If you ever wanted to learn how to make a shrimp cocktail sauce with steamed shrimp, you're in the right place and mom's recipe is so much better than a store-bought shrimp ring..
This appetizer for shrimp cocktail is a must every night on a cruise ship for my husband and I, we just love this appetizer and the sauce is marvelous.
Served before dinner with even a few more assorted appetizers, we can really make this a whole meal by itself.
This appetizer is the most asked for on holidays especially Christmas Eve as part of the 7 Fishes in our family, however, is typically served in warmer weather seasons since it's a perfect light appetizer in the summer.
If you wanted an easy recipe, look no further, this is the easiest shrimp cocktail recipe on the planet and if you would prefer another sauce try our recipes for over 14 kinds of dipping sauces!
Scroll down to get this easily printable recipe with step-by-step instructions.
Homemade Shrimp Cocktail
This sauce is versatile, so you really can use it with any seafood, so don't worry if you have leftover cocktail sauce.
A Shrimp Cocktail is an appetizer with large cooked shrimp or prawns served with our homemade cocktail dipping sauce that has just the right spice and flavors and is garnished with some fresh lemon it certainly is a memorable starter when serving guests if you're hosting a dinner party.
Seriously, the presentation just using a few cocktail glasses lined with lettuce or frilly parsley will impress anyone you serve this to.
I just love being served shrimp cocktail with all the garnishes it's so easy to assemble and looks like it came from a 5-star restaurant.
Easy shrimp cocktail with step-by-step instructions in minutes, ditch the supermarket rings, this is superior over those.
Other Substitutions
- smoked salmon
- lobster in small bites
- haddock baked in butter cut into small pieces
- steamed crab legs
- sauteed scallops wrapped in bacon
- Chilean sea bass cubes sauteed in butter
Tips
- use any kind of shellfish you prefer cooked
- shrimp is cooked when it turns pink, ( most seafood cooks very quickly)
- do not overcook seafood
- freshly minced garlic adds a nice flavors
- add chopped parsley to the top of the dill for garnish
- shrimp can be put on skewers for large parties ad cocktail sauce in a serving bowl
- tails are usually left on for presentation and are easier to handle, but you can remove them
- clean the shrimp with a shrimp knife to remove the black vein in the middle
- If you prefer to bake these instead of steaming the shrimp:
- Bake at 450 degrees extra-large shrimp for 8 to 10 minutes (16-20 counts per pound), large shrimp for 6 to 8 minutes (18-25 count per pound)
More Recipes We Love
Italian Christmas Eve Seafood Recipes
Best Fried Fish Recipe Coatings
Stuffed Flounder with Shrimp and Crab
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Shrimp Lovers
This light seafood appetizer is great for snacking on, brunch, or just a light lunch.
We love this cocktail sauce on Rock Shrimp, Tiger Shrimp, Red Shrimp, and so many other seafood so this is a very versatile seafood sauce.
Let us know how you like our version of this recipe mom made this special for guests and holidays and now I make it often.
Mom's Style Shrimp Cocktail
Yield: 8
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 15 Min
Easy steamed cocktail large pink shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce. An easy appetizer that every seafood lover will adore before a great meal.
Ingredients
- Shrimp Preparation:
- 1 lemon, halved then quartered
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch of salt and black pepper
- Optional: 1/2 cayenne pepper
- 24 (2 pounds) extra-large raw cleaned or large shrimp cleaned and deveined with tail-on or off depending on your preference
- Cocktail sauce:
- 1/2 cup chili sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
- 1/2 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian Parsley chopped
- For garnish
- Lettuce leaves
- lemon wedges
- ice cubes
- parsley leaves
Instructions
- Clean shrimp removing the black vein in the back and leaving tails on or off for presentation it's your preference.
- Two Cooking Methods:
- Steam the shrimp in a heavy-duty saucepan with a steam basket
- Immediately drain and pour shrimp over an ice-filled strainer leaving just the ice to cool the shrimp.
- Remove the ice from the strainer just before assembly and place the shrimp in a bowl, toss with salt, garlic powder, black pepper and drizzle with fresh lemon (around 2 tablespoons)
- Pan Fry Method: saute shrimp in a small fry pan with 3 tablespoons olive oil adding all seasonings with the shrimp with garlic, salt, pepper till pink around 4 to 6 minutes. Set aside to cool then assemble the shrimp on ice with instructions below.
- While the shrimp is cooling make the cocktail sauce.
- Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until well blended.
- Assembly:
- Note: this can be done for individual servings or in a large bowl the same way as below.
- Line a small dessert bowl, martini glass, or any clear bowl with parsley, dill or lettuce.
- Add ice cubes to the bottom of the glass and cover with some lettuce or another green to hide the ice
- Line shrimp around the edge of the glass add lemon wedges or serve the lemon separately in a dish.
- This is for presentation and serving guests, so it's totally optional.
- Pour cocktail sauce on top of the lettuce, or place a small round container filled with cocktail sauce in the center (of the shrimp hanging off the side of the glass).
- Garnish with lemon, dill, or parsley.
Notes
Tips
- use any kind of shellfish you prefer cooked
- shrimp is cooked when it turns pink, ( most seafood cooks very quickly)
- do not overcook seafood
- freshly minced garlic adds a nice flavors
- add chopped parsley to the top of the dill for garnish
- shrimp can be put on skewers for large parties ad cocktail sauce in a serving bowl
- tails are usually left on for presentation, but you can remove them
- clean the shrimp with a shrimp knife to remove the black vein in the middle
- If you prefer to bake these instead of steaming the shrimp:
- Bake at 450 degrees extra-large shrimp for 8 to 10 minutes (16-20 counts per pound), large shrimp for 6 to 8 minutes (18-25 count per pound)
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Other Seafood Recipes to Try:
Seafood Lemon Scampi
Seafood Medley
