The Best Cocktail Sauce Ever Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
The Best Cocktail Sauce Recipe is made with a handful of ingredients, ready in 5 minutes, and is delicious served with fish and seafood! Quick, easy, and delicious recipe!
Homemade Cocktail Sauce is delicious served with boiled shrimp, scallops, shrimp tacos, and everyone’s favorite shrimp boil.
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.
This sauce comes together very simply in just a few minutes with only a handful of ingredients! My family loves this cocktail sauce! I think you will love it as well!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick and easy. This cocktail sauce recipe uses simple ingredients and is ready in 5 minutes! You control the amount of zestiness and heat without any ingredients you can’t pronounce!
Flavorful. This homemade cocktail sauce is flavorful and delicious served with fish and seafood.
Meal Prep Friendly. You can make this cocktail sauce and store it in the refrigerator to make dinner even easier. See the make-ahead information in my Storage Tips below.
How to Make Homemade Cocktail Sauce Recipe
When you are making a special dinner that includes seafood or an appetizer like Boiled Shrimp, this homemade cocktail sauce is essential! It’s so easy to whip together right before serving the meal or to make ahead and keep in the fridge. Its fresh, zesty taste makes seafood so much more delicious!
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Ketchup – the basis of this recipe is ketchup. Use your favorite brand that is mild-tasting with minimal ingredients.
- Worcestershire Sauce – for the savory, or umami, flavor. You can use coconut aminos if you are sensitive to soy.
- Lemon Juice – adds a touch of acid to the cocktail sauce to enhance the flavor. It also adds a zip of freshness to the sauce.
- Horseradish – grated horseradish adds a bit of zestiness and a touch of spiciness to the cocktail sauce. Adjust the amount of horseradish to your preference. I’ve written this recipe as a “base recipe” that you can increase the amount of horseradish to your tastes. I also recommend serving additional horseradish on the side so those who prefer more can add it.
- Stone House Seasoning – (optional) My house blend of salt, pepper, and garlic enhances the flavor of the cocktail sauce but I recommend trying the sauce first and then add if you feel like it needs it. It really depends on the brand of ketchup used if you need this additional seasoning.
- Hot Sauce – (optional) Can also be served on the side for those who prefer it.
Step-by-Step 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.
- Serve or refrigerate if making ahead.
Storage Tips
To store leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. If the ingredients have settled, you may need to stir the cocktail sauce before serving.
To make ahead. Prepare the cocktail sauce according to the directions. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months or cover the serving bowl with wrap if planning to serve within a day or two. If the ingredients have settled, you may need to stir the cocktail sauce before serving.
To freeze. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for 6 to 12 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You may need to stir the cocktail sauce to make sure well combined once thawed.
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 6 months and in an airtight, freezer-safe container can be kept for 6 to 12 months in the freezer.
My homemade cocktail sauce recipe uses ketchup, lemon juice, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce (or coconut aminos). You can also add more horseradish to taste if you like more zest and add hot sauce if you like it spicy. Depending on the brand of ketchup, you may enjoy adding salt, pepper and garlic in my Stone House Seasoning.
Cocktail sauce is delicious served with seafood. Try it with shrimp, scallops, oysters, and more!
Here’s my recipe for Homemade Cocktail Sauce. I hope you enjoy it!
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
Storage Tips:
To store leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. If the ingredients have settled, you may need to stir the cocktail sauce before serving. To make ahead. Prepare the cocktail sauce according to the directions. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months or cover the serving bowl with wrap if planning to serve within a day or two. If the ingredients have settled, you may need to stir the cocktail sauce before serving. To freeze. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for 6 to 12 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You may need to stir the cocktail sauce to make sure well combined once thawed.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Yep, best cocktail sauce ever!
Thanks, Patsy!
Great recipe! I used almost equal parts horseradish as ketchup!
I’m from the US bit live in Poland now and they have jarred horseradish, worked great, thanks!
Thanks, Claire. Some jarred horseradish is stronger than others so I’m glad you can adjust to level you like.
Could I use horseradish sauce instead of horseradish?
I would not use horseradish sauce to make cocktail sauce, Abbey.
Robyn can this sauce be canned? What would be needed to make it appropriate for canning. More lemon?
I’ve never tried canning this sauce, Ann, so I can’t tell from experience how it would work.
Thanks so much for having this sauce. I was trying to pull it out of my brain but wasn’t having much luck. This is the same seafood sauce that an old boyfriend taught me about 40 years ago. He used to work at a Seafood Restaurant in Florida. All of their guests came to this restaurant for the cocktail sauce he told me. I love this sauce! I can make it as hot as I want with the horseradish.
Thanks, Jessica. I love that each person can adjust the heat as he/she likes with this sauce, too.
The ingredients are all good and make a tasty sauce. If you like any spice at all, increase the horseradish by about 5x.
Thanks, Zac. I try not to make my recipes really spicy for those who can’t tolerate a lot of spicy food. That’s why I add adjust to taste with the horseradish in the recipe. Some in my family always add a little more, too.
I can stay on your page all day! Wounderful simple recipes.
Thanks, KJ. I hope you find many you want to try.
This is way too mild. Needs much more horseradish, some chili garlic sauce AND some Tabasco to round it out. (I also used Sloppy Joe sauce instead of ketchup for less carbs and a richer flavor.) It was easy to make though.
Karla, I made this recipe so that everyone in my family could eat it. I know some like a spicier sauce so I noted to adjust the horseradish to taste.
This is amazing. It’s way too much though, so I half the recipe. And If I’m only making it for myself, I half it twice!! Thanks for posting this though 🙂
Awesome simple recipe! Love it. I used Penzey’s Ground Horseradish – works great! Just needed to use a little more horseradish for more kick. Tried another recipe using Tomato sauce and it was a disaster. Thanks, Robyn!!!
I’m so glad you liked it, Bob!