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Cocktail Sauce

This easy-to-make homemade cocktail sauce is a delicious accompaniment to fried shrimp. Ready to serve in less than 5 minutes, it’s full of flavor and a great classic recipe to have in your arsenal!

cocktail sauce next to shrimp


 

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This classic cocktail sauce recipe is a wonderfully tangy dip that takes just minutes to make with a few simple ingredients. It’s sweet and spicy, and homemade is so much fresher and flavorful than store-bought.

It’s a wonderful accompaniment to my air fryer crispy shrimp, coconut shrimp, and fries. You can even use it as a spread for burgers and sandwiches!

How To Make Cocktail Sauce

It’s so simple and easy to make this sauce, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and serve or chill. It’s as simple as that!

Ingredients in a glass jar before being mixed
close up of cocktail sauce

How long does homemade cocktail sauce keep?

So here’s the good news, this sauce has a long shelf life! It will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for at least two weeks! The recipe is easily doubled, so be sure to make a big batch!

Can you freeze it?

Because this cocktail sauce has a long life in the fridge, I don’t freeze it, but it will freeze and keep well. Freeze it in a bag or container, and it will keep well for up to 6 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight to use.

What do you serve with cocktail sauce?

This sauce is traditionally served with shrimp, like my air fryer crispy shrimp, but it’s also great with lots of other seafood like crab, calamari, or fish like salmon. Mix it with tomato juice to make a great started for a Bloody Mary and mix it with a little mayo for a dip that is perfect for fries.

The sauce in a bowl next to fried shrimp

Recipe Notes and Tips

  • All horseradish is different; some are spicier than others. Add less horseradish for a milder cocktail sauce and more if you like more of a kick.
  • Don’t use horseradish sauce. Make sure it’s prepared horseradish. You can usually find this in the deli section of your supermarket.

More Dips and Sauces

cocktail sauce in bowl with shrimp in background
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Homemade Cocktail Sauce

This easy to make cocktail sauce is a delicious accompaniment to fried shrimp. Read to serve in less than 5 minutes, it's full of flavor and a great classic recipe to have in your arsenal!
Course Dip, Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword cocktail dip recipe, cocktail sauce, shrimp cocktail sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 to 6 servings
Calories 38kcal
Author Tanya

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine ingredients in a bowl. Serve immediately or serve chilled.

Notes

  • All horseradish is different, some are spicier than others. Add less horseradish for a milder cocktail sauce and more if you like more of a kick.
  • Don’t use horseradish sauce. Make sure it’s prepared horseradish. You can usually find this in the deli section of your supermarket.

Nutrition

Calories: 38kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 154IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
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