Best Cocktail Sauce Recipe | Easy Homemade Seafood Dipping Sauce
A bright, zesty homemade cocktail sauce with adjustable heat that mixes up in minutes and beats store-bought. Perfect for shrimp, crab, oysters, and more.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Ketchup
- Prepared horseradish (refrigerated, not creamy horseradish sauce)
- Fresh lemon juice
- Worcestershire sauce
- Hot sauce (such as Tabasco), optional
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Lemon zest, optional
Instructions
Instructions
- Add ketchup to a small mixing bowl.
- Whisk in prepared horseradish, starting with less for milder heat.
- Add lemon juice and lemon zest if using, and whisk until smooth.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and a few dashes of hot sauce if desired.
- Season with garlic powder, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper, then whisk to combine.
- Taste and adjust with more horseradish for heat, more lemon for brightness, or a pinch more salt as needed.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Stir before serving cold with seafood.
Notes
Use refrigerated prepared horseradish for the best heat; old jars lose potency. If ketchup is very sweet, add extra lemon juice or a splash of white wine vinegar. Do not substitute creamy horseradish. Sauce keeps 1–2 weeks in the refrigerator; do not freeze. Adjust heat with more horseradish and hot sauce. Optional variations: add smoked paprika or chipotle hot sauce, 1/2 tsp Old Bay, 1 tbsp tomato paste (increase lemon), a splash of pickle or olive brine with celery salt, or use tomato sauce plus a bit of honey instead of ketchup.