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Home / Pantry/Kitchen Basics

Homemade Cocktail Sauce

5
/5
5 minutes
11 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 03/03/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Making your own Homemade Cocktail Sauce is SO easy. Just mix together and chill, then you'll have the best tasting and and zesty cocktail sauce you've ever had! #cocktailsauce #sauce #shrimpcocktail #shrimp #homemaderecipe #easyrecipe
Making your own Homemade Cocktail Sauce is SO easy. Just mix together and chill, and you'll have the best-tasting zesty cocktail sauce you've ever had!#cocktailsauce #sauce #shrimpcocktail #shrimp #homemaderecipe #easyrecipe

Making your own Homemade Cocktail Sauce is SO easy. Just mix together and chill, and you’ll have the best-tasting zesty cocktail sauce you’ve ever had!

This is part of a series of recipes here on the site that I’m calling “Back to Basics“.  In this series you’ll find recipes that are common building blocks for beginner cooks, as well as homemade versions of pantry/store-bought staples, such as cream of mushroom soup, pie crust, garlic bread, etc.  With easy to follow instructions, detailed notes, and step by step photos, you’ll be on your way to being a master in your kitchen in no time! 

spoonful of homemade cocktail sauce
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This is one of those recipes that’s so simple to make; you just need the right proportions. And the best part is, the proportions are ultimately up to you!

I’ve given you my preferred recipe, but if you like things a little milder, a little zestier, etc; feel free to change it up the way you like!

Condiments are one of those things that a lot of people don’t think of making at home, but they really taste a lot better, and fresher, when homemade.

Bottles of cocktail sauce have preservatives in them, and probably ingredients you can’t pronounce, let alone know what they are. When you make it from scratch, you know exactly what’s in it, and you can control the heat, salt, and sugar levels.

Granted, this recipe does use bottled ketchup and chili sauce, however, you can absolutely make it with homemade versions of those 🙂

How to make homemade cocktail sauce?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

step by step how to make cocktail sauce
  1. Add all ingredients to a bowl. No need for a specific order or anything, just dump ’em in.
  2. Mix. Use a spoon, fork, whisk, rubber spatula; whatever you have handy. Just make sure everything is combined well.
  3. Chill. Just cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. I normally make mine in the morning, then we use it at dinner that night.

Helpful Tip!

Make sure you chill the sauce, or let it sit at room temperature, for at least an hour. This allows all the flavors to meld together and is what makes it truly taste like a cocktail sauce.

bowl of cocktail sauce with shrimp and lemons

Variations of this recipe

  • Less zesty – use less horseradish, less or no hot sauce, and replace the chili sauce with an equal amount of ketchup.
  • More zesty – for even more kick, use more chili sauce (just make sure you have 1 total cup of the chili sauce/ketchup combo), more horseradish, and more hot sauce.
  • Sugar-controlled – to make this sauce a bit healthier, use a ketchup that is naturally sweetened and contains no high fructose corn syrup.
dipping a shrimp into cocktail sauce

FAQ’s

Why make cocktail sauce instead of buying it?

One main reason; control. By making it yourself, you control the quality of the ingredients. You can also have more control over the sugar, salt and spice levels.

What to make with cocktail sauce?

The first thing that probably pops into your mind is shrimp cocktail, but you can do a lot more with a classic cocktail sauce! Serve it alongside any type of fried seafood, fried mushrooms, as a dipper for fries, even on your eggs.

Making cocktail sauce ahead of time

By it’s nature, this recipe is a natural make ahead recipe. The cocktail sauce needs to chill for at least 1 hour, in order for all the flavors to really come together.

Without chilling, it won’t really taste like cocktail sauce, just like ketchup with things added to it.

shrimp cocktail

Storage

Cocktail sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container and used within 1 – 2 weeks.

Freezing

This sauce is easily frozen! Freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.

Thaw in the refrigerator, then use as desired.

Recipes to serve with this cocktail sauce:

holding a fried shrimp
Southern-Style Fried Shrimp
piece of fried fish with bite taken of it
Crispy Beer Battered Fish
honey lime shrimp
Prosciutto Honey Lemon Shrimp
hand holding a piece of fried shrimp that's been dipped in remoulade sauce
Air Fryer Fried Shrimp
mixing bowls with lids

My Favorite Mixing Bowls!

I love these mixing bowls for two main reasons: the non-slip bottoms make mixing easier, and the airtight lids mean you don’t have to transfer the contents to another container to refrigerate!

Get on amazon

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

spoonful of homemade cocktail sauce

Homemade Cocktail Sauce

5 from 10 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Calories: 41
Servings: 8 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
Just mix together and chill, then you'll have the best tasting and and zesty cocktail sauce you've ever had!

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup chili sauce (we use Heinz)
  • 2 – 4 Tbsp prepared horseradish (amount depends on your preference)
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • few dashes of tabasco or favorite hot sauce

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mixing well.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until chilled.
  • Serve with your favorite seafood.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

  1. Serving size is an estimate, based on approximately 2-3 Tbsp per person.  
  2. Recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
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Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. Sheryl says

    Posted on 10/5 at 9:22 pm

    My go to best homemade cocktail sauce.

    Reply
  2. Sandra says

    Posted on 3/8 at 8:02 pm

    This is so good!! My husband couldn’t stop eating!

    Reply
  3. Susan Vasek says

    Posted on 3/6 at 8:58 am

    This is very good and easy to make we love to use it as chip dip also.

    Reply
  4. Beth says

    Posted on 3/5 at 5:23 pm

    This is amazing and so easy to make! My daughter and I are going to love this! So excited!

    Reply
  5. Toni says

    Posted on 3/5 at 4:40 pm

    I seriously love how easy this is to make!

    Reply
  6. Catalina says

    Posted on 3/5 at 11:15 am

    wow! Sounds a lot of fun to make cocktails at home!

    Reply
  7. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

    Posted on 3/5 at 2:45 am

    This Cocktail Sauce is looks appealing! Perfect!

    Reply
  8. Vikki says

    Posted on 3/5 at 12:45 am

    Super tasty sauce! Love how easy it is to make

    Reply
  9. Denise Severino says

    Posted on 3/5 at 12:03 am

    i love it

    Reply
  10. Jen says

    Posted on 3/4 at 2:19 pm

    So easy to adjust it more to your liking when you make it yourself. So simple!

    Reply
  11. Greg says

    Posted on 3/4 at 10:15 am

    Nice, the chili sauce makes it perfect! No more store bought.

    Reply

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