Cocktail sauce is a perfect accompaniment to boiled or fried shrimp, but did you know it can be made at home? Homemade cocktail sauces are really simple and quick with ingredients that may already be in your pantry. I am going to show you how easy my best seafood cocktail recipe is! I know this cocktail sauce recipe will soon become your favorite.
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Homemade Cocktail Sauce
There is something magical about the zesty taste of this sauce when paired with cold shrimp. This appetizer is perfect for summer, my zesty homemade recipe makes this dish so versatile – you’ll be able to use it as an app or dip for tons of more great recipes!
Why make homemade cocktail sauce?
When you make your own seafood cocktail sauce you can use high-quality ingredients, your homemade version will not have high fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate, and xantham gum. Then natural flavors will shine through, and I know you will think this rich cocktail sauce is better than those bottles of cocktail sauce you buy at the grocery store.
This classic cocktail sauce is perfect for beginner cooks. You can make a flavorful sauce in no time at all.
Cocktail Sauce Ingredients
Before you make your best cocktail sauce, you need to get your ingredients together. Here is what you will need.
- Ketchup – I like to use good quality ketchup here, I like some of the natural versions that brands like Heinz.
- Chili sauce – this condiment offers zip and zing of this sauce. Learn more about chili sauce.
- Horseradish – I buy fresh horseradish in jars at the grocery store. You can typically find fresh horseradish in the grocery store either in the deli or the dairy section. Horseradish is what gives you zesty cocktail sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce – My favorite brand is Lea and Perrins!
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed is best! Fresh lemon juice gives your sauce a bright taste and helps to bring out the natural flavor of whatever you serve it with.
- Tabasco – if you like a little heat, add a couple of shakes, and you will have just the right amount of heat.
- Black pepper – this is optional, but if you like your cocktail sauce with a bit of heat, this is exactly what you want to add.
Ingredient Notes
Some folks ask me what chili sauce is. It is a tomato-based sauce. You can find this in the grocery store right next to the cocktail sauce.
I like to use Chili Sauce in chili, it is great for 5-way chili. It doesn’t add a lot of heat, but what it does add is some sweet, slightly spicy flavor. If you haven’t tried chili sauce, I would definitely recommend you giving this recipe a try.
How do you make cocktail sauce from scratch?
It couldn’t be easier to make this recipe for cocktail sauce!
- Place all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Stir to thoroughly combine.
- Allow the sauce to set for at least an hour before serving.
If you like you can make this spicier by adding more horseradish. This is a great way to get a bit more heat. So if you like it a bit hotter be sure to add a little more horseradish.
Different Uses For Cocktail Sauce
- Shrimp Cocktail – Shrimp cocktail is one of everyone’s favorite appetizers. You can make a shrimp cocktail by boiling some shrimp and serving it in an attractive dish with your own homemade cocktail sauce.
- Fried Fish – your own cocktail sauce is ideal!
- Oysters – this works well for fried or raw oysters.
- Crab Cakes – this seafood sauce adds the right amount of zing to your favorite crab cakes.
- Ceviche – use it as a sauce when you make ceviche
- Cheese Sticks – it’s the perfect zesty dip for cheese sticks.
- Burgers – add as a burger topping in place of ketchup.
What can I use instead of cocktail sauce?
Here are some links for some other copycat dipping sauces for dipping your shrimp.
- Russian Tea Room Russian Dressing
- Outback Bloomin Onion Sauce
- Copycat Tartar Sauce Recipes
- More Copycat Dipping Sauce Recipes
How to Store
Keep homemade cocktail sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
I hope you enjoy making this homemade cocktail sauce the next time you want to serve a shrimp cocktail.
Favorite Dipping Sauce Recipes
- Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
- TGI Fridays Jack Daniels Sauce
- Mexican White Cheese Sauce
- Spicy Mustard Sauce
- Butter and Garlic Sauce
- Campfire Sauce
- Chick Fil A Sauces
- Terry Ho’s Yum Yum Sauce
- Coconut Shrimp Pineapple Sauce
Popular DIY Product Recipes
Find the best party dips and my famous copycat recipes right here on CopyKat.com!
Homemade Cocktail Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup chili sauce
- 2 tablespoon Horseradish
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
- Allow the flavors to marry for about an hour before serving.
Judy
My favorite for 50 years was Hoffman sauce. I don’t like seafood but boiled shrimp with 1 T salt,1 T dill,1 T caraway was the ONLY way I could eat shrimp. Haven’t had any since I ran out of HH.
Meghann
This recipe is perfect. I never use a whole jar of cocktail sauce before it gets old.
LJay
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tEM-2gR0L.jpg
Copy of the label. But nothing compares to their flavor I agree.
LJay
Your recipe wasn’t as sweet, thick or as red as Hoffman house. I had a bottle of Hoffman House and the ingredient label fell off. This is a copy from their old website:
Ingredients:
Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Tomato Paste, Distilled Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Horseradish, Salt, Food Starch-Modified, Contains Less Than 2% of The Following: Mustard, Dehydrated Onion, Whey Powder, Molasses, Beet Powder (Color), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Dehydrated Garlic, Dehydrated Red Bell Peppers, Spices, Red Pepper, Soy Sauce, Oleoresin Paprika, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Calcium Disodium Edta Added to Protect Flavor, Hydrolyzed Corn, Wheat and Soy Protein, Anchovies.
Lots of ingredients but we can try to get it close proportionally. But it’s a try with the food items on the list!
Beryl Salvucci
This is better than store-bought.
Norman
Cool page :D. This was easy to make, and it tasted pretty good.
Molly
Yes, Hoffman house was the best. Especially serving with cedar valley string cheese.
Terry
BIG BIG MISTAKE that Hoffman House Shrimp Cocktail Sauce is no longer available. It was #1 in the world just check the reviews !
Sue
I’ve used Hoffman House for 50 years and am so bummed that it is no longer made. I want to try this recipe and get it as close to HH as possible. BUT, what kind of horseradish should I use? Prepared red (hard to find), prepared white )not the sauce) or something else?
Debbie L Arvio
I love Hoffmann’s shrimp sauce. Is this anything like it?
If not do you have a copy cat of it?
Thank you,
Debbie
Stephanie
Thank you for your note. I am sorry I don’t know if this is like Hoffmann’s shrimp sauce, unfortunately, I haven’t had their shrimp sauce.
Judy Marie
Hoffman House seafood sauce was the best. I too would like to find a kopycat recipe for it.
Sally Inglett
Me too, just realized that I can’t get it in stores. I was still able to find it earlier this year and had I known I would have just bought it all up.
Houstonfit
The cocktail sauce was super easy to make, and it was quite delicious! I would make again.
Dale Guthrie
Is this recipe comparable to Ken’s Cocktail Sauce? It is the ONLY sauce my guests enjoy and is for some reason no longer available. My annual party is coming up & I an at a total loss as to wether to skip the shrimp or try making my own. Thanks
Jeff
I am trying to find a recipet for cocktail sauce you get in most chinese restaurants. They are something a little different
David
God! Anything but tobasco. Anything you put tobasco in tastes like tobasco.
Stephanie
I don’t think this has Tobasco in it, I didn’t add it in my ingredients.
Shawn Roberts
I had a general idea on how to make cocktail sauce but you gave me the one ingredient I was missing the chilli sauce thanks a lot taste great.
Stephanie
Chili sauce adds the right punch to the cocktail sauce. I am glad you liked the recipe.
Tatyana
Do you know how I can print out the recipe?
Thanks.
Stephanie
For some reason it looks like the page had an error. I have tested it out now, and it seems to work fine.
Tatyana
I would like to try this cocktail sauce and I want to print out,
but for some reason it would not let me do it.
Does anyone knows why?
Thanks
Raymond Perez
its not letting me print it out either.
Stephanie
The print button is at the bottom of the recipe in the blue box.
MaryAnn
What is chili sauce?
Stephanie
It is a condement, it is sold near the cocktail sauce.
Stephanie
It is a condiment, it is sold near the cocktail sauce.
kevinh1
I add a splash of either cayenne or tabasco hot sauce for a sneaky kick.
Stephanie Manley
I like your sneaky kick!
marye audet
I love cocktail sauce! I’ll have to try this. Thanks!
Stephanie Manley
Let me know what you think.