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    Home » Recipes » Appetizer Recipes

    Killer Shrimp Cocktail

    Modified: Oct 20, 2023 · Published: Oct 23, 2017 by Ashley

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    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·4 from 1 review

    A flavorful shrimp boil and homemade cocktail sauce bring this Beetlejuice-inspired appetizer to life! Perfect for dinner parties and Halloween festivities!

    Who doesn’t love a memorable appetizer? Presenting even the most basic dishes in a fun way can totally take them to the next level and impress your dinner guests without much extra effort on your part.

    Shrimp cocktail arranged around the rim of a glass with lemon wedges.

    I have a mild obsession with shrimp cocktail (and Halloween - especially Beetlejuice!). Throw in a homemade cocktail sauce and I.am.all.in.

    Full disclosure: I’ve been known to order shrimp cocktail and 1 or 2 other appetizers as my meal when my family goes out to dinner.

    There’s just something about it that’s so much fun. It’s light, cool, and refreshing.

    One of my favorite Supper Club themes to date was Movie Foods. I jumped at the opportunity to pay tribute to one of my favorite movie scenes of all time – the dinner party scene from Beetlejuice. Who could forget that shrimp cocktail coming to life and grabbing everyone’s faces?

    Typically, cocktail sauce is made with jazzed up store-bought ingredients. I decided to challenge myself by making homemade slow cooker ketchup as the base for my sauce, and flavoring it with lemon juice and zest, some horseradish for spice, Worcestershire sauce and a bit of hot sauce.

    Dipping shrimp into cocktail sauce.

    Feel free to use whatever ketchup you have in your pantry here. The homemade ketchup was a fun touch, but by no means necessary.

    I also made a flavorful shrimp boil instead of buying pre-cooked shrimp, which worked out really well. It imparted such a nice flavor to the shrimp, and was simple to put together.

    This turned out phenomenally – it was totally worth the effort I put into making it. Plus, I had to present it in a manner worthy of one of my favorite childhood movies. I must say, it looked killer!

    One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can make all of the components in advance. When dinner is about to be served, just pop them on a fancy martini glass (I like using one that has a little ice holder underneath to keep the cocktail sauce extra cold) and serve!

    Shrimp cocktail arranged around a glass with lemon slices.

    I just realized I said "Beetlejuice" more than 3 times in this post and Michael Keaton hasn't shown up! He must be stuck in Sandworm Land...

    What are your favorite dinner party appetizers? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section below.

    Looking for more shrimp recipes? Check out some of our favorites:

    • Big Shrimpin’ Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp and Grit Cakes
    • Spicy Shrimp + Napa Cabbage Stir-Fry
    • Shrimp with Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Noodles
    • Smoky Shrimp with Charred Corn Salsa
    • Tequila-Lime Shrimp Tacos
    • Thai Shrimp “Alfredo”
    • Smoky Shrimp Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
    • Argentinean Red Shrimp a la Chesapeake Bay
    • Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice
    • Fire Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Shrimp with Lime-Scented Quinoa
    • Apricot Soy Chili Glazed Shrimp with Quinoa
    Print

    📖 Recipe

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    Shrimp cocktail displayed on a glass with ice.

    Killer Shrimp Cocktail

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4 from 1 review
    • Author: Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen - Ashley Covelli
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 20 minutes
    • Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
    • Category: Appetizer
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: American
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    A flavorful shrimp boil and homemade cocktail sauce bring this Beetlejuice-inspired appetizer to life! Perfect for dinner parties and Halloween festivities!


    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    For the Shrimp:

    • 1 lemon, quartered
    • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
    • 1 dried bay leaf
    • 1 small white onion, quartered
    • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
    • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

    For the Cocktail Sauce:

    • 1 ¼ cup ketchup (I used homemade)
    • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
    • ½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
    • Lemon wedges, for garnish

    Instructions

    1. For the Shrimp: Place the lemon, peppercorns, bay leaf, onion and garlic in a large stock pot and fill with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.
    2. Add shrimp to the water and cook until pink and slightly firm, about 3 minutes. Plunge the shrimp into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain shrimp and chill until ready to use.
    3. For the Cocktail Sauce: Combine ketchup, horseradish, lemon zest and juice, Worcestershire and hot sauce in a bowl Chill until ready to serve.
    4. To serve, arrange shrimp on a serving platter. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the shrimp and serve with extra lemon wedges and cocktail sauce for dipping. To make it more Beetlejuice-esque, pour a little cocktail sauce into a martini glass and line the rim of the glass with shrimp and lemon wedges.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 215
    • Sugar: 21.5 g
    • Sodium: 989.7 mg
    • Fat: 0.7 g
    • Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
    • Carbohydrates: 29.6 g
    • Fiber: 1 g
    • Protein: 23.3 g
    • Cholesterol: 182.5 mg

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @bigflavors on Instagram and hashtag it #cookbigflavors

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes
    Killer Shrimp Cocktail: A flavorful shrimp boil and homemade cocktail sauce bring this Beetlejuice-inspired appetizer to life! Perfect for dinner parties and Halloween festivities!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nutmeg Nanny

      February 21, 2015 at 5:55 pm

      I LOVE homemade shrimp cocktail. It's always so much cheaper to have at home plus I love making my own flavor packed cocktail sauce.

      Reply
    2. Lauren

      February 23, 2015 at 7:23 am

      I love making my own cocktail sauce! It always tastes better homemade!

      Reply
    3. Dominique Fasano

      October 24, 2017 at 3:02 pm

      I've always wanted to make my own cocktail sauce, it's one of my favorites. This recipe looks just scrumptious and perfect for the holidays!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 26, 2017 at 10:02 am

        And it's *so* easy to make! Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try 🙂

        Reply
    4. Dishes Delish

      October 25, 2017 at 11:15 am

      Hehe, loved the Beetlejuice reference. I also have been known to order a few appetizers for my meal and I LOVE shrimp cocktail!! Can't wait to make your recipe!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 26, 2017 at 10:03 am

        Isn't that movie so much fun? Ha! Let me know what you think if you give it a try 🙂

        Reply
    5. Analida's Ethnic Spoon

      October 25, 2017 at 7:48 pm

      I have to say shrimp cocktail is one of my all time favorite appetizers and we have it at our family gatherings. I can't wait to try your shrimp boil! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 26, 2017 at 10:03 am

        The shrimp boil really does add so much flavor and makes this dish even better. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Alicia Taylor

      October 26, 2017 at 1:21 pm

      I have that same Ravenscroft crystal glass and I love it for serving ice cream. I also have been known to order a shrimp coctail and a salad as my meal. Looks great.

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 26, 2017 at 2:29 pm

        I'm not sure if the Ravenscroft one is the same as the one I have - I got it from a local bar that closed down a few years back. But good to know you love it if I ever need to buy another! Yay for shrimp cocktail!

        Reply
        • Alicia Taylor

          October 31, 2017 at 10:43 pm

          I got mine on Amazon. It's actually a martini chiller, but works great for cold food and desserts

          Reply
    7. Leslie Haasch

      October 26, 2017 at 1:52 pm

      I TOTALLY order shrimp cocktails as my entire meal sometimes - you're not alone! 😉

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 26, 2017 at 2:30 pm

        It's so hard to resist!!

        Reply
    8. Marisa Franca Stewart

      October 27, 2017 at 7:25 am

      You make the sauce exactly how we do. Love the touch of horseradish in it. And we use enough of it to clear all sinuses. Shrimp cocktail is one of our favorite appetizers.

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 27, 2017 at 10:18 am

        I'm always down for more horseradish! Love the sinus clearing aspect - great for the cooler weather, right? Ha!

        Reply
    9. Ben M

      October 27, 2017 at 8:14 am

      Love a good plate o shrimp

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 27, 2017 at 10:18 am

        Me too! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

        Reply
    10. Lynn @ theroadtohoney

      October 28, 2017 at 7:45 pm

      I'm with you on having several appetizers as dinner. I frequently find myself doing that too. Btw. . .I'm super impressed that you went all out and made ketchup from scratch. I recall my husband doing this when we were strictly low carb (probably for cocktail sauce too). . .but I've never really attempted myself. The shrimp cocktail looks fab.

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 31, 2017 at 12:46 pm

        It's the best way to get a little bit of everything! Homemade ketchup is fun, but definitely not something I'd do often (in fact, I've only done it once ever). Definitely a good way to cut down on added sugar!

        Reply
    11. Cheryl Vivian | neurotic baker

      October 30, 2017 at 6:15 am

      Such a great classic and it looks super yummy!

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 31, 2017 at 12:46 pm

        Thanks so much, Cheryl! A classic, indeed!

        Reply
    12. Amanda

      October 30, 2017 at 8:00 am

      Shrimp cocktail is one of my favorite appetizers! (I also sometimes order it for lunch by itself when I'm out with friends.) You've also reminded me that it's been way too long since I've watched Beetlejuice. Such a fun movie.

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 31, 2017 at 12:47 pm

        Halloween night is the perfect night to watch it again!

        Reply
    13. Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery

      October 30, 2017 at 3:49 pm

      I love ordering multiple appetizers instead of an entree for dinner! I think I just get bored quickly of eating the same thing, haha.

      Reply
      • BigFlavorsFromATinyKitchen

        October 31, 2017 at 12:48 pm

        It's the best way to order - especially if you're sharing with friends!

        Reply
    14. gaya renang

      August 23, 2018 at 11:48 pm

      i never try it before, i'll try it! thank for the recipe

      Reply
    15. Charles Nachman

      December 01, 2018 at 7:43 pm

      Added a really nice flavor to the shrimp. Served as a side with steakhouse style steaks.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Ashley and I’ve been writing about food & recipes here at Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen since 2006. I want to help you (yes, you!) gain confidence in the kitchen so you are excited to cook at home for yourself and your loved ones.

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