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    Home » Recipes » Flavor Boosters: Condiments, Sauces, and Frostings

    Published: Oct 26, 2024 · Modified: Jun 1, 2025 by AshleyFreeman ·

    The Best 5-Ingredient Horseradish Cocktail Sauce

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This is my go-to cocktail sauce recipe to serve with boiled shrimp, Low Country Boil, and steamed seafood. It's got only 5 ingredients and takes just about 5 minutes to make. The secret ingredient to this great cocktail sauce is zesty, zingy horseradish to give the sauce a little bit of a kick.

    Metal platter of shrimp cocktail and lemon wedges with a white bowlThe Best 5-Ingredient Horseradish Cocktail Sauce.

    I grew up in Savannah, Georgia, so seafood has always been a staple for our family. My grandparents' house is right on the water, and we would fish, crab, and throw the cast net right off the dock, catching our dinner right then and there. I loved it when we would have a fish fry or Low Country Boil in the backyard, with the food spread out on a newspaper-covered long table.

    We are still a seafood-loving family, and when we serve shrimp, I'm always in charge of making the cocktail sauce. The most crucial ingredient is the jarred horseradish. It adds just the right amount of sinus-clearing heat. I honestly can finish off a giant plate of shrimp with this cocktail sauce all by myself--it's seriously so good.

    This is a great recipe to make for the holiday season. It's quick and easy, and if you pick up the steamed seafood from the store, you'll have a show-stopping appetizer ready in minutes. Add my sausage balls, ham and cheese empanadas, Georgia caviar, and pimento cheese dip, and you'll have an epic spread of crowd-pleasing hors d'oeuvres.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • How to Make Shrimp Cocktail:
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Tasty Tip
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Related
    • Pairing
    • 🍽Get the recipe
    • Recipe Guidelines and Test Kitchen Tips
    • Food Safety

    Ingredients

    Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this homemade cocktail sauce recipe:

    Ingredients for St. Elmo's Cocktail Sauce.
    • ketchup
    • prepared horseradish
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • lemon juice
    • garlic

    (See printable recipe card for quantities.)

    Instructions

    Now that we've got our ingredients, let's make this best cocktail sauce recipe:

    Minced garlic on a wooden board with a wooden handled chef's knife.
    1. First, finely mince the garlic.
    Stirring together the ingredients for St. Elmo's cocktail sauce in a glass bowl with a red rubber spatula.
    1. Then, stir together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

    How to Make Shrimp Cocktail:

    1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of Old Bay seasoning to the water.
    2. Add 1 ½ to 2 pounds of shrimp (large, extra large, or jumbo shrimp) to the water.  Boil for 2 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through.
    3. Drain the shrimp and plunge in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
    4. Peel and devein the shrimp, if desired, leaving the tails intact. Serve with the cocktail sauce.

    Substitutions

    Here are some ways to change up this recipe in case you don't have everything on hand:

    • Ketchup - I prefer Heinz ketchup; I feel like it's got the right hint of sweetness to saltiness. If you use another brand, you may need to add a pinch of sugar or salt to the sauce. You can also use Heinz chili sauce instead of the ketchup.
    • Horseradish - Look for bottled prepared horseradish in the condiment aisle or the produce section of the grocery store. If you'd like, you can also use grated fresh horseradish instead.
    • Lemon juice - Instead of lemon juice, you can use lime juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.

    Variations

    Want to try another variation? Here are some ideas:

    • Spicy Cocktail Sauce - To make this sauce spicier, add more horseradish or your favorite hot sauce to taste.
    • Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce - Add a splash of vodka, some celery seed, and some minced celery for a cocktail-inspired sauce.
    • Marie Rose Sauce - Stir in a little mayonnaise to make this classic British condiment for seafood.

    Equipment

    Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:

    • dry measuring cups
    • measuring spoons
    • chef's knife
    • small bowl

    Storage

    Store the cocktail sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    You can freeze this cocktail sauce too! Transfer the sauce to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.

    Tasty Tip

    Make a seafood board and serve this easy cocktail sauce in the center and you'll be the star of the party. Simply spoon the sauce into a bowl and place on a large board or tray.

    Purchase steamed shrimp (with the tails still on), crab legs, and oysters on the half shell and surround the bowl of sauce. Garnish with some lemon wedges and parsley sprigs, and voila! The easiest (and most impressive) party appetizer.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is St. Elmo's and why is it famous?

    St. Elmo’s steak house is in Indianapolis, Indiana with national acclaim for its famous fiery shrimp cocktail as well as fantastic aged steaks and award-winning cocktails. The restaurant bottles the famous shrimp cocktail sauce since it's so popular. St Elmo's cocktail sauce is known to be fiery hot from the ample fresh horseradish added to it.

    What is in St. Elmo's cocktail sauce?

    St. Elmo's bottled cocktail sauce has horseradish and white vinegar plus the ingredients you normally find in ketchup.

    Is cocktail sauce supposed to be cold?

    It can be served at room temperature or right out of the fridge.

    Why does cocktail sauce congeal?

    Sometimes, mixing horseradish with the pectin in ketchup causes a natural reaction where the sauce will congeal. It's totally normal though--just give the cocktail sauce a good stir to smooth it out again.

    What can I serve cocktail sauce with?

    I love to serve cocktail sauce with peel and eat boiled shrimp or shrimp cocktail. It's great with other seafood too like steamed crab legs, fried fish and shrimp, and to top oysters on the half shell.

    Related

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • Black-handled shallow bowl of Creamy Cilantro, Jalapeño, and Garlic Green Sauce with a small wooden spoon on a blue surface with a basket of tostones off to the side.
      Creamy Cilantro, Jalapeño, and Garlic Green Sauce
    • Dark wooden board with a pulled chicken sandwich topped with Alabama White BBQ Sauce and a jar of the sauce off to the side along with a bowl of chicken and pickles.
      How to Make the Best Alabama White BBQ Sauce
    • Wooden tray topped with a light blue bowl of Cajun tartar sauce with hot sauce on top, a bottle of hot sauce on the side, as well as lemon wedges, parsley leaves, and a kitchen towel.
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    • Hot dogs topped with Southern Chowchow inside a starburst metal pan and with a jar of chow chow off to the side on top of a wooden board.
      Southern Chow Chow (Pickled Cabbage Relish Recipe)

    Pairing

    These are my favorite dishes to serve with this cocktail sauce:

    • Two-handled skillet of New Orleans-Style Barbecue Shrimp on a dark wooden board with a wood-handled metal spoon alongside a bottle of hot sauce and a blue-checked cloth with bread.
      Easy New Orleans-Style Skillet Barbecue Shrimp
    • Tostones on a metal baking sheet with Cilantro-Jalapeño Green Sauce in a small bowl.
      How to Make Tostones with Cilantro-Jalapeño Green Sauce
    • Metal Ovenex Starburst pan filled with Phillips Crab Cakes and a bowl of Cajun Tartar Sauce with lemon wedges and fresh herbs sprinkled on top.
      How to Make Crab Cakes with Cajun Tartar Sauce
    • Metal surface topped with Roger Wood sausage Low Country Boil, two cans of beer, and metal containers of tartar sauce and cocktail sauce.
      Low Country Boil with Roger Wood Smoked Sausage

    🍽Get the recipe

    Metal platter of shrimp cocktail and lemon wedges with a white bowlThe Best 5-Ingredient Horseradish Cocktail Sauce.

    The Best 5-Ingredient Horseradish Cocktail Sauce

    Homemade cocktail sauce isn't hard at all, especially when you have this easy 5-ingredient horseradish cocktail sauce recipe. A handful of pantry ingredients including a little ketchup and horseradish come together to make the most delicious sauce for shrimp and seafood.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiments and Sauces
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 (makes about ¾ cup)

    Equipment

    • dry measuring cups
    • measuring spoons
    • chef's knife
    • small bowl

    Ingredients

    • 2 cloves garlic
    • ½ cup ketchup (I like Heinz)
    • 2 tablespoon prepared horseradish
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

    Instructions

    • Mince the garlic. Combine the garlic, ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

    Recipe Guidelines and Test Kitchen Tips

    When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

    • Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
    • When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
    • I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
    • When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

    Food Safety

    Don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe:

    • Cover and refrigerate any leftovers--don't let them hang out at room temperature for too long
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    More Flavor Boosters: Condiments, Sauces, and Frostings

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      Easy 4-Ingredient Guacamole Recipe from Scratch
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      Amazing Restaurant Style Queso Dip (10 Minute Recipe)
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sonja says

      December 09, 2024 at 7:07 am

      5 stars
      I've only ever had horseradish with cream before, so with ketchup was an exciting new combination. So easy and delicious with fresh prawns!

      Reply
    2. Juyali says

      December 05, 2024 at 10:15 pm

      5 stars
      The Best 5-Ingredient Horseradish Cocktail Sauce! LOL. Talk about easy and impressive!
      Simple, bold, and flavorful. I may or may not have started dipping everything in sight. 😉

      Reply
      • AshleyFreeman says

        December 08, 2024 at 11:08 am

        Haha! I love it!

        Reply
    3. Elizabeth says

      December 04, 2024 at 10:00 am

      5 stars
      I'm not usually a fan of cocktail sauce, but this recipe is yummy! Excited to have my family try this during our holiday gatherings this month. 🙂

      Reply
      • AshleyFreeman says

        December 08, 2024 at 11:07 am

        Thanks for your note Elizabeth! So glad it was a hit!

        Reply
    4. Kim Beaulieu says

      December 03, 2024 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      This horseradish sauce is perfection. We all loved it.

      Reply
      • AshleyFreeman says

        December 04, 2024 at 8:32 am

        Awesome! Thanks so much for giving it a try!

        Reply
    5. Nisha says

      December 03, 2024 at 10:33 am

      5 stars
      Love how easy and quick it was to make it , the horseradish and ketchup combined indeed give the sauce the kick and it paired well with shrimp.

      Reply
      • AshleyFreeman says

        December 04, 2024 at 8:31 am

        Excellent! Thanks so much for sharing, Nisha!

        Reply
    5 from 5 votes

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    Photo of Ashley Strickland Freeman in a kitchen.

    Hi, I'm Ashley, "your best friend in the kitchen." I'm a food stylist, culinary producer, editor, travel junkie, and author of The Duke's Mayonnaise Cookbook from Charleston, SC. Thanks for stopping by Little Black Skillet!

    More about me →

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