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Best Homemade Cocktail Sauce Recipe in 5 Minutes

Close-up of vibrant, chunky homemade cocktail sauce served in a small white ramekin.

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Make this simple homemade cocktail sauce from scratch. It has the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavor, tasting much better than store-bought versions. This is the best sauce for shrimp cocktail.

Ingredients

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  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish (adjust for heat)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (optional, for extra kick)

Instructions

  1. Gather all your ingredients: ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce if you are using it.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
  3. Stir the mixture well until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
  4. Taste the sauce. If you want more heat, add more horseradish or a few dashes of hot sauce. If you want more tang, add a small squeeze of lemon juice.
  5. Cover the bowl and chill the sauce in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
  6. Serve this zesty shrimp sauce with chilled shrimp, oysters, or crab.

Notes

  • For a restaurant style cocktail sauce with more heat, use freshly grated horseradish instead of prepared.
  • This simple homemade sauce keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
  • This recipe makes a classic, tangy appetizer sauce that pairs perfectly with any seafood platter.

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