Shrimp Cocktail Recipe (VIDEO)
Impress your guests with a homemade Shrimp Cocktail. Learn how to make the best oven-baked shrimp and zesty cocktail sauce. This is so much better than a store-bought shrimp ring.
Just like our Shrimp Ceviche appetizer or Pico De Gallo, this roasted shrimp and cocktail sauce tastes even better the next day after the flavors meld so this is an excellent make-ahead recipe. Watch the video tutorial below and see how easy this is.
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This recipe was adapted from Ina Garten’s Roasted Shrimp Cocktail from one of my favorite cookbooks, Back to Basics.
Shrimp Cocktail Recipe:
Shrimp Cocktail is an appetizer with cooked large shrimp or prawns served with a tomato-based zesty cocktail dipping sauce. It is often packaged in supermarkets as a “shrimp ring” and typically sold refrigerated or frozen. This homemade shrimp cocktail takes minutes to prepare and the flavor is so much better. Roasted shrimp are more flavorful than the boiled shrimp sold in supermarkets and you can’t beat a homemade cocktail sauce.
Shrimp Cocktail is impressive enough to serve at your New Years Party, for game-day, or when you need to satisfy that fierce craving for shrimp (remember it keeps well in the fridge).
What is the Best Shrimp for Shrimp Cocktail?
The extra-large shrimp (16-20 count per pound) look best in a shrimp cocktail ring. It also works great with the large shrimp (18-25 count per pound). We recommend 2 lbs of shrimp to feed a crowd. Look for fresh or frozen shrimp that is:
- Raw (uncooked)
- Fresh or frozen and thawed (most shrimp are sold frozen)
- Headless (head-on shrimp can get mushy)
- Wild-caught (if available)
- Tail-on (for easier serving)
- “EZ peel” or Already peeled and deveined (saves time)
- 100% shrimp without added ingredients
How to Bake Shrimp in the Oven:
Baked shrimp is so fast, easy and hands-off life our Baked Honey Cajun Shrimp or our popular Cheesy Stuffed Shrimp. You don’t have to flip the shrimp and they turn out perfect every time. There’s something about roasting shrimp that amplifies their sweetness. If you prefer boiled, check out our easy boiled shrimp tutorial.
- Rinse and thoroughly pat dry shrimp paper towels and place them on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Toss together, arrange in a single layer and bake at 450˚F.
Shrimp Baking Chart:
It’s important not to overbake shrimp or they will watery. Take them out when they turn pink and are just cooked through. For even baking, ensure that your shrimp are fully thawed and patted dry. Also, bake in a fully pre-heated oven at 450˚F so they bake up quickly and don’t juice out.
- Large 21 to 25 ct shrimp, bake 6-7 min
- Extra-large 16-20 ct shrimp, bake or 8-10 min
- Jumbo 11-15 ct shrimp (or U-15), bake 10-11 min
How to Make Shrimp Cocktail Sauce:
Shrimp cocktail sauce is easier than you think. Once you try homemade, you won’t want the store-bought sauce again! It’s really just a matter of combining ingredients: ketchup, a mild chili sauce, prepared horseradish (sold in the refrigerator section of the grocery store), fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and a dash of hot sauce.
Add the horseradish sauce and hot sauce to taste depending on how much of a spicy kick you like. Just keep in mind the sauce does mellow out after refrigeration so I always make it slightly spicier than I think I need.
Our Best Shrimp Appetizers:
These shrimp appetizers are always the first to disappear at parties and always get rave reviews. For more appetizer inspiration, explore all of our Appetizer Recipes here.
- Coconut Shrimp (with 2-ingredient sauce)
- Shrimp Scampi – an easy, 1-pan recipe
- Shrimp Tacos – a famous copycat recipe
- Hot Shrimp Dip – creamy and cheesy
- Cucumber Shrimp bites – with guacamole
Watch the Shrimp Cocktail Recipe Video:
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Shrimp Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
Baked Shrimp Ingredients:
- 2 lbs raw shrimp 16-20 ct, peeled and deveined with tail-on
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 lemon cut into 4 wedges to serve (optional)
Shrimp Cocktail Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup mild chili sauce we like Heinz
- 3-4 Tbsp prepared horseradish or add to taste
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed, or to taste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce such as Tabasco, or to taste
Instructions
-
Thaw shrimp according to package instructions, then rinse under cold water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Place shrimp on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle on 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Stir to combine then arrange shrimp in a single layer.
-
Bake at 450˚F for 8-10 min or until shrimp turn pink and are just cooked through.* As soon as they come out of the oven, test a shrimp for doneness then transfer all shrimp to a serving platter. If they stay on the hot baking sheet, they can get overcooked.
-
Combine all of the Cocktail Sauce ingredients, adding horseradish and hot sauce to taste (Add more if you love cocktail sauce with a spicy kick and less if you prefer a mild sauce). Cover and refrigerate sauce and shrimp for at least an hour or overnight. Serve chilled.
Recipe Notes
*If using smaller 18-25 count shrimp, roast 6–7 min
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
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Avocado Cucumber Shrimp Appetizers 
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
The whole shrimp dish is amazing. It didn’t last long during our Mother’s Day celebration, and it was the highlight of the appetizer table. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Hello Elisa, you are so welcome! Nice to know that everyone loved it, thanks for giving this recipe a try!
I Love Shrimp. I love all your recipes. I especially like the nutrition facts, but never a serving size. This information on all your recipes would be really helpful to everyone. Thanks 😊
Thanks for the great feedback, Karen. I hope you love all the recipes that you try.
Making this for Super Bowl Sunday-absolutely delicious!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Anne! Thank you for that wonderful review!
I made this for New Years Eve and it was the biggest hit. I will never buy it from the store again. In fact going to make this for this Sunday’s Superbowl Thank you so much.
Isn’t the flavor amazing! Thank you for that wonderful review, Nicole!
just a small tip after sauce is to your taste and just before serving squeeze fresh lemon juice on top do not mix in so when shrimp is dipped the lemon juice on top adds a slice lemon bite before the sweeter sauce crosses palate
Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
The best shrimp cocktail I’ve ever tasted. Easy to make and sooooo delicious. Thanks.
Hi Rose!! Sounds like you found a new favorite! Thank you for that awesome review!
Delicious! Soooooo much better than the store bought pre-cooked shrimp and the cocktail sauce is amazing. Another winner Natasha!
So glad you loved it, Lori. Thank you for your excellent feedback!
Hello! I’ve trying your recipes and I love them all. Ty
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with me, Nana!
love food so i will surely try many of them i also love to cook different food.
I hope you enjoy our recipes, Yasmin!
Love your video recipes. The shrimp was great. HOWEVER your lemon tip not so great. I went to try it with my wife and company sitting there and it just exploded out the ending drenching them in lemon juice and lemon seeds. Needless to say they weren’t impressed with the trick. LOL
Oh no! I haven’t had that happen before, Steve!
perfect for new years eve!
It sure is! The flavor is amazing!
Yum! This shrimp is so good! I made it for our family gathering and they gobbled it up.
You were quick to make it! I’m so happy your family loved the shrimp cocktail recipe. Thanks for sharing that with me!
Made this today for my family and wow what a big difference! I even had a small shrimp ring (so we could compare) next to the platter of these shrimp. My husband said you could taste the ocean and the sweetness. It was so easy to prepare. Thank you, we’ll definitely forgo the shrimp ring instead for this!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Patricia! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Too bad we have to see toe nail fungus ads while reading your instructions! Lol. I will try the shrimp cocktail this week for sure. Where is link for the lemon squeezer? Thank you!
Hi Victoria, We haveour favorite lemon juicer here for you
Hi Natasha
Your recipes are awesome!!!
Thank you for sharing…
I love your bubbly
personality… as well.
You’re so nice! Thank you, Susan!
This is always a hit with my family around the holidays!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Katie!
Hi Natasha,
I find it hard to peel shrimp and leave the tail on. Any tips on how to do this? And/or is it ok to just take the tail off?
Thanks,
George
Hi George, it is easier to just remove the tail and you can absolutely do it. The tail is left on for presentation purposes and it serves as a nice handle if you want to serve the shrimp as a finger food/appetizer but you can take the tails off. I pinch the last little section before the tail as I’m removing the shells to keep the tails from coming off.
Thanks, Natasha, and excellent video and explanation about why roasting is better than boiling/poaching.
You are very welcome! It’s also really easy. I hope you love the shrimp cocktail recipe.