shrimp, see above on our favorite options.
- This is great served with lemon wedges and some lemon juice squeezed over the shrimp.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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OMG yum! These look amazing! Pinning, and thanks for sharing at my link party!
Looks like the perfect appetizer for my New Year’s Day party! Thanks! Pinned! Visiting from My Favorite Posts Show Off Weekend…..
This Louisiana girl can appreciate this. Thanks for sharing. Visiting from #LOBS.
Hi Dana! I’m stopping in from Let’s Get Real today. My family has shrimp cocktail every Christmas Eve, but we are so boring. We just have plain shrimp. Your druken shrimp is sure to wake up our party this year. It is also a great conversation starter.
I love how you stepped up shrimp cocktail… sounds really delicious.
WoW and YuMmY! This is what I am talking about 🙂 Looks delicious and perfect for all your holiday parties. Thank you for linking up to Moonlight and Mason Jars!
I see MANY drunken shrimp in my future
Oh, I love the flavours in this shrimp cocktail. Thanks for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
What a neat snack for a holiday party!
Thanks for joining the Link Up this week!
These shrimp look amazing Dana! We just had plain ole shrimp cocktail for Thanksgiving and some scampi the other night. I guess shrimp is on the menu again this week 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe!
Maria