Shrimp Cocktail is a classic appetizer that has been made for years that has many, many iterations, but this one is superior and very easy to make.

Did you know that shrimp cocktail can go from OK to straight up fantastic by pickling your shrimp? I didn’t until now. I have gone my entire adult life boiling plain ass shrimp and serving it as Shrimp Cocktail!

Where have I been? All this time I’ve been thinking that the quality of the shrimp I get makes the only difference. Who likes plain ass shrimp? Not me. As a matter of fact, if you know anything about me, I don’t like plain ass anything.

Now, don’t get me wrong, you definitely don’t want to go to your regular ol’ grocery and grab a pound of shrimp not knowing how fresh it is, because you cannot. Freshness definitely counts.

Do not get nasty old shrimp.

Or cheap shrimp from just anywhere.

BUT.

The.Following.Makes.Such.A.Difference.

This is a recipe for shrimp cocktail given to me by my brother-in-law, who has been an executive chef for many years here in Alabama.  There’s a certain trust you have about someone who works in the kitchen daily and enjoys it. He loves to cook at home, so there’s the trust for me.

Actually, I can’t imagine someone choosing that profession and not liking it. Who wouldn’t like doing that for a living??

Sometimes I wish I could, but not really sure if that’s for me.

We had my brother-in-law over a couple of weeks ago and I cooked dinner for him – a tad intimidating to say the least. He’s a professional; I’m a wannabe. Nevertheless, I jump at the chance to cook for anybody because for whatever reason I just love feeding people. I love the process from making food to watching people eat and seeing a reaction on their face.

Even if it’s a look on their face like this-tastes-like-crap-but-I-don’t-know-how-to-tell-you, I still appreciate it. Playing with food is my absolute passion, and if I don’t get real feedback I can’t fix what isn’t right about what I’m making.

This is such an easy recipe and gives your shrimp so much flavor, even before it takes a dip in cocktail sauce.

How is Shrimp Cocktail Made?

It’s so easy to make, and if you can boil water and measure, you can definitely make this. One of the most important aspects of this recipe is leaving the shrimp shells on. Do NOT remove them. The shells trap flavor while they’re cooking and I swear it’s like they act as an infuser.

Even though this recipe calls for pickling spice, we are not pickling. To add flavor to the shrimp, we add onion, celery, carrot and lemon to the water along with the pickling spice “purse” and boil it for a couple of minutes.

The shrimp is then quickly thrown into a bowl of ice water to stop it from cooking any longer and becoming tough. After chilled, they’re ready to eat with the cocktail sauce, or they can be kept in the fridge for a few hours, up to about eight.

Peel (except for tails) and serve with cocktail sauce.

This is a really good cocktail sauce recipe I’ve made for a long time. It’s easy to adjust to your own tastes; start with a little less horseradish and lemon, and add more as you taste.

Here’s your printable –

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Yield: 4 servings

Shrimp Cocktail

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A recipe for classic Shrimp Cocktail with traditional Cocktail Sauce.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 4 minutes

Ingredients

For the Pickled Shrimp

• 2 lbs shrimp, deveined if possible, but leave shells on
• 1/2 gallon water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 4 tbsp pickling spice
• 1/2 onion, halved
• 1/2 carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 lemon
• Ice and water in a large bowl

For the Cocktail Sauce

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1.5 tbsp prepared horseradish, more to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp of kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce, more to taste

Instructions

Pickled Shrimp:

1. Add the pickling spice to the center of a 3x3 square of cheesecloth, bring edges together, twist and tie tightly with a piece of twine to make a little spice bag.
2. Fill a large pot about halfway with water and add salt and turn heat to high.
3. Toss in pickling spice bag, onion, carrot, celery and lemon and bring to a boil, then boil for two minutes.
4. Add shrimp and set timer for exactly two more minutes.
5. When timer goes off, remove shrimp from heat, drain and immediately toss in ice water.
6. Submerge the shrimp completely in the ice water to cease the cooking process and let them chill completely.
7. Serve, or refrigerate for up to 8 hours before serving with cocktail sauce.

Cocktail Sauce:

1. Combine all ingredients and whisk to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 358Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 479mgSodium: 4386mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 54g

The provided nutrition calculated may not always be accurate.

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