The Best Cocktail Sauce Ever Recipe
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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.
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.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- 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
- Add ketchup and lemon juice to a mixing bowl.
- Add Worcestershire (or coconut aminos) to bowl.
- Combine fresh horseradish with the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
- All base ingredients are added to the mixing bowl.
- Whisk ingredients together til well blended. Taste and add more horseradish or hot sauce if desired. Add Stone House Seasoning if you wish.
- 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
- horsey sauce – (Horseradish Sauce)
- comeback sauce
- homemade BBQ sauce
- enchilada sauce
- hollandaise sauce
- caramel sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
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 Recipe
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
-
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
This was the best cocktail sauce I have ever had. No more junk in a jar! I can’t wait until summer when I entertain. I live in Maryland, so you already know it has to be good. I’m looking forward to making this and serving it with my seafood feast! Thank you!
Yay, Janet! I am excited to hear that you enjoy this too! Thanks so much! xo
This is they only cocktail sauce I will eat now. It’s sooo good! There isn’t really anything else to be said about it, it is the absolute BEST cocktail sauce. Thank you for all of your recipes, they never disappoint!
Thank you so much, Jessica. I’m happy you enjoy my recipes. xo
EXCELLENT!!! Thank you for sharing this simple yet exquisite recipe.
Pretty much the way we do it in South Texas; however, we would add significantly more Worstershire sauce and a lot more horse radish, and some good old Tabasco for added heat.
Definitely multiply the horseradish by 10 and put about as much Tabasco
I needed to tweak this. Surprised others didn’t. I started with 1 1/2 cups of ketchup, and 2 tsp of horseradish wasn’t nearly enough, so surely wouldn’t be enough with 2 cups ketchup. I ended up doubling the horseradish to 4 tsp, which made it much better after refrigerating overnight. Thanks!
Works really well easy to make and it taste great even if you don’t have horseradish you can use horseradish sauce
The best cocktail sauce ever. This is my go to sauce now. My whole family loves it. Thank you.
Fast easy and so delicious! Am on a low sodium diet and this is perfect! Thank you so much!
I was so disappointed when I had made fried shrimp and realized I was out of cocktail sauce. But then I realized I had all the ingredients for this and it’s sooooooo much better than the store bought stuff I had. Thanks for saving my date-night-in dinner!
I’m thrilled that it helped you have a that special dinner, Christina! I love this so much better than packaged cocktail sauce too – I always make this. Thanks so much! xo
I rarely have measured ingredients when I have made similar versions. My rule of thumb is enough horseradish to make the mixture pink, not red. Then add lemon, Tabasco, coarse black pepper to taste. Sometimes Worc. sauce, but much smaller proportion than the recipe calls for.