Some recipes for shrimp cocktail can be complex but it turns out that figuring out how to make shrimp cocktail was surprisingly easy. There’s no need for fancy ingredients to be boiled into the water and my method also results in zero stress about getting the shrimp cooked just perfectly.
What You’ll Need
For this classic recipe, I went back to the basics. The only ingredients in what I consider to be necessary are lemon, salt, and, of course, cocktail sauce for serving.
- Water – A large pot of hot water will essentially serve as our poaching method. The shrimp don’t need to cook long, just long enough to turn pink and absorb that lemon flavor.
- Lemon – Lemon wedges will be boiled in the water to help give the shrimp some flavor. You can also serve your it with extra lemon wedges or lemon slices. Some people like to squeeze lemon juice on the shrimp, too.
- Salt – I always use kosher salt for this recipe. It gets added while the water is boiling to help create tender shrimp.
- Jumbo shrimp – You’ll want tail-on, deveined shrimp. Of course, you can peel and devein on your own, but you can find it frozen at the grocery store. When you’re planning how much to buy, consider the event — if it is a sit-down meal with large or extra large shrimp, account for 4-5 per person. If you are hosting a party and it is buffet style, 2-3 ounces per person should be good.
- Homemade cocktail sauce – You can either make your own cocktail sauce, or just buy some at the store. I like making my own so that I can control the heat with the amount of horseradish I use, but it’s just personal preference.
Variations
There are a few ways you can make this shrimp cocktail your own.
- Seasonings – If you want to step up the flavor, try sprinkling some celery salt, or my favorite secret ingredient, Old Bay seasoning!
- Chop it up – You can chop up the shrimp and turn it into more of a salad. Add in red onion, creamy avocado, and fresh lime juice, and give it a toss.
- Mexican shrimp cocktail recipe – With a blend of tomato juice, avocado, and seasonings, try my Mexican shrimp cocktail!
- Citrus – Add a little extra fresh lemon juice or lemon zest to the cooking water.
How to Make Shrimp Cocktail
You are going to love how easy it is to make this juicy shrimp cocktail.
- Boil lemon and water. Bring water and lemon to a rolling boil in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add salt. Add salt and boil a little longer.
- Boil shrimp. Add the raw shrimp and remove from heat.
- Allow the shrimp to turn pink. You’ll know when they’re done because cooked shrimp turn pink and the tails curl.
- Drain and cool. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. You can transfer to an ice bath to speed this process along.
- Refrigerate. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp from the pot and refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve with a large bowl of cocktail sauce and garnish with parsley or fresh cilantro if desired.
How to Serve Shrimp Cocktail
There are plenty of ways to serve these perfectly cooked shrimp! I like to serve them with classic cocktail sauce but you can also dip them in melted clarified butter or our famous bloves seafood sauce. You can dress up a store-bought cocktail sauce by adding hot sauce or Worcestershire Sauce, or make your own.
My favorite way to serve them is with some saltine crackers or even tortilla chips. Serve them on a shrimp cocktail platter with sauce and you’ve got an easy, winning dish.
Common Questions About Shrimp Cocktail
Shrimp cocktail is a simple dish that features boiled shrimp and cocktail sauce. The cocktail sauce usually consists of ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings.
While shrimp cocktail is often served chilled, the shrimp are cooked.
While the term “healthy” means different things to different people, shrimp cocktail does pack a punch of protein and incorporates very little fat or carbohydrates.
Storage
When not serving shrimp cocktail, it should be kept in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
Make Ahead
You can make shrimp cocktail ahead of time by cooking and chilling the shrimp, and preparing the cocktail sauce separately. Keep the components refrigerated, and assemble the dish just before serving for the freshest taste and texture.
Refrigerator
You can store this shrimp dish in the refrigerator for three to four days. Make sure it is in an airtight container.
Freezer
If the shrimp was previously frozen it should not be frozen a second time. Cocktail sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.
More Easy Shrimp Recipes
Searching for more succulent recipes that use shrimp? You came to the right place!
How To Make Shrimp Cocktail
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 quarts water
- 1 lemon , cut into quarters
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 2 pounds large or jumbo shrimp
- Homemade Cocktail Sauce
Instructions
- Bring the water and lemon to a rolling boil in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the salt, boil for 1 more minute, allowing it to dissolve.
- Add the shrimp and remove from the heat.
- Stir the shrimp until they turn pink and curl.
- Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve with Classic Cocktail Sauce.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
Can I use lemon juice instead of fresh lemons?
You sure can! Bottled is just a little more muted.
Do I need to peel the shrimp before I boil it?
Nope! Peel them after boiling.
Should I use raw or cooked shrimp for this recipe?
Raw shrimp. It cooks when you boil it.
You can do either, but it’s a lot easier to peel them after you cook then. Don’t forget to devein them, that black line down the spine of the shrimp. It’s actually shrimp poop, so you want to peel that out and rinse in cold water.
First time for actually cooking the shrimp first myself for a cocktail…turned out fab! Then I used your recipe for the sauce, and it was fab….added that extra something to my usual. Thanks so much!
Yay! So glad to hear that and that you had the confidence to make them.
Sorry for the silly question–but do the calories include the sauce or are they for just the shrimp?
No silly questions! This only includes the shrimp.
That cocktail sauce is totally calling out to me!
I have always loved shrimp cocktail! This looks excellent and delicious!
This looks wonderful. I’ve had this at parties but have never made it at home. Glad to know it’s so easy.
Lovely photos! I’ve never thought about making shrimp cocktail myself – I always buy it premade at the store – simply because I am intimidated to cook raw shrimp. I’ll have to try out your advice!
What an easy recipe! Shrimp is my favorite but must say I don’t use it to make appetizers much! Gotta change that 🙂