Shrimp Cocktail (Easy and Delicious)

This delicious shrimp cocktail is a great appetizer to serve up for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. Quick and easy to cook, the shrimp are perfectly seasoned and can be made beforehand.

 

The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.

I love to serve up a lighter appetizer before the main event on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and this shrimp cocktail is a classic for a reason!

This is a great finger food you can serve while the rest of the dinner is cooked to keep friends and family entertained.

The shrimp are cooked with herbs and spices and come out perfectly juicy and succulent. Serve them with some cocktail sauce and lemon wedges, and you are good to go!

A Quick Look at the Ingredients

Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Shrimp: Jumbo raw shrimp (peeled, deveined, tail-on) (The star of the dish, prepared for a tender and flavorful bite.)
• Cooking Liquid (Flavor Builders): Water, salt, black peppercorns, lemon (halved), parsley (Infuses the shrimp with subtle layers of seasoning during cooking.)
• Serving: Cocktail sauce (A tangy and spicy dip to complement the shrimp.)

Gather these Tools

• Large pot
• Slotted spoon
• Mixing bowl (for serving or dipping sauce)
• Measuring spoons
• Knife and cutting board (for the lemon)

How to make shrimp cocktail

Bring water, salt, black peppercorns, lemon, and parsley to boil in a large stockpot. Allow to boil for about 10 minutes.

Add shrimp and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the shrimp is pink. Remove shrimp and place in a bowl of cold ice water. I use a spider strainer to get them out.

Remove shrimp from water, pat dry, and serve with cocktail sauce. Enjoy 🙂

Do you have to keep the tails on the shrimp?

I much prefer to keep the tails on the shrimp for this appetizer. They add more flavor to the shrimp and are easier to pick up and dip in your sauce.

Can you make it ahead of time?

This is a great make-ahead appetizer! Once the shrimp have cooled in the iced water, pat them dry and transfer them to a covered bowl, and keep them in the fridge. They will keep well for 3 to 4 days, but I prefer to serve them within 24 hours.

Can you use frozen shrimp?

I prefer fresh shrimp for this recipe, but you can use frozen if that's what you have.

You can either defrost the shrimp before cooking, or you can add them right to the pot frozen. Frozen shrimp will take longer to cook, about 5 to 6 minutes. If you are using frozen shrimp, make sure that they are shelled and deveined before adding them to the pot.

Tanya's Top Tips

• Take care not to overcook the shrimp. They are quick to cook, and as soon as they turn an opaque pink color, take them out of the pot. Overcooking can cause them to get tough.
• Be sure to plunge the cooked shrimp into ice water when ready. This will stop them from cooking so they stay nice and juicy and don't get chewy.
• Great to serve as part of a shrimp cocktail appetizer, these shrimp are also great served on a bed of salad for a sit-down course.
• If you can't find jumbo shrimp, large or extra-large shrimp work great, too.

I hope you love this shrimp cocktail recipe as much as we do. Looking for more appetizers, check out the ones below.

More Easy Appetizers

• Air Fryer Crab Legs
• Air Fried Toasted Ravioli
• Southern Deviled Eggs
• Air Fryer Crispy Fried Shrimp

If you have tried this or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

This post was originally published on November 19, 2020. It has been updated with new information.