Learn how to make a perfect shrimp cocktail at home, including your own homemade cocktail sauce and how to cook the shrimp so that they’re tender, juicy, and delicious.
I’ve had some amazing shrimp cocktails in my day. They’ve usually been served as appetizers at steakhouses. Cold and tender shrimp. Sweet and spicy sauce. So good. When we want shrimp cocktail at home though, it’s easy enough to buy some precooked shrimp (maybe already arranged in a ring) and a jar of cocktail sauce and set it out for people to munch on. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s tasty and easy.
However, if you want an ultimate shrimp cocktail, like those steakhouse appetizers, you need to do a bit more. Not much more, mind you. Homemade shrimp cocktail is still surprisingly simple to do. Scroll down to read everything you need to know, or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Blanch the Shrimp: Once the water is boiling, carefully add the shrimp to the pot. Let them cook for 1-2 minutes, or until they turn pink and opaque. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp, as they can become tough and rubbery.
How To Cook Shrimp For Shrimp Cocktail
You’ve got your raw shrimp, now you’ve got to cook them. The best way to cook shrimp for shrimp cocktail is to poach them gently. My preferred method is to bring a pot of salted water to the boil. You can add some aromatics first like some lemon juice and lemon wedges, peppercorns, and a good handful of fresh parsley leaves. Those items are optional though. The only thing that’s required is the water and salt.
Once the water has reached a really good boil, take it completely off of the heat and let the boil subside. Then, with the pot still off of the heat, add your shrimp. Put the lid on the pot and let the shrimp cook in the heat that remains in the water. It will take 4-7 minutes. Check at that point – the shrimp are done when they’re opaque and pink.
The timing depends on how many shrimp you’re cooking and how much water you had. In a 3 quart saucepan 3/4 full of water, you can add 12 shrimp and they’ll cook in about 4 minutes. If you want to cook more shrimp, use a bigger pot and more water.
Sometimes, depending on the size and number of those shrimp, the size of that pot and how much water was in it, it will take a bit longer, 2-4 minutes. The beautiful thing about this method though is that you can’t really overcook them at this point. The water isn’t super-hot anymore and the shrimp are just slowly getting a bit more done as you leave them.
While the shrimp are cooking, fill a large bowl with cold water and a lot of ice. Once the shrimp are cooked, remove them from the hot water (leave the aromatics behind and discard them after). You can use a slotted spoon or pour them through a colander. Then put the drained shrimp into the bowl of ice water and let them chill completely. After that, you can serve them immediately or drain them and refrigerate for up to 12 hours before serving.
Which Shrimp To Use For Shrimp Cocktail
For a really great shrimp cocktail, you want to go with large shrimp. I use a 21-25 count, which means there are 21-25 shrimp per pound. Buy them deveined but uncooked. Easy-peel or already peeled is fine.
If they’re peeled, make sure they still have their tails. Those make the handles for your shrimp cocktail and you don’t want to skip that! If they’re easy-peel, you can peel them before or after they’re cooked, it doesn’t matter. Either way, make sure that you leave the tail on.
Easy-peel shrimp have had the peel cut down the outside to get out the vein and then there is a cut around the tail. This makes it easy to remove the peel while leaving the tail intact. You want the tail because it makes a nice presentation and acts as a handle for your shrimp.
How to Make Perfectly Cooked Shrimp Every Time
FAQ
Can you blanch frozen raw shrimp?
How long to boil raw frozen shrimp?
How long to keep shrimp in ice bath?
What is blanching seafood?
How do you Blanch shrimp?
The purpose of blanching shrimp is to kill any harmful bacteria, enhance its texture, and preserve its color. To blanch shrimp, start by boiling water in a large pot. Once the water comes to a boil, add a pinch of salt and carefully drop the shrimp into the pot. Depending on the size of the shrimp, blanch them for 1-2 minutes.
How do you Blanch shrimp in a crock pot?
To prepare the shrimp for blanching, first remove the shells and devein them if necessary. Then, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp are just opaque and pink. Immediately remove the shrimp from the pot and transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Do you thaw frozen shrimp before blanching?
You don’t have to thaw the raw, frozen shrimp before you blanch them, as long as the water is at a full boil when you add the shrimp. Fill a pot with water. Use enough water to submerge the shrimp fully to a 3-inch depth. Add 1 tbsp. salt to the water. Bring the water to full boil. Submerge the shrimp in the boiling water.
How long does it take to cook shrimp?
Add 8 cups water and bring to a boil over med/high heat. Once water boils, add the peeled and deveined shrimp and simmer until pink, about 2-3 minutes depending on size of the shrimp. Drain and transfer cooked shrimp to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process and let cool.