Cocktail Sauce Recipe
A spicy cocktail sauce recipe that goes perfectly with shrimp or prawns, with plenty of horseradish flavor. Learn how to make cocktail sauce at home.
It’s time for some cocktail sauce, my friends! Do you enjoy cocktail sauce? If you’ve ever enjoyed a shrimp cocktail, you’ll understand the deliciousness of that spicy red sauce that comes with those succulent shrimp. It’s spicy and zingy and so robust in flavor. Quite addictive, isn’t it?
I just love the stuff. Many people call it a “shrimp cocktail sauce”, but it’s actually great with any type of seafood.
Case in point. We served up a raw bar for our neighborhood New Year’s Eve celebration, which included oyster shooters, stone crab claws and plenty of prawns. I put together this particular cocktail sauce for the prawns the night before because prawns scream for a cocktail sauce, but it was perfect with the oysters and claws as well.
We set up the raw bar on a wide table with plenty of shaved ice, set the seafood over the ice and nestled the sauces into the ice beside the seafood. The table was picked clean! Make this sauce ahead of time to allow the flavors to mingle, especially the horseradish.
If you’re throwing a party this year, give this recipe a go. Your friends and family will love you! Or hey, just enjoy it on your own. Date night, perhaps?
Let’s about about how we make the recipe, shall we?
Cocktail Sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 ounces clam juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 clove fresh garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish (or you can use fresh minced horseradish)
- Dash of hot sauce or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Cocktail Sauce – the Recipe Method
- To a large bowl, combine all ingredients – ketchup, chili sauce, lemon juice, clam juice, chili powder, fresh garlic, prepared horseradish, hot sauce, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Taste and adjust to your personal preferences.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to mingle.
- Enjoy!
BOOM! Easy enough, isn’t it? One of the easiest recipes around. Of course you can grab a bottles cocktail sauce from the grocery store, but it’s so much better when you make it at home. You can control what goes into it! It’s such an easy recipe.
It will intensify in flavor the longer you let it sit. Also, you can easily vary up the ratios of these ingredients to your personal preference. The thing about cocktail sauces, and sauces in general, is taste, taste, taste!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Extra Zing. If you’d like even MORE zing and spiciness to your cocktail sauce, add in an extra tablespoon (or more!) of prepared horseradish. That is where most of the zing resides.
- Fresh Horseradish. I have made this recipe with both prepared horseradish and fresh horseradish. Both are great. If you use fresh horseradish, be sure to grate it finely, and let the cocktail sauce sit overnight or even longer. The flavor and pungency continue to develop over time.
- Extra Ingredients. Some other ingredients that go nicely in a homemade cocktail sauce recipe include Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, tomato sauce (in lieu of ketchup), Tabasco sauce (as your hot sauce – nice and vinegary), and fresh ginger. Give them a try as a nice variation.
That’s it, my friends! I hope you enjoy my spicy cocktail sauce recipe. It ROCKS! Nice and zingy, just how we like it. Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear!
Try Some of My Other Popular Condiment and Sauce Recipes
- Homemade Ketchup (+ a spicy version!)
- Ranchero Sauce
- Peri Peri Sauce
- Hot Honey
- Homemade Buffalo Sauce
- Homemade Sriracha
- How to Make Mustard
- Homemade Condiments Recipes
- Homemade Sauce Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Cocktail Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 ounces clam juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 clove fresh garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish (or you can use fresh minced horseradish)
- Dash of hot sauce or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- To a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well.
- Taste and adjust to your personal preferences.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to mingle.
- Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
This post was updated on 11/15/19 to include new information, photos and a video. It was originally published on 1/9/14.
7 comments
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I would like to know what type of chili sauce you are using in this recipe. Is this a chili sauce we find in the supermarket such as Heinz Chili Sauce or is this a spicy Asian chili sauce similar to Thai chili sauce?
Ron, you can use either of them if you’d like. Many people like a sweeter chili sauce, like the Heinz brand you mentioned. Let me know how it turns out for you.
I love adding horseradish to this recipe! I bet this sauce would go really well with oysters as well! Thank you for sharing,
Thanks, Brittany. Oh yes! I would definitely enjoy this with a good dozen oysters or so! Nice.
What spice did you put on the shrimp? How did you cook the shrimp? When I cook shrimp they come out tough. Thank you
Wendell, I cook shrimp in many different ways, but for this one, I did a light butter poach. Basically, melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a pan then add the shrimp and some seasoning. Use something like Old Bay or your favorite, like Cajun or Creole. Cook them on low heat. You don’t want to sear them here, though you can if you want. Cook them on low until they turn nice and pink and cook mostly through, then flip them and cook them through. Only takes a few minutes. Shrimp can get tough if you cook them for too long, or if you boil them for too long. Let me know if this helps.
I go easier! Chili sauce and tons of horseradish!!