This recipe for homemade Simple and Delicious 4 Ingredient Cocktail Sauce is made with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Simply measure, stir and start dipping your favorite seafood.
This recipe is so easy and delicious, you may never buy cocktail sauce from the store again. But don’t take my word for it. See for yourself in this short video that shows you how to make this simple sauce.
Jump to RecipeDelightful dipping for shrimp…..and oysters?
Shrimp cocktail. Perfectly cooked, chilled shrimp served with a side of spicy cocktail sauce for dipping has been a long-standing favorite appetizer in the states. But did you know that at one time, oysters also had a love affair with cocktail sauce?
According to a Chicago Tribune article by Nick Kindelsperger, the oyster cocktail predated shrimp cocktail by 130 years. In fact, Americans were so smitten with the oyster and oyster cocktail as a dish, that 170 million pounds of these delightful bivalves were harvested in 1895. Although they saw a steady decline in popularity in the decades that followed, the oyster is making a comeback in both American waterways and the culinary world once more.
Homemade sauces for the win
Over the years, I’ve gradually stopped buying a lot of packaged sauces and dips from the grocery. That’s not to say I don’t break my own rules from time to time for the sake of convenience, because I do. Generally speaking; however, if I’m not in a terrible rush, I will make my own sauces at home whenever possible.
Why am I so big on homemade sauces and dips? For starters, I always feel a little anxious when I can’t pronounce every ingredient listed on the package. It’s the main reason I developed my recipe for Super Simple 15 Minute Onion Dip. I struggled with finding a good chip dip that didn’t contain MSG and other preservatives and stabilizers that I frankly, didn’t want in my food or body. This chip dip recipe is easy to whip up the night before a party or big game. In the fall and winter when our family tends to watch a lot of football, this is one of those recipes I pretty much make on a weekly basis before kickoff.
Along those same lines, fewer ingredients is better in my book. Cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated or require a lot of ingredients. Finally, now that I’m cooking for two most days, I don’t need a gallon of cocktail sauce, chip dip or some other condiment taking up space or serving as a giant Petri dish in my refrigerator.
What I do need from time to time; however, is a good homemade cocktail sauce recipe with horseradish that will satisfy my craving for dipping shrimp, calamari or perhaps even an oyster or two…..perhaps. I’m still not sure how I feel about dipping oysters in cocktail sauce, but I’m open to trying it at least once.
I feel the same way about tartar sauce. I typically prefer a wedge of lemon or a splash of malt vinegar on my fish, but sometimes you just need a good dollop of tartar sauce to accompany a nice piece of grilled fish. And you definitely need tartar sauce if you are making a fish sandwich.
I have always found store-bought tartar sauce to be too heavy and bland. My recipe for New Fave Tartar Sauce is balanced with a touch of minced red onion, sweet relish, lemon juice and fresh herbs to lighten up this classic sauce. Give it a try. It just may become your new favorite tartar sauce, too.
So what goes into this Simple and Delicious 4 Ingredient Cocktail Sauce anyway?
With so few ingredients, it takes only two minutes to whip together a portion of this Simple and Delicious 4 Ingredient Cocktail Sauce. If you have ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce, horseradish and a lemon in your refrigerator, you have everything you need to make this homemade cocktail sauce recipe.
It’s really as simple as measuring out the ingredients in a single bowl and giving them a quick stir to incorporate before serving. That’s it. Ideally, the cocktail sauce should be allowed to rest for roughly 20 minutes so that the flavors can marry, but honestly, it’s every bit as delicious if served immediately.
In developing this recipe, I used Heinz brand tomato ketchup and Lea and Perrins Original Worcestershire Sauce, both of which you can find at most major grocery stores. Finally, I used fresh ground horseradish, not horseradish cream. Chadalee Farms or Yoder’s are two good brands. Alternatively, you can grate your own from a fresh root.
You can certainly use other condiment brands you may already have in your refrigerator, but just be aware the final taste may be different. That said, the basic ingredients are all there, and as with all recipes, play with it and make it your own.
Simple and Delicious 4 Ingredient Cocktail Sauce
Course: StartersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy1
cup2
minutesThis recipe yields a little over 1 cup of cocktail sauce.
Ingredients
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
2 1/2 tsp. prepared horseradish
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Lemon juice to taste
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add fresh lemon juice to taste (I use approximately 1/2 tsp.).
- Serve well chilled with seafood of choice. Sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week covered.
