Quick Cocktail Sauce

Article by Emily Saladino

This homemade cocktail sauce recipe comes together in minutes and tastes noticeably better and brighter than even the best bottled version. The ingredients list is minimal, and you can adjust the level of heat to suit your taste. Plus, once you have a batch in the fridge, you may find yourself putting this sauce on everything from shrimp cocktails to omelets and more.

How to Make Cocktail Sauce Like a Pro

There’s a big difference between bland seafood sauce and a tangy cocktail dip recipe that elevates everything it touches. Here are Food Network Kitchen’s tips for a sauce that everyone will love.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice. Fresh citrus keeps the sweetness of the ketchup in check and brightens this seafood sauce. Depending on how tart you like it, you’ll only need a wedge or quarter-lemon to squeeze into the sauce.

Use prepared horseradish sauce. Our recipe developers like the way that the salt and vinegar in jarred horseradish sauce flavors this recipe for cocktail sauce and produces a smoother consistency than grated fresh horseradish.

Substitute ingredients using what’s in your fridge or pantry. Swap wasabi for the horseradish sauce or use soy or fish sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce. The saltiness of ketchups and other pantry sauces vary, so taste as you go.

Make it sweet or spicy. If you prefer a milder cocktail sauce, omit the Tabasco and start with one tablespoon of horseradish sauce. Give it a stir and taste, then add more horseradish sauce if you want a little more kick. Prefer a spicier sauce? Use the full two tablespoons of horseradish sauce and add several dashes of hot sauce to taste.

Chill for at least 30 minutes. Letting this cocktail sauce recipe rest in the fridge before you serve it helps the flavors marry and makes it a cool, refreshing complement to shrimp cocktail or other raw bar favorites.

Serving Suggestions for Cocktail Sauce

While cooked shrimp is the most obvious pairing, homemade cocktail sauce is an excellent accompaniment to all sorts of seafood. In fact, in the 19th century, before it became the go-to sauce for shrimp cocktail, horseradish-tomato-based dips were served with raw oysters at bars and restaurants across the country.

You can also serve this cocktail sauce recipe with crab cakes, pigs in a blanket, meatballs and fried mushrooms. Our recipe developers also recommend mixing it into a meatloaf or using it to top a burger or egg sandwich.

How to Store Cocktail Sauce

This cocktail sauce recipe keeps for up to 3 months in an airtight container in the fridge. You can brighten its flavor by adding an extra squeeze of lemon right before you serve it.