This easy shrimp cocktail recipe is made with seasoned, juicy baked shrimp with a homemade cocktail sauce for dipping. It’s a well-loved restaurant quality appetizer!
Shrimp Cocktail
Shrimp cocktail is a timeless classic and a holiday party appetizer recipe essential. With its easy preparation time of under an hour, it effortlessly adds a touch of sophistication to any gathering.
I love the extra flavor in this easy shrimp cocktail recipe that we get by roasting the shrimp for a few minutes. I love to serve it in a cocktail glass with lemon wedges for a touch restaurant quality class.
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- For the cocktail sauce: We’re using a combination of ketchup and mild chili sauce for sweetness and tang, prepared horseradish for a kick, lemon juice for a hint of citrus, Worcestershire sauce for depth of flavor and that wonderful umami note, and a dash of hot sauce for extra spice!
- Shrimp: Large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined. Leave the tails on for serving. If frozen, thaw them first. Olive oil, salt, and pepper, are all you’ll need for seasoning.
- For serving: Lemon wedges. Make sure to wash the outside of your lemons before slicing them into wedges.
How to Make Easy Shrimp Cocktail from Scratch
Peel and devein each piece, if they’re not already. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. On a large baking sheet, toss shrimp in oil, salt, and pepper until well coated and arrange them in a single layer.
Bake 6-7 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through, no longer grey and translucent Immediately remove them from oven and transfer to a plate to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
In a small bowl, combine the cocktail sauce for shrimp and mix to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. This is a great make-ahead recipe as it can be kept in the fridge overnight. It’s even better the next day!
When you’re ready to serve your easy shrimp cocktail, place the sauce in a cocktail (or other clear) glass and place the shrimp in a ring hanging overtop the rim. Serve with wedges of lemon and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Avoid overcooking. Tough, rubbery shrimp won’t be pleasant to eat.
- Instead of baking. You can use a faster pan-sear method or the more popular poaching method to cook your shrimp.
- Remove the heads. Or better yet, buy them headless. If kept on, they tend to become mushy.
- If you’re using extra large shrimp, increase the baking time to 8-10 minutes, and jumbo to 10-11 minutes.
- Mexican shrimp cocktail: Instead of the cocktail sauce, use red onion, cucumber, avocados, tomatoes, clamato juice, cilantro, and fresh lime juice. You’ll also add garlic, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning. It’s amazing!
Storing
- Cocktail sauce: I wouldn’t store any sauce that’s been dipped into, but you can certainly put some of the cocktail sauce aside in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Leftover shrimp can last up to 4 days in the fridge. This would be a great time to use leftovers for bang bang shrimp tacos!
Other easy shrimp recipes we love include shrimp ceviche, bang bang shrimp or shrimp fajitas.
More Shrimp Recipes
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Easy Shrimp Cocktail Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Cocktail Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup mild chili sauce (I like Heinz)
- 2-3 Tablespoons prepared horseradish , or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Dash hot sauce , plus more to taste
Baked Shrimp
- 1 pound large raw shrimp , peeled and deveined with tail-on, thawed
- 1 ½ Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For serving: Lemon wedges
Instructions
Cocktail Sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup chili sauce, 2-3 Tablespoons horseradish, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and a dash of hot sauce until smooth and combined.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.
Shrimp
- Preheat the oven to 450℉. Rinse 1 pound shrimp under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- On a large baking sheet, toss shrimp with 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until well coated. Arrange shrimp in a single layer.
- Bake 6 to 7 min, or until shrimp turn pink and are just cooked through. Immediately transfer to a plate to stop cooking. Let cool.
- Cover shrimp with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Serve shrimp chilled with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Appetizers, Christmas, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Mini appetizers, Nut-Free, Thanksgiving
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Simple but delicious! The horseradish flavor in store bought cocktail sauce can be overpowering, so I loved that I could add as much as we liked.
This is bursting with flavor!! It’s great for any occasion & such a crowd-pleasing appetizer! This will be made on repeat, especially during the holidays!
Turned out well. Perfectly cooked based on size and time indicated. I love serving shrimp cocktail when hosting family or friends…it feels elegant but is so easy