It’s true that traditional shrimp cocktail can feel a little ho-hum and conventional, but this Mexican Shrimp Cocktail (Coctel de Camarones) is anything but. It’s one appetizer that’s worth getting excited about. With tender shrimp, fresh tomato, cucumber, avocado, red onion and cilantro mixed into a spicy tomato-based sauce, this is one cool and refreshing dish I turn to often when the weather gets hot.
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Instead of serving the shrimp perched along the edge of the serving glass or bowl, this dish immerses the shrimp in a tangy broth-like sauce best scooped up with a spoon or crunchy tortilla chips. I like to assemble most of it in advance and keep it chilled until I’m ready to serve, making it an excellent option for a casual or even upscale fiesta.
Reminded me of my time in El Paso and Mexico . It was delicious and refreshing. I added jalapeno for a kick and it was perfect. Thank you.
Melisa
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Skill level: Easy
Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Ingredients
- Shrimp: If you can find it, buy fresh Gulf or other medium-sized shrimp with the shell on. Medium-sized raw shrimp are typically sold in 36/40 or 41/50 counts, which describes the average number of shrimp per pound.
- Fresh Lemon: Buy two, one for poaching the shrimp and another for fresh lemon juice in the sauce.
- Black Peppercorns: If you use a pepper grinder, you can simply use the ones you fill your grinder with, just be sure to use whole ones instead of ground pepper.
- Fresh Cilantro: I always look for bright green leafy bunches that don’t droop too much or have wilted, dark leaves. Unfortunately, this isn’t the time to sub with dried cilantro, it won’t provide the same bright freshness this recipe deserves.
- Tomatoes: Plump ripe Roma tomatoes work well because they’re easy to dice, but feel free to use fresh plum tomatoes from your garden if you’re lucky enough to have some!
- Cucumber: You can peel a standard cucumber or use an English cucumber so you don’t need to peel it.
- Red Onion: I like red onions for their bite, but you can use shallots for a milder onion flavor.
- Vegetable/Tomato Juice: I use either V8 or RW Knudsen brand (not Clamato, more on that in the recipe tips below). You can use a low-sodium version, but you may need to adjust the other seasonings so the sauce doesn’t taste flat.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Cooks (and bartenders!) have been using aged Worcestershire sauce since the 1830s, and for good reason. It hits that sweet-salty balance you can’t quite replicate.
- Ketchup: I use ketchup made without high fructose corn syrup.
- Fresh Lime Juice: You’ll want fresh limes for the sauce and to serve as colorful wedge garnishes on the side.
- Hot Sauce: Cholula brand is my favorite for this dish since it’s an authentic Mexican hot sauce with heat that doesn’t overpower.
- Fresh Avocado: Finding ripe avocados can be tough since they often feel as hard as baseballs at the store. Plan ahead and buy them a few days early so they have time to ripen on the counter.
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper: I prefer kosher salt over traditional table salt for the way the larger grains give you little bursts of flavor.
- Tortilla Chips: Crunchy tortilla chips work great as a garnish or as “serving scoops,” but you can skip them if you’d rather.
How to Make Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
In a medium pot bring 2 quarts water, lemon wedges, peppercorns, kosher salt and reserved cilantro stems to boil over medium-high heat. Add deveined shrimp in shell and cover; remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes, until shrimp is just cooked through. Transfer with slotted spoon to ice bath. Let shrimp stand in ice bath 3 minutes; remove and peel shrimp including tails.
While shrimp cooks, combine tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, ketchup, lime juice, water and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Add cooked, peeled shrimp and stir to combine; cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
To serve, remove shrimp cocktail from refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature. Stir in avocado and cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in 4 individual glasses with tortilla chips and lime wedges if you like.
What Makes This So Good
It’s how the shrimp are cooked and the variety of textures and flavors that really set this Mexican Shrimp Cocktail apart. The shrimp are gently poached in water seasoned with fresh lemon, cilantro stems, black peppercorns and salt, then steeped in a sauce full of contrasts. Cucumber and red onion bring crunch, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce add zip and umami, lemon juice brightens everything, and the hot sauce kicks in some heat. Chunks of cool, creamy avocado round out the dish, added just before serving.
Pro Tips
- If you use large shrimp: I use medium shrimp for this dish because they’re about a two-bite size. Larger shrimp need to be cut into smaller pieces so they aren’t awkward to eat.
- Why I don’t use Clamato: A lot of Coctel de Camarones recipes call for Clamato, but it contains MSG and a few other additives I’d rather skip, so I use V8 or another vegetable juice. If you happen to have clam juice in the fridge, a splash adds depth to this, though the sauce is plenty bold without it.
- Deveining options: I prefer to peel and devein the shrimp before poaching, but you’ve got options. You can cook it first, then peel and devein after the ice bath, or buy shell-on shrimp with the backs already split. Or you skip it all together, but you may end up with some grit.
- Family-style serving: If you’re serving a group, skip the individual dishes. Serve in a large bowl with a ladle alongside small ramekins or glasses for people to serve themselves.
How to Serve Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
Saltine crackers are what’s traditionally served with Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, but I prefer tortilla chips for the sturdy crunch. Either works well, so choose whichever you like or set out both and let people choose. I like to serve with a little bowl of lime wedges on the side too.
Make-Ahead and Storage
You can assemble Mexican Shrimp Cocktail up to 24 hours in advance, except for the avocado and cilantro. To make ahead, mix the sauce ingredients with the poached shrimp and refrigerate in an airtight container. Fold in the avocado and cilantro right before serving.
More Great Shrimp Recipes
More Must Try Mexican Appetizers
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp shell on
- 1 lemon cut in to wedges (recipe note #1)
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves stems reserved
- 2 medium tomatoes cored and diced
- 1 small cucumber peeled and diced
- 1/2 small red onion finely chopped
- 1 cup vegetable juice such as V8
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice ideally fresh
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice plus lime wedges for serving
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce such as Cholula
- 1 small avocado halved, pitted and diced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- tortilla chips for serving
Instructions
- With kitchen shears, cut through shells along the backs of the shrimp lengthwise, just deep enough to expose veins. Remove veins with the tip of a pairing knife. (See recipe note #2 for other deveining options)
- In a medium bowl, prepare an ice bath for shrimp.
- To a medium pot add 2 quarts water, lemon wedges (squeeze juice out into pot as well as adding wedges), peppercorns, kosher salt and reserved cilantro stems; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cover; remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes, until just cooked through. Transfer with slotted spoon to ice bath. Let shrimp stand in ice bath 3 minutes; remove and peel shrimp including tails.
- Meanwhile in a medium bowl combine tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, ketchup, lime juice, water and hot sauce. Add cooked, peeled shrimp and stir to combine; cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- When ready to serve, remove shrimp cocktail from refrigerator and let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature. Stir in avocado and cilantro; season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in 4 individual cocktail glasses or goblets with tortilla chips and lime wedges if desired.
Notes
- If you want fresh lemon juice for the sauce, you’ll need a second lemon.
- The method I’ve described for deveining shrimp before poaching is my preference, but you have other options. You can peel and devein the cooked shrimp after you remove them from the ice bath; buy shell-on shrimp that have the backs split and the vein removed (Costco sells frozen wild shrimp that are prepared this way.), or skip deveining as many recipes instruct (you may end up with a little bit of grit in your shrimp, but then again you may not!).
- Note that nutrition information does not include tortilla chips.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
