Shrimp cocktail is one of the most request dishes at our Christmas and New Year ’ s Eve parties. Don ’ t miss our other democratic appetizer recipes .
Our tradition every New Year ’ sulfur Eve is to make a huge buffet of appetizers, and every year without fail, my ma makes a big platter of runt cocktail with homemade shrimp cocktail sauce. It ’ s everyone ’ south darling appetizer !
Reading: Easy Shrimp Cocktail
I love prawn in any class it ’ mho cooked and served. I love warm shrimp ( particularly in Gumbo and Pad Thai ), but cold shrimp served with homemade cocktail sauce is what very has my heart ! Did you know shrimp cocktail sauce only has 3 ingredients ? It takes a few seconds to make and it ’ s tastes WAY better than memory bought .
I ’ ve taken for granted the things my ma unwittingly taught me about buying and preparing different types of shrimp, but I ’ m making note of it by sharing all my tips and tricks with you .
Shrimp Buying Guide:
What type of shrimp is best?
Shrimp are sold in all varieties at the grocery store store ( large, medium, little, shell on/off, tail on/off, bracing, frozen, etc. ). We recommend buying large, tail-on shrimp for shrimp cocktail.
When you place cocktail sauce on a large platter and environment it by shrimp, the big shrimp fill the space nicely, look beautiful, and they are easiest for your guests to grab and eat. The blast makes the shrimp peculiarly flavorful and easier to grab and eat. You ’ ll poster nice restaurant serves shrimp this way .
Fresh or Frozen Shrimp?
The shrimp served with your cocktail sauce will be served cold, but thawed and with the tail-on. however, you can purchase fresh or freeze shrimp and pre-cooked or un-cooked shrimp depending on your budget, predilection, and localization .
If you live in an sphere where you can purchase fresh shrimp, obviously that would be the prefer option ( and I ’ meter madly covetous of you ! )
For most of us, we have the choice of freeze runt from the deep-freeze department or fresh shrimp from the seafood rejoinder. The truth is, even at the seafood counter, the runt is not “ fresh. ” It was likely shipped to the store in frozen form and thawed for the display. So it very equitable depends on whether you want the public toilet of dissolve shrimp versus fixed shrimp .
Please eminence : if you buy cook shrimp from the seafood counter, smell it before purchasing. It shouldn ’ t have much of an olfactory property, or may smell slightly piquant. If it has a strong fishy smell it is most likely past its prime .
To thaw frozen shrimp, place the bag in the refrigerator overnight or pour the runt into a bowl and cover it with ice cold water for about an hour. Drain the runt and use newspaper towels to soak up the water .
Cooked vs. Uncooked Shrimp
You have another significant decisiveness to make. Will you purchase precook prawn or raw, uncooked shrimp ? This will depend largely on personal preference. I prefer freeze, pre-cooked shrimp because I like the still of preparing it and, american samoa long as you purchase high quality prawn, I think it tastes merely delicious. If you have a Costco nearby, I always purchase their bombastic, cooked, tail-on prawn from the deep-freeze section .
If you purchase sensitive, uncooked shrimp, you ’ ll motivation to cook and cool it before serving. It ’ s most authoritative that you don ’ thyroxine overcook the shrimp in this procedure. For this rationality, I recommend steaming it .
To cook shrimp, first make certain you have shrimp with the shell on ! This will help insulate the shrimp from the heat. Boil about 5-6 cups of urine and a dash of salt in a toilet. once boil, remove from estrus and pour shrimp into the hot water. Allow the runt to cook for about 3-6 minutes ( be careful not to over-cook it ) .
What do you need to make Shrimp Cocktail Sauce?
There are lone three ingredients needed for delightful and elementary shrimp cocktail sauce ;
- Ketchup. Use your favorite brand.
- Lemon juice. Fresh squeezed lemon juice is best, but bottled will work. Or check out my lemon juice substitutes.
- Prepared horseradish. Horseradish is sold as creamed or prepared (aka “pickled”). We prefer prepared horseradish because it has a stronger flavor that is needed for great cocktail sauce.
Make Shrimp Cocktail in 3 easy steps:
- Combine ingredients. Add ketchup, lemon juice, and prepared horseradish to a bowl and mix well to combine.
- Taste. Adjust to your preference (more horseradish if you want it spicier and more ketchup if you want it mellower).
- Refrigerate. The sauce can be made and refrigerated for several days in advance. I think it tastes best after it’s been refrigerated for at least an hour, so the flavors can blend. Serve cold with shrimp.
Shrimp Cocktail Platter Presentation:
You can make a simple and elegant runt cocktail phonograph record with just 1 lemon and a bit of parsley. Place the cocktail sauce at the plaza of the platter, surround it by cooked shrimp .
Cut the lemon into wedges or slices and tuck them in between pieces of the shrimp near the external of the phonograph record. Break off a few small sprigs of parsley and place them around the platter, tucked under the shrimp. Cover the phonograph record with credit card wrap and refrigerate until quick to serve .
Make-ahead and storing instructions:
Shrimp cocktail sauce can be made respective days in advance. Cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use .
Shrimp cocktail should be kept cover and in the refrigerator when not in manipulation .
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recipe
4.62
from
13
votes
Shrimp Cocktail Sauce
Everything you need to know to make easy SHRIMP COCKTAIL including a 3-ingredient homemade shrimp cocktail sauce and tips for buying and preparing shrimp.
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generatorLauren Allen
Course
Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine
American
Servings
6
Calories
45
Prep
5
mins
Total
5
mins
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Ingredients
-
▢
1 cup catsup
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▢
1
Read more: Balut: The Fertilized Duck Egg Street Snack
teaspoon lemon juice
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1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
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1 ½ pound bombastic, cooked, tail-on shrimp* , rinsed with cold water
Instructions
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Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix well to combine.
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Taste and adjust to your preference (more horseradish if you want it spicier and more ketchup if you want it mellower).
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The sauce can be made and refrigerated for several days in advance. Serve cold with shrimp.
Notes
Shrimp: There are about 16-20 large shrimp in one sudanese pound, and I recommend buying about 1 ½ pound. You can double the recipe to serve a larger crowd .
If you buy shrimp from the seafood counterpunch be sure to smell it before purchasing ! It should n’t have much of an order, or may smell slightly piquant. If it has a strong fishy smell it is most probable by its prime .
Make-ahead and storing instructions:
Shrimp cocktail sauce can be made up to one week in progress. Cover it tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. memory leftover prawn and sauce in the electric refrigerator .
Nutrition
Calories:
45
kcal
Carbohydrates:
10
g
Sodium:
366
mg
Potassium:
126
mg
Sugar:
8
g
Vitamin A:
205
IU
Vitamin C:
2.1
mg
Calcium:
6
mg
Iron:
0.2
mg
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*I primitively shared this recipe December 2015. Updated October 2019 with new photos and improved instructions.