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    Home » Recipes » Dips and Sauces

    Homemade Shrimp Cocktail Sauce (So Easy!)

    By Lily・Published: Nov 16, 2022・Updated: Jun 6, 2023・Post may have affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Homemade shrimp cocktail sauce is so easy and takes only 5 minutes to whip up. It's made with ketchup, prepared horseradish, diced celery, crushed garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce (optional), and tabasco sauce (optional). Serve alongside some prawn cocktail, steamed shrimp, or lobster tails.

    perfectly cooked steamed shrimp.

    This homemade cocktail sauce recipe only covers the cocktail sauce. If you'd like a recipe with shrimp and cocktail sauce, try this steamed shrimp cocktail recipe.

    What You Will Love

    This is the best cocktail sauce recipe because it's tangy, spicy, and has a little bit of crunch with the diced celery. Once you try this tangy cocktail sauce, you will think store-bought cocktail sauce is "meh", not to mention you are dodging the high fructose corn syrup.

    This easy shrimp cocktail sauce will take your shrimp cocktail appetizer to a whole new level because it's customizable. Not enough horseradish or wanting to add some heat, no problem! It's easy to make your own cocktail sauce from scratch, so give this delicious dip a try.

    Ingredient Notes

    ingredients to make homemade shrimp cocktail sauce.
    • Ketchup: Use any type of ketchup available. Substitute Heinz chili sauce for ketchup.
    • Prepared horseradish: Prepared horseradish is the horseradish you buy at the grocery store that's in a jar (it might be found in the fridge section). Fresh horseradish is a root found in the produce section of the grocery store. Don't use fresh horseradish; buy prepared horseradish in a jar.
    • Crushed garlic: Use fresh garlic cloves. Mash the garlic using a mortar and pestle or press the garlic using a garlic press.
    • Celery: Finely dice fresh celery. This adds a little flavor and crunch to the shrimp cocktail sauce.
    • Lemon: Use fresh lemon juice.
    • Worcestershire sauce (optional): This unique flavor adds another dimension to the shrimp cocktail sauce. It's optional, so if you don't have any on hand, you can omit it.
    • Tabasco sauce or hot sauce (optional): For some spicy kick, add hot sauce.

    See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.

    Quick Overview

    step-by-step overview of how to make homemade shrimp cocktail sauce.

    Dice the celery, crush the garlic, and squeeze the lemon. Add all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and stir.

    How To Make Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

    finely mincing the celery.

    Finely dice the celery. Crush the garlic using a garlic press or mortar and pestle. Squeeze the lemon juice to remove the seeds.

    ketchup, garlic, diced celery, horseradish, and tabasco sauce in a bowl.

    Combine ketchup, crushed garlic, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and tabasco sauce in a small bowl.

    mixing the homemade shrimp cocktail sauce with a spoon.

    Mix the shrimp cocktail sauce.

    ketchup shrimp cocktail sauce.

    Taste the cocktail sauce. Add more horseradish if desired.

    Serve with large shrimp and fresh lemon wedges.

    shrimp being dipped in shrimp cocktail sauce.

    Tips and Tricks

    • For a classic shrimp cocktail, serve this classic cocktail sauce with steamed shrimp cocktail.
    • Taste the cocktail sauce and adjust the amount of horseradish sauce to your personal preference. You might like additional horseradish.
    • Steam shrimp (or prawns) using a steamer! Shrimp cooks quickly, so a delicate steam ensures that it's not rubbery or overcooked.
    • Try this seafood cocktail sauce with your favorite seafood: prawns, shrimp, lobster, or crab. Serve with slices of lemon.

    Variations and Substitutions

    • Substitute equal parts chili sauce for ketchup.
    • Omit the tabasco hot sauce or Worcestershire sauce if desired.
    • Use lime juice in place of lemon juice.
    homemade cocktail sauce with steamed shrimp.

    Storage

    Store the homemade cocktail sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.

    FAQs

    What's the difference between Heinz chili sauce and ketchup?

    Heinz chili sauce is basically amped-up ketchup. You can substitute chili sauce for ketchup.

    What is shrimp cocktail sauce made of?

    Shrimp cocktail sauce has ketchup, lemon juice, prepared horseradish, and garlic.

    What sauces are good with shrimp?

    Homemade cocktail sauce and garlic butter sauce are great with shrimp.

    Quick & Easy Appetizers

    • steamed shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce.
      Perfectly Steamed Shrimp Cocktail
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      Homemade Fried Pita Chips With Sea Salt
    • easy olive tapenade in a bowl
      Easy Mediterranean Olive Tapenade (Vegan - No Anchovies)
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      Labneh With Za'atar and Olive Oil

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    📋 Recipe

    homemade shrimp cocktail sauce.

    Homemade Shrimp Cocktail Sauce

    Author: Lily
    Course: Appetizer, party food
    Cuisine: American
    Prep: 5 minutes mins
    Cook: 0 minutes mins
    Total: 5 minutes mins
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate Email
    Servings 6
    This 5 minute easy homemade cocktail sauce is made with ketchup, horseradish, crushed garlic, lemon, and diced celery.

    Ingredients
     
    US Customary - Metric

    • ½ cup ketchup
    • ½ tablespoon prepared horseradish or more depending on preference
    • 1 garlic clove crushed or mashed
    • ½ lemon squeezed
    • 2 tablespoon finely diced celery
    • 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce optional
    • ½ tablespoon worcestershire sauce optional

    Instructions

    • Finely dice the celery. Crush the garlic using a garlic press or mortar and pestle. Squeeze the lemon using a lemon juicer.
      finely mincing the celery.
    • Add the ketchup, diced celery, lemon juice, crushed garlic, prepared horseradish, worcestershire sauce (if using), and tabasco sauce (if using). Mix well.
      ketchup, garlic, diced celery, horseradish, and tabasco sauce in a bowl.
    • Serve the homemade cocktail sauce with chilled steamed shrimp.
      shrimp cocktail sauce in a bowl with steamed shrimp all around.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 6ounces | Calories: 23kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.03g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.2mg

    More Homemade Dips and Sauces

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      Garlic Guacamole With Tomatoes
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      Homemade Garlic Butter Sauce
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      Meat Lasagna Tomato Sauce (From Scratch!)
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      Creamy White Béchamel Sauce

    About Lily

    Howdy! My name Lilian, but my friends call me Lily. I'm the founder and one of the recipe authors here at The Matbakh. I enjoy sunsets, long walks to the fridge, meaningful relationships, and anything related to food. I'm so happy you are here!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Chez

      January 02, 2023 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      Easy sauce with nice crunch in the celery

      Reply
      • Lily

        January 03, 2023 at 4:23 pm

        Thanks Chez!

        Reply

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    lily at the matbakh

    I'm Lily

    I'm an American Lebanese living in Texas. My kitchen, or matbakh, is a hodgepodge of recipes from the U.S. and Mediterranean region.

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