The Best Cocktail Sauce Ever Recipe

Robyn Stone

Published Feb 17, 2026

138 Comments

5 from 48 votes
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This easy Best Cocktail Sauce Ever Recipe is a zesty homemade sauce that beats any store-bought brand – make in 5 minutes with just 5 ingredients! It has the perfect balance of tangy flavor and a hint of heat, making it the ultimate cocktail sauce to pair with shrimp, oysters, scallops, and more!

A quick, from-scratch recipe that’s been a reader and family favorite for years is simple to make and far more tasty than anything you’ll find in the store. Whether you’re serving at a party or prepping a dinner of boiled shrimp, scallops, or having a shrimp boil, this is the recipe you’ll turn to again and again.

Homemade cocktail sauce and a serving spoon in a white bowl with blue rim on a marble surface with fresh herbs

I’m pretty picky about my Cocktail Sauce. The bottled stuff doesn’t make the cut with me. That’s the reason I developed my own years ago. And it’s absolutely the best I’ve ever tasted – and the reason I call it the Best Cocktail Sauce Ever.

Why You’ll Love This Cocktail Sauce Recipe

  • Ready in 5 Minutes: No cooking – just mix and refrigerate.
  • Better Than Store-Bought: Offers a brighter, deeper flavor from simple ingredients.
  • Customizable: You control the level of zesty and heat to your taste.
  • Flavorful and Versatile: Perfect with shrimp, crab, oysters, and more.
  • Make-Ahead Friendly: Tastes even better after chilling; stores well in the fridge.
Cocktail Sauce in white blue rimmed bowl surrounded by boiled shrimp

Ingredients

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.

Photo of ingredients used to make homemade cocktail sauce recipe.
  • Ketchup: Use your favorite mild-tasting brand with minimal ingredients.
  • Horseradish: Adds a hint of zesty, spicy flavor. Adjust to your heat preference.
  • Worcestershire Sauce: Adds savory depth of flavor. Use coconut aminos if soy-sensitive.
  • Fresh Lemon Juice: Enhances the flavor with a fresh brightness.
  • Stone House Seasoning: Optional – Try the sauce first, then mix in if desired. My house blend of salt, pepper, and garlic. The ketchup used may affect whether you need it.
  • Hot Sauce: Optional – Can add if you want extra heat or serve on the side.

How to Make Homemade Cocktail Sauce Recipe

When serving seafood or an appetizer like shrimp cocktail, this fresh, zesty cocktail sauce is a must!

Step by Step Instructions

Mixing bowl holding ketchup and lemon juice sits beside whisk and other ingredients for making cocktail sauce.
  1. Add ketchup and lemon juice to a mixing bowl.
Mixing bowl holding ketchup, Worcestershire and lemon juice sits beside whisk and other ingredients for making cocktail sauce.
  1. Add Worcestershire (or coconut aminos) to bowl.
Mixing bowl holding ketchup, Worcestershire, horseradish, and lemon juice sits beside whisk and bowl of seasoning for making cocktail sauce.
  1. Combine fresh horseradish with the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
Mixing bowl with all ingredients for making cocktail sauce sits beside a whisk.
  1. All base ingredients are added to the mixing bowl.
Cocktail sauce is blended in white bowl with blue rim with a whisk.
  1. Whisk ingredients together til well blended. Taste and add more horseradish or hot sauce if desired. Add Stone House Seasoning if you wish.
White bowl with blue rim holds cocktail sauce ready to serve sitting beside a whisk used to mix it.
  1. Serve immediately or refrigerate for about 30 minutes to chill and allow flavors to deepen. Keep refrigerated.

Recipe Success Tips

  • Use Fresh Horseradish: Fresh makes a big taste difference—older jars lose potency.
  • Use Fresh Lemon Juice: It adds a brighter flavor, but bottled real lemon juice works as well.
  • Taste-Test Before Chilling: Adjust the seasoning to your taste before chilling.
  • Chill for Best Flavor: Chilling a bit brings flavors together.
  • Make a Double Batch: It is a favorite sauce that disappears quickly and stores well!

Storage Tips

  • Store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If the ingredients have settled, stir before serving.
  • Make Ahead: Prepare as directed. Store in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks or cover the serving bowl with wrap if serving within 1-2 days. If the ingredients have settled, stir before serving.
  • Freeze: Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. There may be a slight texture change once thawed. Stir to ensure it’s well combined before serving.

More Favorite Sauces

Photo of homemade cocktail sauce with a serving spoon in a white bowl with a blue rim.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can you keep homemade cocktail sauce?

Homemade cocktail sauce kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator lasts up to 2 weeks. In an airtight, freezer-safe container, it can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How spicy is this cocktail sauce?

It’s mild to medium, depending on the amount of horseradish. Start with the amount in the recipe and add more for heat if desired.

What do you serve cocktail sauce with?

Cocktail sauce is delicious served with seafood. Try it with shrimp, scallops, oysters, and more!

Why This is the Best Cocktail Sauce Ever

With its balanced mix of tangy, spicy, sweet, and savory flavors, this homemade cocktail sauce surpasses any store-bought version. It’s quick and customizable, making it the sauce you’ll reach for time and again when serving seafood on your menu!

Homemade cocktail sauce and a serving spoon in a white bowl with blue rim on a marble surface with fresh herbs
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Homemade Cocktail Sauce Recipe

Robyn Stone
5 from 48 votes
This easy Best Cocktail Sauce Ever Recipe is a zesty homemade sauce that beats any store brand – make in 5 minutes with just 5 ingredients! It has the perfect balance of tangy flavor and a hint of heat, making it the ultimate cocktail sauce to pair with shrimp, oysters, scallops, and more!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 12 – about 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 cups ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons horseradish, adjust to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Stone House Seasoning, Optional, to taste
  • hot sauce, Optional, to taste

Instructions 

  • Add the ketchup, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce (or coconut aminos), and horseradish to a bowl. Mix together until they are well combined. Taste and add more horseradish or hot sauce as desired. Add the Stone House Seasoning if you believe it is needed as well.
  • Keep refrigerated.

Notes

Storage Tips:
    • Store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If the ingredients have settled, stir before serving.
    • Make Ahead: Prepare as directed. Store in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks or cover the serving bowl with wrap if serving within 1-2 days. If the ingredients have settled, stir before serving.
    • Freeze: Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. There may be a slight texture change once thawed. Stir to ensure it’s well combined before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 42kcal
Carbohydrates: 11g
Protein: 0.4g
Fat: 0.05g
Fiber: 0.2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Welcome to Add A Pinch

About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a passionate home cook, baker, food photographer, and cookbook author. As the creator of Add a Pinch, she has been sharing cherished family recipes and practical cooking tips since 2010, inspiring home cooks to create delicious meals with ease. A devoted wife and mom, Robyn’s warm, approachable style has cultivated a loyal community of food enthusiasts. Her culinary expertise has been showcased on Food Network, Southern Living, Southern Lady, People Magazine, Hallmark Channel, and more.

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5 from 48 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Review




138 Comments

  1. Carla Cooley says:

    Best cocktail sauce! Husband won’t use anything else now. I tweaked it a little using what I had on hand. I used Beer’n Brat horseradish Mustard instead of horseradish and it tastes delicious. Thank you for the great and easy recipe!

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Thanks for the tip with the horseradish mustard, Carla. I love that this is now a favorite for your husband.

  2. Bill says:

    Great recipe. Had some nice leftover Dungeness crab, added some very nice chopped up U15 shrimp, a couple of dots of tabasco and a pinch of sugar and a few tablespoons of heavy cream. We found it totally elegant, different, tasty and super easy. Robyn’s recipe is super.

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Thanks, Bill. This sounds amazing with the Dungeness crab and shrimp.

  3. Jen says:

    Love this! Something interesting, as an Thanks for the recipe! American living in Canada here. Ketchup here is a lot sweeter up here. I cut the sweetness by adding a bit of soy sauce and I also add some tobasco sauce as well! Fresh is the way to go!

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Thanks for the tips for using the ketchup in Canada, Jen. So glad you liked the cocktail sauce.

  4. Jennifer says:

    Absolutely amazing. Thanks so much!

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      So glad you liked this cocktail sauce, Jennifer. Thanks!

  5. Kim H says:

    5 stars
    A very simple cocktail sauce which you can adjust to your own taste.

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Kim H, Thanks. I love that you can make this as spicy or mild as you want.

  6. Dennis says:

    Awesome easy recipe. Store bought has no flavor,unless you like high HFCS and little horseradish to none. Thank you!!!

    Reply
    1. John says:

      Thanks Robyn, simple basic recipie that is a great base. We rarely make it the same depending on the seafood we are consuming. When we are having an oyster feast we do the basic and also a spicy version for raw. We also do a version with bacon, cider vinegar, onion, celery, kale, and butter that’s served warm with steamed (scalded) oysters. It’s used as a dipping sauce as it’s a bit more liquid than the regular cocktail sauce. I have also used a green tomato base instead of ketchup in the fall when making the basic version. thanks

    2. Robyn Stone says:

      Thanks, John, for letting me know the variations you make with this cocktail sauce recipe.

  7. Lydia says:

    Can wasabi be replace with horseradish?

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      I haven’t tried it, Lydia, but you can substitute horseradish with wasabi.

  8. Babersgrandma says:

    This recipe is easy and delicious! A real time saver, I made it twice already. I added extra Horseradish just for extra kick, and because I love Horseradish.

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      I love to add more horseradish to mine sometimes, too. The great thing about this recipe is that everyone can make it as spicy as they want.