You can make a delicious shrimp cocktail at home by following these steps: making your own cocktail sauce and cooking the shrimp so they are soft, juicy, and tasty.
I’ve had some amazing shrimp cocktails in my day. They’ve usually been served as appetizers at steakhouses. Cold and tender shrimp. Sweet and spicy sauce. So good. But when we make shrimp cocktail at home, it’s simple to buy some already cooked shrimp (maybe in a ring shape) and a jar of cocktail sauce. Then we just put it out for everyone to eat. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s tasty and easy.
To make the best shrimp cocktail, like the ones served at steakhouses, you need to do a few extra things. Not much more, mind you. Homemade shrimp cocktail is still surprisingly simple to do. Read everything you need to know by scrolling down, or click here to go straight to the recipe.
Shrimp cocktail is a classic appetizer that you’ve likely enjoyed at restaurants and parties. But did you know you can easily make restaurant-quality shrimp cocktail at home? The secret is in how you prepare the shrimp.
When making shrimp cocktail, it’s important to cook the shrimp properly so they are tender and juicy. Unlike grilled shrimp or shrimp scampi, shrimp for cocktail need a gentle cooking method. The goal is to achieve opaque, pink shrimp that retain their shape without overcooking.
In this detailed guide, I’ll explain how to cook shrimp for the perfect shrimp cocktail, share my favorite homemade cocktail sauce recipe, provide tips for prep and storage, and more By the end, you’ll be a shrimp cocktail expert!
How to Cook Shrimp for Cocktail
Cocktail shrimp must be fully cooked, but you don’t want to boil, grill or sauté them aggressively That leads to tough, rubbery shrimp The best cooking method is to poach the raw, peeled shrimp gently in salted water or a flavorful poaching liquid.
Here are two easy methods:
Stovetop Poaching
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Fill a saucepan halfway with water and add salt. You can also add lemon, peppercorns, parsley or other aromatics.
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Bring to a rapid boil over high heat.
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Once boiling, immediately remove from heat and let the water stop boiling.
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Add the raw shrimp and stir.
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Cover and let sit off heat for 4-5 minutes until opaque.
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Drain and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking.
Sous Vide Poaching
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Fill a sous vide cooker or instant pot with water and salt.
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Set temperature to 135°F to 140°F.
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Add raw shrimp and cook for 15-20 minutes.
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Shock in ice bath.
Both methods gently cook the shrimp to perfection. The lower temperature poaching ensures tender, juicy texture without overcooking.
Pick the Right Shrimp
For cocktail, you want large shrimp size 16/20 or 21/25 count per pound. Larger shrimp make for an elegant presentation. Buy shell-on or peeled, deveined shrimp. If peeled, leave the tails on.
You can use frozen or thawed shrimp. If frozen, add a few more minutes to the poaching time.
Wild-caught shrimp have the best flavor, but farm-raised shrimp will work too. Just avoid pre-cooked shrimp, which get rubbery when re-heated.
Make Your Own Cocktail Sauce
A from-scratch cocktail sauce takes shrimp cocktail to the next level. It’s simple to make with ketchup, horseradish and spices.
In a bowl, whisk together:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- Hot sauce to taste
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Adjust ingredients to suit your tastes. Add more horseradish for extra kick or a dash of chili sauce for heat.
Chill the sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving for best flavor.
Handy Serving Tips
Part of the appeal of shrimp cocktail is the presentation. Here are serving ideas:
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Chill martini or wine glasses and add sauce to each. Hang cooked shrimp over the rim.
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Fill a glass or acrylic shrimp cocktail server with crushed ice. Arrange shrimp attractively.
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For parties, pile shrimp artistically on a bed of ice on a platter.
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Spear each shrimp with a cocktail fork for passed appetizers.
No matter how you serve it, keep peeled shrimp chilled on ice until ready to serve.
Storage and Leftovers
Store cooked shrimp cocktail shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for up to 2 days. The cocktail sauce will last 5 days chilled.
For longer storage, freeze the cooked shrimp up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Leftover shrimp also make great additions to salads, tacos, pasta and more. The possibilities are endless!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cook already cooked shrimp?
It’s best to avoid overcooking pre-cooked shrimp. They can get rubbery and lose moisture. For shrimp cocktail, raw shrimp poached gently is ideal.
How long does cooked shrimp last in the fridge?
Cooked shrimp will last 1-2 days in the fridge in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze for 2-3 months.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes, you can poach frozen shrimp! Add a couple extra minutes to the poaching time. Frozen shrimp are very convenient.
Is boiled shrimp good for cocktail?
Boiling can make shrimp tough. It’s gentler to poach off heat or at a low temp. This yields tender texture.
Can I bread and fry shrimp for cocktail?
Breaded fried shrimp don’t work well for shrimp cocktail. The breading falls off and the shrimp get overcooked. Poaching is best.
The Takeaway
With this complete guide, you can master shrimp cocktail at home. The secret is gently poaching raw shrimp instead of aggressive boiling or grilling. Pair with a zesty homemade cocktail sauce for an appetizer that rivals restaurants!
Why Poach The Shrimp Like This?
Some of the heat is taken away when you add the shrimp. This makes the water a little cooler. The less intense heat is then more gentle on the shrimp. They don’t tense up and curl up as much, but they stay about the same size and shape as when they were raw. They still get opaque, pink, and cooked through. This poaching method also results in very tender and juicy shrimp.
If you prefer step-by-step instructions with pictures, get your poaching shrimp how-to here. Also, you can poach shrimp that has been frozen. This is my favorite way to cook shrimp for many dishes. I tend to buy my shrimp frozen so this is really convenient, and it works amazingly well.
There are no real rules here. If you’re doing individual appetizers, then small bowls, wine glasses, or martini glasses are best. Put about a quarter cup of cocktail sauce in the bowl or glass. Then, hang five to six shrimp around the glass.
If you’re doing a homemade shrimp ring to serve several people, you can use a dish specially designed for this kind of thing, like this. Put ice in the bottom and then the sauce in the middle and hang the shrimp around the outside rim. If you don’t have a dish like that (I don’t), then use a shallow round serving dish or roasting dish, like this. Put a bowl of cocktail sauce in the middle of the dish. A napkin under it will stop it from sliding around. Put ice cubes around the cocktail sauce, filling the dish nearly to the top. This will make the dish cold and the cold will transfer to the shrimp once they’re in place. Then hang your shrimp around the rim of the cocktail sauce bowl, adding more right on the ice, if you’d like.
If the way the shrimp are hung in a ring doesn’t bother you, I have another great idea for you. Putting lettuce leaves on top of a bag of ice in a bowl and then putting the shrimp on top of the lettuce leaves will keep the shrimp cold. The lettuce makes it look pretty, and the shrimp stay perfectly chilled. Watch this video to see what I mean. This trick can be used to keep many kinds of cold snacks and dips cold until the ice melts and the water in the bag gets cold.
There you go! The perfect shrimp cocktail at home. Enjoy!
Want to try something different from the usual shrimp cocktail? Here are two recipes for you: a Mexican Shrimp Cocktail and a Tropical Shrimp Cocktail.
Which Shrimp To Use For Shrimp Cocktail
For a really great shrimp cocktail, you want to go with large shrimp. I use a 21-25 count, which means there are 21-25 shrimp per pound. Buy them deveined but uncooked. Easy-peel or already peeled is fine.
If they’re peeled, make sure they still have their tails. Do not skip those; they are what hold your shrimp cocktail together. If they are easy-peel, you can peel them before or after cooking; it doesn’t matter. Either way, make sure that you leave the tail on.
The peel on easy-peel shrimp has been cut along the outside to get rid of the vein, and then the tail has been cut. This makes it easy to remove the peel while leaving the tail intact. You want the tail because it makes a nice presentation and acts as a handle for your shrimp.