Easy Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
User Reviews
5
Easy Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
Description
The recipe involves three main components: shrimp, pico de gallo, and cocktail sauce. Shrimp are boiled briefly in an aromatic broth of onion, garlic, peppercorns, and shrimp bouillon, which infuses subtle flavor while keeping them tender and juicy. The pico de gallo combines diced tomatoes, onion, cucumber, jalapeño, and fresh cilantro, providing fresh, crisp contrast.
The cocktail sauce is a smooth blend of chipotle peppers, lime and orange juice, olive oil, Worcestershire, Maggi seasoning, and ketchup. This sauce adds a smoky, tangy dimension balancing the sweetness of the shrimp and the brightness of the vegetables. The combination yields a dish with layered textures and bold yet balanced flavors.
Serve the cocktail by assembling the shrimp with generous spoonfuls of pico de gallo and drizzling with the sauce. Chilling the components separately preserves freshness and texture. It pairs well as a seafood starter or light entrée, especially suited for warm weather.
Store leftovers in airtight containers refrigerated up to two to three days. Pre-peeling and deveining shrimp can save prep time, but avoid freezing assembled cocktail as it compromises texture and flavor.
Ingredients
For the Shrimp:
- 2 pounds Shrimp 16 to 20 count, fresh or frozen, peeled, deveined, with tails
- 3 tablespoons shrimp bouillon Knorr or Old Bay seasoning
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns whole
- 1 onion cut in half, small
- 2 garlic , peeled and smashed
- 8 cups water
For the Pico de Gallo:
- 1 onion finely diced, medium
- 4 Roma tomato , finely diced
- 1 cilantro chopped, bunch, leaves
- 2 jalapeno pepper seeded, deveined, and finely diced, fresh or 1 serrano pepper
- 1 English cucumber , seeded, finely diced
For the Cocktail Sauce:
- ½ cup ketchup
- ¾ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup orange juice fresh
- 2 cups shrimp broth
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 chipotle peppers
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Maggi seasoning jugo
Instructions
- For the Sauce: Combine chipotle pepper, lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, Worcestershire, and Maggi sauce in a blender jar. Blend until smooth, then transfer to a 4-cup measuring jar. Whisk in the ketchup until well combined, then refrigerate until ready to serve. Note: This Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Sauce yields about 4 cups.
- For the Pico de Gallo: In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, cilantro, onion, jalapeño (unseeded or seeded), and cucumber; mix well. Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- For the Shrimp: In a medium pot filled with water, squeeze the lemon and drop it in along with onion, garlic, lemon, peppercorns, bay leaves, and shrimp bouillon in a pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer, set a cover on top slightly ajar, and cook for 10 minutes. Drop the shrimp into the liquid and turn off the heat.
- Cook the shrimp, occasionally stirring, until they curl and turn pink for about 3-½ minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to shock them and stop the cooking process.
- Let it sit until chilled, about 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry; refrigerate if not serving right away.
- How to Assemble: Once shrimp have chilled, arrange with pico de gallo and cocktail sauce in a 18 oz cocktail glass. Garnish the Mexican Shrimp Cocktail with the lemon.
Notes
- Store leftover shrimp, pico de gallo, and cocktail sauce separately in airtight containers refrigerated up to 2-3 days to maintain freshness.
- Drain excess liquid from shrimp before storing to prevent sogginess.
- Prepare pico de gallo and cocktail sauce in advance; add shrimp just before serving for optimal texture.
- Pre-peel and devein shrimp ahead to save time on serving day.
- Freezing the assembled cocktail is not recommended as it damages texture and flavor.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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