Build the poaching liquid
Combine water, salt, lemon, celery, onion, bay, peppercorns and seafood seasoning. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a strong simmer for 10 minutes.
Recipes › Classic Shrimp Cocktail
Classic Shrimp Cocktail
Plump chilled shrimp with real snap, cooked in a seasoned pot below a hard boil and paired with a horseradish-heavy cocktail sauce that actually tastes alive.
Jump to RecipeAI-generated serving illustration. It is not a photograph of a tested batch or a doneness reference.
The Recipe
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Drop the heat before the shrimp
Turn the heat down until the liquid is around 175 to 185°F / 80 to 85°C — steaming and moving, but not rolling.
Poach gently
Add the shrimp. Cook 2 to 4 minutes depending on size, stirring once, until just opaque through the center.
Shock immediately
Lift the shrimp straight into a large ice bath for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly and refrigerate until cold.
Peel if needed
Peel chilled shell-on shrimp, leaving the tail segment on for serving. Pat dry before plating.
Make the sauce
Stir ketchup, horseradish, lemon, Worcestershire and hot sauce together. Chill 10 minutes, then taste — it should be sharper than you think.
Serve very cold
Arrange shrimp over ice or a chilled platter with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.
OPTIONAL UPGRADE
Flavor Bomb
Keep the core recipe clean, or flip this on for one or two high-impact upgrades.
How to know it's done
Use these recipe-specific texture cues. Color and curl alone cannot establish safety; use a thermometer to check 145°F / 63°C at the thickest part for cooked shrimp.
ShrimpSense Notes
The little details that make a big difference.
Do not boil the shrimp
The pot can boil before the shrimp goes in. Once they are cooking, keep it gentler.
Shell-on protects texture
The shell buffers the flesh and adds flavor to the poaching liquid.
16/20 looks and eats right
Large shrimp chill well without turning mealy and feel substantial with cocktail sauce.
Ice is part of the recipe
The ice bath stops carryover immediately; warm shrimp keep cooking after they leave the pot.