Cocktail Sauce Recipe
To some, cocktail sauce might seem basic. Ketchup and horseradish, right?
Classic Cocktail Sauce is more than just ketchup and horseradish. Come see how to make a spectacular, restaurant quality sauce in just 5 minutes!
To others, the perfect blend has a few more recipes to form a balanced classic cocktail sauce worthy of complementing the best shrimp, crabcakes and oysters.
But the cocktail sauce you get at (some) restaurants tastes different. It has a little more ump. Pizzazz. Your at-home Cocktail Sauce can also be this good with your own special zest!
Cocktail sauce was invented by famed British chef and TV personality, Fanny Cradock, and originally made to serve with a prawn cocktail. The name, therefore, was the “sauce of the cocktail” or “cocktail sauce”.
And what we know today as the famous Shrimp Cocktail, deemed the ultimate of fancy appetizers and hor dourves. I think I might go back to referring to it as a Prawn Cocktail. It sounds so much more sophisticated.
Jeff P. says: “This is my favorite cocktail sauce.”
What is the difference between prawns and shrimp? Most people assume they are the crustacean, just different sizes. That is FALSE!
Both shrimp and prawns are crustaceans that have ten legs and possess external skeletons. However, shrimp belong to the sub-order Pleocyemata, while prawns belong to the sub-order Dendrobranchiata.
Try to say that 10 times fast! In fact, just try to pronounce it once. I dare ya!
Maria says: “Quick and easy to make and tastes delicious!”
In layman’s terms…
Prawns have branching gills, claws on three pairs of their legs and second pincers that are larger than their front ones. Prawns lack the distinct bend in their bodies that is seen with shrimp and each of their body segments overlaps the one behind it in succession.
Barbara says: “Love it and more importantly the husband was loving it.”
Shrimp have plate-like gills and claws on two pairs of their legs with their front pincers being the largest. Shrimp also have a distinct bend in their bodies and their second segments overlap the first and third segments.
Use that as a little pre-dinner discussion or JEOPARDY… here you come!
Since its invention, cocktail sauce has since been added as a staple to many seafood dishes beyond just shrimp cocktail. Fried fish, fish sticks, oysters and clams, fried and steamed shrimp, sometimes even steamed and fried crabs. I even like mine with hush puppies, but don’t tell anyone, that is sooo taboo.
If ketchup is the ultimate condiment, then this sauce is its close cousin. Maybe even a sibling.
My recipe includes the basic building blocks for any cocktail sauce, although some cooks prefer to use a chili sauce in lieu of or in addition to ketchup. After you get your basic sauce perfected, then you can start getting crazy with other concoctions, like my Balsamic Cocktail Sauce that I serve with Balsamic Steamed Shrimp.
Here are a few more classic sauce recipes:
- Beurre Blanc Sauce
- Bacon Jalapeno Fry Sauce
- Coconut Curry Sauce
- Balsamic Reduction
- Blender Mayonnaise
- Garlic Confit
- Yum Yum Sauce- Hibachi Sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1-2 tablespoons prepared horseradish or more if you like it spicy
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Dash of finely ground black pepper
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
Serve and enjoy your Classic Cocktail Sauce.
If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
Recipe Video
I thought this tasted geat even though I over did both the hot sauce and freshly ground pepper. Doubt we will ever buy prepared coctail sauce again.
LOL- you sound like my husband. He likes it HOT! I make him a seperate bowl. LOL. Glad you loved it!
This was so easy to make and customize to our taste!! So good!!!
Fabulous! That is what I like hear. Thanks for stopping by to let us know, Melanie!
Quick and easy to make and tastes delicious!
Thank you, Marie!
Love it and more importantly the husband was loving it.
That is what I like to hear! Glad you loved it!
This is my favorite cocktail sauce
Thank you, Jeff!
If you like it really spicy Instead oF regular horserasish sauce get the extra hot horSeradish gratef course and add a few tabl
Exactly how I make it. I also keep tobacco sauce on the side for more adventurous.
Yes to extra HOT SAUCE! We like our noses to bead with sweat in this house!
Excellent it’s what I’ve bin looking for thanks
Oh Man!!! That sauce was awesome! I do not like jarred cocktail sauce, so I needed to find one that was good, fast, and easy to make. This one was it. I like mine a bit spicier than just a little hot sauce and 2 tablespoons of horseradish, but it was great! Thanks!
Glad you loved it, Tina! Hubby likes his really hot too, we make his extra spicy!