co*cktail Sauce Recipe (2024)

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Forget about the bottled stuff, this homemade co*cktail Sauce recipe is so much better than anything you can buy at the store. A short list of easy to stock ingredients creates this zingy condiment in about 5 minutes!

My Homemade Tartar Sauce recipe is another easy seafood sauce that rivals store-bought.

co*cktail Sauce Recipe (1)

I recently bought some gorgeous shrimp for shrimp co*cktail and was positive I had a bottle of co*cktail sauce (or fish ketchup, as my boys have always called it) in my pantry. Well, nope! No sauce.

I had two choices. Mix up a homemade co*cktail sauce or skip the shrimp co*cktail. I went with the former and oh my!

I was shocked at how easy it is to create a super fresh, super delicious co*cktail sauce with ingredients I always have on hand. Why in the heck did it take me so long to do this?

co*cktail Sauce Recipe (2)

I will now and forever make co*cktail Sauce from scratch. No more store-bought sauce for me.

Table of contents

  • co*cktail Sauce Ingredients
  • How to Make co*cktail Sauce
  • Storage Tips
  • Serving Suggestions

co*cktail Sauce Ingredients

co*cktail Sauce Recipe (3)
  • Ketchup – Sweet and tomato-based – ketchup is the foundation for a good classic co*cktail Sauce.
  • Horseradish– I have made this recipe with both cream-style horseradish and extra hot horseradish and they were both great.
  • Worcestershire Sauce – Adds a bit of umami flavor.
  • Lemon – Fresh lemon juice is a must. It really wakes up the flavor and helps balance it out.
  • Freshly ground black pepper – Just a pinch for flavor.
  • Tabasco Sauce – Add a little or a lot or leave it out altogether for a delicious, but milder sauce.

A big bonus to making your own co*cktail Sauce is that theheat can easily be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the horseradish and Tabasco. Make a super mild, kid-friendly sauce or spice it up as much as you’d like.

co*cktail Sauce Recipe (4)

How to Make co*cktail Sauce

co*cktail Sauce Recipe (5)
  1. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and 1 tablespoon of the horseradish.
  2. Add the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and Tabasco.
  3. Taste and add additional horseradish and/or hot sauce, if needed.

The sinus clearing zing in co*cktail sauce comes from horseradish. I recommend starting with a small amount and working your way up to the flavor you’re after.

Storage Tips

If you plan to use the co*cktail Sauce within a day or two, just cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For longer storage, transfer the sauce to an airtight container before refrigerating. The acid in the lemon and ketchup should help it stay fresh and tasty for up to two weeks.

co*cktail Sauce Recipe (6)

Serving Suggestions

What goes with co*cktail sauce? It goes beyond simple shrimp co*cktail!

  • A triple batch of this recipe can be used to make a stunning Mexican Shrimp co*cktail.
  • Serve it as a dipping sauce for Air Fryer Fish Sticks or Crispy Baked Fish.
  • Mix a little into a simple meatloaf recipe or spread it over the top before baking.
  • Place a small bowl on a platter with homemade Crab Cakes for a delicious appetizer.
  • Use co*cktail sauce for dipping Everything Bagel Pigs in a Blanket.

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co*cktail Sauce Recipe (7)

co*cktail Sauce Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Forget about the bottled stuff, this homemade co*cktail Sauce recipe is so much better than anything you can buy at the store. A short list of easy to stock ingredients creates this zingy condiment in about 5 minutes!

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Keyword: co*cktail sauce recipe

Print RecipePin RecipeRate Recipe

Prep Time:5 minutes minutes

Total Time:5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, as needed (extra hot or creamed)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • Few drops of Tabasco, to taste

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, 1 tablespoon of the horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and Tabasco. Taste and add additional horseradish and/or hot sauce, if needed.

  • Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5 tablespoons · Calories: 22 kcal · Carbohydrates: 6 g · Protein: 0.2 g · Fat: 0.04 g · Saturated Fat: 0.01 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01 g · Sodium: 195 mg · Potassium: 67 mg · Fiber: 0.2 g · Sugar: 5 g · Vitamin A: 103 IU · Vitamin C: 2 mg · Calcium: 5 mg · Iron: 0.1 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.

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co*cktail Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is co*cktail sauce made of? ›

The standard ingredients (in roughly decreasing proportion) are ketchup, horseradish, hot sauce (e.g., Tabasco, Louisiana, or Crystal), Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. A soufflé cup is usually set in the middle of the platter of oysters along with a co*cktail fork and a lemon slice.

What can I use instead of co*cktail sauce? ›

Ketchup-Mustard Sauce

Equal parts ketchup and mustard make this the shrimp co*cktail sauce anyone can make since everything's already in the door of the refrigerator. I use Dijon mustard, but you can try a grainy, coarse mustard instead for some nice crunchy pops of mustard flavor.

What to use co*cktail sauce for? ›

5 Ways To Use co*cktail Sauce
  1. Grilled Shrimp with co*cktail Sauce. ...
  2. Kielbasa with co*cktail Sauce. ...
  3. I used to sample my co*cktail Sauces with shrimp but I found at events it was a little too messy and I was always worrying about customers that might have shrimp allergies. ...
  4. Mexican Shrimp. ...
  5. Bloody Mary.
Feb 8, 2019

What do you call ketchup and mayo mixed together? ›

Fry sauce is a condiment often served with French fries or tostones (twice-fried plantain slices) in many places in the world. It is usually a combination of one part tomato ketchup and two parts mayonnaise.

What is shrimp co*cktail sauce made of? ›

Directions. In small bowl combine ketchup, horseradish, a dash of Worcestershire, a squirt of lemon, and a dash of Tabasco sauce. Chill and serve.

What is a good substitute for horseradish? ›

Daikon and black radish are great swaps for fresh, raw grated horseradish, though they aren't as fiery and will yield a milder, juicier end product. Because of this, use twice as much daikon or radish as horseradish, though it will still be milder than horseradish.

Is co*cktail sauce made of ketchup and horseradish? ›

A combination of pungent horseradish and sweet ketchup make up the foundation of this classic co*cktail sauce, which is seasoned with lemon juice, hot sauce and a dash of Worcestershire. Drizzle it on a shrimp co*cktail or dab it sparingly on raw seafood.

Does homemade co*cktail sauce go bad? ›

If you are storing homemade co*cktail sauce, the guidelines differ, however. We recommend tossing from-scratch sauce after two weeks. While you can freeze co*cktail sauce, it is best not to, as it will change the texture. The best way to ensure no co*cktail sauce goes to waste is simply to use it more often.

Is shrimp with co*cktail sauce healthy? ›

As far as finger food goes, shrimp co*cktail is nutritionally one of the healthier options out there. Consider: One large shrimp has just 7 calories and almost no fat yet packs more than a gram of protein.

Is seafood sauce the same as thousand island dressing? ›

Marie Rose and Thousand Island Sauce are basically the same thing. You'll find little tweaks and variations of the two all over the place, but a basic pink sauce made with mayo and ketchup with some seasonings is really all this is. It actually doesn't have much flavour, and it's not intended to.

Should you refrigerate co*cktail sauce? ›

You can keep unopened co*cktail sauce in a cool and dark pantry. Once opened, remember not to leave co*cktail sauce outside, as sunlight and humidity will affect the ingredients and flavor. It's safest to store opened co*cktail sauce (or homemade sauce) in the fridge to keep it from spoiling.

Why is it called co*cktail sauce? ›

It would make sense to think that the name co*cktail shrimp comes from the co*cktail sauce, but it's the opposite. co*cktail sauce as we know it now was made after co*cktails with shrimp and other seafood became popular. In fact, the sauce was made to go with them.

Is Heinz chili sauce the same as co*cktail sauce? ›

There are only five ingredients in co*cktail sauce, and you probably have most of them in your cupboard already. Ketchup and chili sauce are added in equal parts. Heinz chili sauce has a tomato base, like ketchup, but it isn't sweet. Strangely, in defiance of its name, it doesn't contain chilis.

Is shrimp co*cktail sauce unhealthy? ›

co*cktail Sauce is healthy, but it also has several nutritional values and health benefits. This tomato-based condiment is fat-free and adds advantages to the other ingredients like garlic, lemon, horseradish, etc. However, the sauce has high amounts of sugar and salt in it.

Why do they call it co*cktail sauce? ›

It would make sense to think that the name co*cktail shrimp comes from the co*cktail sauce, but it's the opposite. co*cktail sauce as we know it now was made after co*cktails with shrimp and other seafood became popular. In fact, the sauce was made to go with them.

Is shrimp sauce and co*cktail sauce the same thing? ›

It's the same thing. Seafood and co*cktail sauce is a tomato-based sauce seasoned with horseradish or wasabi.

What is red co*cktail sauce made of? ›

Whisk ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, brown sugar, lemon juice, hot sauce, garlic salt, and onion powder together in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

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