With its fresh ingredients and zesty sauce, our Mexican shrimp cocktail will transport your taste buds to the sunny beaches of coastal Mexico.
Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
Updated on Jun. 03, 2024
With juicy, succulent shrimp and an array of fresh produce in a zesty tomato sauce, this boldly spiced Mexican shrimp cocktail bursts with flavor. It’s a seafood appetizer mashup that falls somewhere between ceviche and gazpacho.
Like ceviche, this shrimp cocktail recipe is served cold and features fresh seafood, lime juice, onions, hot peppers and cilantro. But while ceviche is prepared by curing raw seafood in citrus juices (no cooking with heat required), the shrimp in Mexican shrimp cocktail is boiled before being bathed in a spicy, tomato-based sauce.
Mexican shrimp cocktail can be enjoyed during any season. However, we especially love it in the summer. Its fresh, fiery flavors are perfect for dining al fresco—especially when you enjoy it with a pitcher of classic margaritas, homemade guacamole and Baja fish tacos.
Ingredients for Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
- Shrimp: Plump and sweet, you’ll need one pound of uncooked medium shrimp (31-40 per pound)Â that have been peeled and deveined.
- Onions: For Mexican shrimp cocktail, the shrimp is first boiled with sliced white onion, then served with finely chopped red onion. Both types of onion give the shrimp a lovely peppery bite.
- Garlic: Smashed garlic goes into the boiling water with the shrimp and onions.
- Tomatoes: The fresh sweetness of the right type of tomato marries well with the shrimp and cucumber.
- Cucumber: Cucumbers offer a light taste that contrasts with the heat of the peppers and hot sauce.
- Jalapeno: Bring on the heat. The spiciness of a jalapeno can vary drastically. We suggest tasting a small piece and then adjusting the amount accordingly to suit your personal heat preferences.
- Clamato juice: This bottled, tomato-based drink is made from a blend of tomato juice and clam juice. Classic Clamato is our favorite for this recipe, but you could try it with the “picante” or “limón” flavors for a fun twist.
- Cilantro: The chopped green cilantro leaves speckle the Mexican shrimp cocktail with herbaceous flavor. If you think cilantro tastes like soap, you can omit it from the recipe or try swapping it for parsley.
- Ketchup: This is a classic ingredient in many Mexican shrimp cocktail recipes. Ketchup has a rich tomato flavor and is preseasoned with spices, making it an easy and flavorful addition to cocktail sauce.
- Lime juice: For the best taste, opt for freshly squeezed lime juice rather than bottled lime juice from concentrate.
- Hot pepper sauce: You can use classic Tabasco or your favorite type of hot sauce. Feel free to adjust the amount to suit your preference for heat.
- Avocado: Creamy, ripened avocado helps to temper the heat of the spicy tomato sauce and offers a nice contrast to the crisp cucumbers and onions.
- Salt and pepper: So many ingredients add flavor to this recipe that it barely needs extra seasoning. A little bit of salt and some whole peppercorns will do the trick.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the shrimp
In a large saucepan, combine the water, white onion slices, garlic, peppercorns and 2 teaspoons of salt.
Bring the water to a boil, then add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp until they turn pink, about two to three minutes.
Drain the shrimp, then immediately drop them into a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process. Discard the onion, garlic and peppercorns. Drain the shrimp once they’re cool and set them aside.
Editor’s Tip: To mix things up, you can also use grilled shrimp in this recipe. For a quicker preparation, you can use thawed, precooked shrimp and skip this step.
Step 2: Toss with the produce
In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and jalapeno.
Step 3: Add the sauce
In a separate small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the Clamato, cilantro, ketchup, hot sauce and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Pour the sauce over the shrimp mixture and stir to coat. Gently fold in the avocado and then serve the Mexican shrimp cocktail in wide-rimmed glasses or serving dishes.
Recipe Variations
- Use precooked shrimp: To save time, you can prepare this Mexican shrimp cocktail recipe with precooked shrimp. Thaw (if frozen) and drain them to remove any excess moisture, then proceed to Step 2.
- Try different peppers: For a spicier Mexican shrimp cocktail, swap the jalapenos for a hotter type of pepper. For a mild Mexican shrimp cocktail, choose a milder pepper (like poblano) or omit the peppers entirely.
- Replace the ketchup:Â Mexican shrimp cocktail can also be prepared with tomato juice or canned tomato sauce rather than ketchup.
How to Store Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
Mexican shrimp cocktail may be refrigerated and kept in an airtight storage food container for three to four days. Give it a good stir before serving it.
Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Tips
How do you clean shrimp?
While you can spend extra to purchase shrimp that have been cleaned, peeled and deveined for you, sometimes it’s worth doing it yourself to save a few extra dollars. Start by removing the heads, then the shells. Once the shells have been removed, use a paring knife to slice open the back of the shrimp and remove the vein. For a complete step-by-step walkthrough, check out our guide on how to clean shrimp.
What size shrimp is best for Mexican shrimp cocktail?
Medium shrimp (31-40 per pound) are our favorite for Mexican shrimp cocktail. They’re small enough to eat in a single bite and are less prone to overcooking since they are bigger in size. That said, you can use large shrimp, prawns, or any other types of shrimp in this recipe if you wish. After cooking and cooling them, chop the larger shrimp into bite-sized pieces, then combine them with the other ingredients as directed.
What do you serve with Mexican shrimp cocktail?
Mexican shrimp cocktail makes a delicious appetizer or light meal when served with your favorite crackers or tortilla chips. Round out the meal with a selection of your favorite homemade salsas, a platter of salmon tacos or one of our top 10 Mexican dinner recipes.
Watch How to Make Easy Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
Easy Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
Prep Time
30 min
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 quarts water
- 1 medium white onion, sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 1 pound uncooked shrimp (31-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
- 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 cup Clamato juice, chilled
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 medium ripe avocado, cubed
Directions
- In a large saucepan, combine water, onion slices, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp. Cook until shrimp just turn pink, 2-3 minutes. Drain; immediately drop shrimp into bowl of ice water. Discard onion, garlic and peppercorns. Drain shrimp.
- In a large bowl, combine shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and jalapeno. In another bowl, whisk Clamato, cilantro, ketchup, lime juice, hot pepper sauce and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; pour over shrimp mixture. Stir to coat. Gently stir in avocado. Serve in individual wide-rimmed glasses or serving dishes.
Nutrition Facts
3/4 cup: 105 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 69mg cholesterol, 413mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 2g fiber), 10g protein.
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Chunks of cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro and avocado combined with shrimp in a tomato base sauce create this refreshing shrimp cocktail that's bursting with flavors. You'll even get a little heat from the Tobasco sauce. Serve it with saltine crackers to compliment the sweet tomato flavors. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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