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This Homemade Cocktail Sauce is bright, sweet and savory with a signature kick from horseradish. It takes just 5 minutes to mix up and is the perfect accompaniment for seafood.
Made with just a few pantry staples, this cocktail sauce is so simple to make that you’ll never need to buy the jarred stuff again! By making it yourself, it’s also easy to tweak the ingredients to your taste. I like to add a dash of hot sauce to give it some spice. This sauce is classic to serve with cooked, cooled shrimp as an appetizer but it also works well as a dip for all kinds of seafood, fries, or even fresh veggies.
For more delicious dips to try with shrimp, check out my Bang Bang Sauce or Lebanese Garlic Sauce.
Recipe Overview
Ingredients Needed
Below are the ingredients you’ll need to make Homemade Cocktail Sauce. The full quantities can be found in the recipe card further down the post.
- Ketchup: Brings sweetness and acidity to the sauce. You can use low salt/low sugar ketchup, if preferred.
- Lemon juice: Balances the flavors in the sauce. Use fresh-squeezed for the best flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds a layer of savory flavor to the sauce. If you don’t have any, you can use soy sauce in a pinch.
- Prepared horseradish: Has a spicy, peppery flavor to add some kick. Make sure you buy prepared (not fresh) horseradish which is mixed with vinegar and salt.
- Garlic powder: Rounds out the flavors. Fresh, finely minced or grated garlic also works.
- Salt and black pepper
- Hot sauce: An optional extra if you like cocktail sauce with a bit of extra heat.
How to Make Homemade Cocktail Sauce
Step 1: In a bowl, add the ketchup, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine.
Step 2: Next, add 1 tablespoon of horseradish. Mix and then taste to see if you would like to add more horseradish. and add more if desired.
Step 3: Optional: If you prefer a spicy kick to this cocktail sauce consider adding 1-2 tsp of hot sauce at this point. Mix again and serve.
Tips for the Best Homemade Cocktail Sauce
- Use a good-quality ketchup as the base since it makes up most of the sauce.
- Start with less horseradish and add more to taste. The flavor becomes stronger as the sauce sits.
- Fresh lemon juice gives the sauce a brighter flavor than bottled juice.
- Let the sauce chill for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- For a smoother sauce, whisk thoroughly until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Recipe Variations
- For a creamy taste, mix in a few tablespoons of mayonnaise.
- Add a dash of smoked paprika for an extra layer of flavor.
- Mix in a squeeze of honey for a sweeter taste.
- Add a little celery salt for a herbal note.
Common Questions
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
It can be, yes. Some Worcestershire sauces can contain gluten so it’s best to check the label to see if it’s gluten-free.
Yes, you can adjust the amount of horseradish in the recipe to bring more of that peppery spice. You can also add hot sauce (or chili powder) to increase the spiciness.
Yes. In fact, making it a few hours ahead allows the flavors to develop and often results in an even better-tasting sauce.
Cocktail sauce has a mild kick from the horseradish. You can easily adjust the amount to make it milder or spicier depending on your preference.
Serving Suggestions
- Baked Coconut Shrimp
- Roasted Carrot Fries
- Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
- Grilled Asparagus
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
- Baked Potato Wedges
- Hasselback Potatoes
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Thank you so much for being here and for cooking along with me. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and ⭐️ rating below.
Homemade Cocktail Sauce In 5 Minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce, optional for an additional kick
- large cooked, cooled shrimp, to serve
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the 1 cup ketchup, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Mix to combine.
- Next, add 1 tbsp prepared horseradish. Mix and then taste to see if you would like to add more horseradish, and add more if desired.
- Optional: If you prefer a spicy kick to this cocktail sauce consider adding 1/2 tsp hot sauce at this point. Mix again and serve with large cooked, cooled shrimp.
Notes
- The recipe makes roughly 1¼ cups (about 20 tablespoons) of sauce total, which works well for serving alongside about 1 to 1½ pounds of cooked shrimp.
- Serving size is 2 tablespoons of cocktail sauce
- Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Prepared horseradish can have quite a hot flavor so (if you’re not use to it) start with a little before increasing the amount, to taste.
- This sauce is great to make ahead of time as the flavors have time to infuse.
- For a creamy taste, mix in a few tablespoons of mayonnaise.
- Add a dash of smoked paprika for an extra layer of flavor.
- Mix in a squeeze of honey for a sweeter taste.
- Add a little celery salt for a herbal note.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
