The first memory I have of eating shrimp cocktail was in a restaurant on the Oregon coast. I must have been 5- or 6- years old and my parents and I had driven from Vancouver to enjoy a vacation amidst the crashing waves, barking sea lions, and tufted puffins. As a little girl, the words “shrimp cocktail” inspired great anticipation and excitement. A heaping pile of shrimp, accompanied by a sauce that combined two of my favorite condiments – ketchup and horseradish! To top things off, the waitress at the restaurant took a shine to my 5-year-old self and the stuffed bunny I was clutching on my lap. She became “my favorite waitress in the whole wide world” when she brought a bowl of carrot sticks for my furry friend.
The shrimp:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined, tails left intact) with 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper.
Spread the shrimp, in a single layer, on a large baking sheet.
Place the shrimp in a dish, partially cover, and chill for about 1 hour. Serve with the cocktail sauce.
The cocktail sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
Place the shrimp in a dish, partially cover, and chill for about 1 hour. Serve with the cocktail sauce.
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
this looks fantastic!
This shrimp looks fantastic, and I am a big fan of this one. Eat it everytime we go out for an appetizer…so expensive now cant wait to try yours it looks marvelous! We get some gorgeous shrimp here in Florida….thanks for posting… will just leave out the onion mmmm good!
First of all, that waitress bringing carrot sticks to your bunny is priceless. I do appreciate this recipe as I love shrimp cocktail and can't find a bottled sauce I like. I think I tried to make it once and didn't like the sauce….. can't wait to try this. It sounds like the perfect combo of flavors.
Ahhhhh, carrot sticks for your bunny! How sweet
Roasting shrimp is something that I just started doing. I rather like the way it turns out. I admit to buying cocktail sauce, but there's really no reason why I can't make the good stuff myself! Looks great.
wow, very impressive way to serve shrimp cocktail – love it!
Alison – Thank you!
Pegasuslegend – Yes, this really is an economical way to make this recipe at home. I am not a big fan of raw onion either, so I decreased the amount from the original recipe. It is not overpowering in this sauce.
Lea Ann – Thank you! Yes, this homemade sauce is far superior to any bottled sauce you'll find.
RecipeGirl – I was really pleased with how the roasted shrimp turned out. It's a quick, full-proof way to cook it.
Brie – Thank you! I had fun setting this up.
That sounds great! I love the additions you made to the cocktail sauce – I like it very spicy
Gorgeous shrimp! I'm originally from Oregon so describing it brought back so many memories of the coast there
marvelous sauce recipe, love the jalapeno instead of the traditional red pepper sauce…nice and will certainly make it…
This looks wonderful. My dad is a big shrimp fan, so when the recipe for shrimp roasted with broccoli came out in the NY Times, I made that for him and he loved it! Never thought of roasting the shrimp for shrimp cocktail, but it can only make it better!
i love the the cocktail sauce, using jalapeno gives it a little heat…:)
Great pics and great shrimp!
Oh Dara, that looks very gorgeous and tempting. Really fresh and tasty. I love shrimps and this would be great way to spice up the way I serve shrimps at home.
That's so funny – I totally remember loving shrimp cocktail as a kid too! It seemed so adult to eat it, didn't it? What a great way to snazz up a classic, I love it. And your presentation is fabu!
Pretty presentation!
Looks delicious! And I love that you roasted the shrimp. I've always boiled them, but I bet they are so much better roasted!
KrisKishere, Drick, & Laura – Yes, I like the extra kick from the jalapeno, too.
Rochelle – I'm sure you miss beautiful Oregon!
Kalyn – I'll have to check out that shrimp and broccoli recipe. Sounds delicious!
April, Divina, & Mother Rimmy – Thank you!
Tasty Trix – Exactly. It did feel like such a grown-up dish.
Valley Writer – I think it is easier to avoid the potential rubbery, overcooked texture of shrimp by roasting them.
Great presentation! I love garlic shrimp.
Oh. My husband LOVES shrimp. It very available in Florida. I just bought a fresh lb. of fresh shrimp for 4 bucks!!!! On sale!!!
Great recipe
What a nice twist. Shirmps are actually one of my favorite seafoods, together with crab and lobster.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
What a cute story! I agree that shrimp cocktail does elicit excitement and memories of fun, probably because it's often served at parties. Your photos are stunning!
Do you still have some?
Hummingbird & Fresh Local – Thank you!
Miranda – I bet that shrimp is going to be good!
Rylan – I adore shrimp, too. Though a simple seared scallop rivals them!
Indonesia-Eats – We polished them off in one go!
I love the presentation. Love the spicy sauce. Would look very impressive at a party. Thanks for sharing.
Nice. Thank you for sharing . Cheers !
such a pretty presentation! I love it! I never prawn cocktail because I have a perception that is a rather pretentious dish. But this I like.
What a nice, fresh adaptation of an old classic – beautiful presentation too!
I pretty much agree with everyone that has commented, fantastic presentation! the shrimp cocktails alone look delish
Fantastic presentation!
Oh, I love cocktail shrimp! I never make it either, for some reason. Maybe I need to make it for New Years Eve! Yum! Love your presentation, by the way.
mmm shrimp! Great photograph of one of my favourite foods.
Beautiful picture. And what a sweet story about the waitress… Bet she'd be tickled pink that you remembered her and those carrot sticks years later!
Lovely presentation! They look so fancy and fresh in the photo!
I love your presentation of these shrimp cocktails – so pretty!
The presentation takes all! Super! The recipe looks good as well..always looking for new ideas when it comes to shrimp.
These look simpy delicous and the photos are stunning!
Your presentation is out of this world! Wonderful for a cocktail party! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe and presentation idea!
These look incredible. Living in Florida, fresh shrimp is easy to get. Being a pepper head, I will definitely have to try. Thanks.
Many of the necessary vitamins are found in garlic as a natural antibiotic and food should be consumed in more than gives great flavor
Love the presentation! Where did you find such beautiful serving glasses? I love how the pattern makes it looks as though the shrimp are swimming through fields of seagrass on the ocean floor.
I'm not sure if you will get this comment since this recipe is over a year old but I was wondering about the "chile sauce" ingredient. Do you use a regular chile sauce like Heinz or something spicier such as Sriracha? Or something in between? Thanks!
10Brandons, I just used regular Heinz chile sauce for this recipe, though I love Sriracha for other things (though maybe not 1/2 cup at a time). I hope you enjoy this!