Skip the store-bought bottles and make this easy homemade cocktail sauce recipe (aka seafood sauce). It takes 5 minutes! It's fresh, fast, and adjustable to your tastebuds whether you want it mild or with spicy flavor. Pair it up with chilled shrimp for a classic shrimp cocktail, a go-to appetizer for holidays and get-togethers. You'll never buy cocktail sauce or seafood sauce again.
This is the best shrimp cocktail sauce and so simple to make. Plus there are many uses beyond serving with America's favorite seafood. The sweetness of the ketchup is offset by tart lemon juice and heat of horseradish and tabasco. Make your own cocktail sauce!
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Simple ingredients.
- Make it in a minute.
- You control the ingredients plus fun variations.
For a twist on a classic shrimp cocktail, try these roasted garlic shrimp for a terrific appetizer.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ketchup: the base for my homemade cocktail sauce recipe. Read labels for low or no sugar added and skip brands with poor quality ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and corn syrup. Here's the ketchup I use, available at most markets.
- Horseradish: adds that classic cocktail sauce kick and a little texture. Add a little or a lot. Read the label and buy a prepared horseradish brand without high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Look in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Read labels carefully, its not the same as horseradish sauce.
- Lemon juice: for a lift of bright flavor. Use real fresh lemon juice optimally for best flavor. The bottled stuff has preservatives and lemon oil in it.
- Worcestershire sauce: adds savory umami flavor to cocktail sauce and many other recipes like this awesome beef stew. Look for GF or vegan options if needed and no high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
- Garlic: preferably a fresh garlic clove, but in a pinch garlic powder will do.
- Onion powder: optional. Just a little adds depth of flavor, and powder is easy to have on hand.
- Balsamic vinegar: Not traditional in cocktail sauce but I love the subtle complex flavor it adds.
Please see the recipe card for measurements.
Chef's Tip: Horseradish brands vary in potency, so start with less and add as you go to test the heat, especially if you are heat-sensitive. Build it up for your personal preference. Also, read labels for a clean ingredient brand.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add spices for more a more complex flavor. Try smoked smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, ground clove, ground allspice, and ground chipotle pepper. Clove and allspice are strong, so just a little will do. The chipotle gives this cocktail sauce a kick but also contributes to smoky flavor.
- Make it a spicy cocktail sauce: Add extra horseradish, your favorite hot sauce, or try ground chipotle pepper, or chipotles in adobo sauce. Both add a smoky flavor.
- Tamarind: The sweet-sour flavor of tamarind is great added to sauces and marinades. It takes just a little to lift the flavor of this cocktail sauce. It really adds flavor if you like to try new things. Buy a paste or puree. The tart fruity flavor both sharpens and rounds out flavors.
- Swap chili sauce for the ketchup if you prefer.
- Swap lime juice for lemon juice or use cider vinegar is out of citrus.
How to Make Cocktail Sauce
One garnish tip, before you juice the lemon, zest it for sprinkling on top for the color if you'd like.
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Don't you love one step easy recipes? Adjust the taste with additional horseradish for more kick, additional lemon juice for more tang, or more Tabasco for more heat. See the variations section for other add-ins if you want to play with the basic recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Homemade cocktail sauce is perfect with pre-cooked shrimp for a classic shrimp cocktail appetizer. To serve shrimp, I squeeze fresh lemon juice all over them and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Serve with:
- Almost anywhere you would use plain ketchup.
- With cold shrimp as a dipping sauce for a shrimp cocktail appetizer.
- Smear on a burger or hot dog.
- As a dip with fries and sweet potato fries.
- As a veggie dip.
- Garnish homemade deviled eggs.
- For scrambled eggs and omelets.
- Serve with steamed artichokes along with melted butter.
- Cocktail sauce is a natural with crab cakes and crab legs.
- For dipping with mozzarella sticks.
Leftover sauce? Tomato-based sauces generally freeze fine so try freezing cocktail sauce in an ice cube tray then thawing cubes as needed overnight in the refrigerator.
If you want to serve a second, different sauce alongside of the cocktail sauce, try this Green Goddess Dip, it's another perfect accompaniment to seafood.
Chef's tip: For really fine fresh garlic that melts into a recipe like cocktail sauce, skip chopping with a knife and use a microplane zester. Works like a charm! Be sure to rinse the zester right after with hot water as garlic is sticky.
Recipe FAQs
Both prepared horseradish and horseradish root can work. Prepared horseradish is easier to use as it's "prepared" for you, finely chopped or grated and pickled in vinegar. If it's juicy, drain off the vinegar so as not to add too much liquid to your sauce. If you prefer fresh horseradish root, be aware it's much hotter and spicer than prepared. Peel the root and very finely grate. Start with half as much (or less) and build up to your preferred heat level.
The best way to customize the spice and heat level of cocktail sauce is to start by making a mild sauce and add heat as you go to get the the level you want. Typically recipes use horseradish and hot sauce.
Fresh horseradish is hotter and spicer than prepared horseradish. Another way to add heat is with a hot sauce such as Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce. Another option is to add chipotle powder or chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for more heat and a smoky flavor.
Make homemade cocktail sauce (aka seafood sauce) a day or two ahead to save time and let the flavors blend. Store it in an airtight container for no longer than two weeks. Be sure to label and date the container. It doesn't last as long as the jarred stuff but as it's so easy to make you can make it when needed and it's fresh.
More Related Recipes
For more fresh and easy sauce and dip recipes, try these and be sure to check out the appetizer recipe page and the sauce recipes page.
⭐️Did You Make This?
If you make homemade cocktail sauce, please comment and let me know. I enjoy hearing from you and appreciate your feedback. If you loved it, please give it a 5 star rating. They really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Cocktail Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish less if heat sensitive
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce more or less for your tastebuds, optional
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder optional
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large garlic clove finely zested
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Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together. Taste and adjust seasoning for your preference. See variations below. Cocktail sauce keeps up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Variations
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- Add spices for more a more complex flavor. Try smoked smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, ground clove, a little cinnamon, ground allspice, and ground chipotle pepper. Clove and allspice are strong, so just a little will do. The chipotle gives this cocktail sauce a kick but also contributes to smoky flavor.
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- Make it spicier: Another way to add heat is with your favorite hot sauce.
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- Tamarind: The sweet-sour flavor of tamarind is great added to sauces and marinades. It takes just a little to lift the flavor of this cocktail sauce. It really adds flavor if you like to try new things. Buy a paste or puree. The tart fruity flavor both sharpens and rounds out flavors.
Shut Up & Cook says
I love your site already, but excited to see the new and improved!
Happy 2014!
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
So much better than store-brought and so worth it.