Published: by Chef Dennis Littley
5 from 39 votes
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Making delicious tangy co*cktail sauce that will rival (or be better than) your favorite seafood restaurant is easier to make than you think. It only takes 5 minutes to make and with my chef’s secret ingredient you’ll never be satisfied with the seafood sauce that is served in many restaurants.
Don’t be fooled by recipes that tell you, you only need 3 or 4 ingredients because they’re leaving out the most important ingredient!
I love seafood and most days co*cktail sauce is my preferred condiment for seafood, especially when it’s served with shrimp co*cktail.
It’s also my favorite seafood sauce for Fried Shrimp. I guarantee that after one taste you’ll agree it’s the Best co*cktail Sauce you’ll ever make.
Table of Contents:
Ingredients to make Restaurant Quality co*cktail Sauce
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make homemade co*cktail sauce. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
There are only 5 simple ingredients needed to make this classic seafood sauce.
- ketchup (preferably Heinz)
- Heinz Chili Sauce (Secret Ingredient)
- Worchestershire sauce
- lemon juice
- prepared horseradish
Heinz chili sauce is the only chili sauce you can use to make this amazing seafood sauce. Trust me on this one, there are no substitutes. I don’t include hot sauce in my recipe as it’s not really necessary, but feel free to add some if you really like heat in your food.
This really is a simple sauce and other ingredients aren’t going to help it, no other seasonings like garlic, onion, or black pepper are needed. And whatever you do, don’t try and make this sauce from tomato paste!
Can I make co*cktail sauce without Heinz chili sauce?
You sure can. It won’t be an epic seafood co*cktail sauce, but it will still be pretty darn good!
How to make Restaurant Quality co*cktail Sauce
The first step is to add the chili sauce and ketchup into a small mixing bowl.
Add the horseradish to the sauce. The horseradish is what makes it a spicy co*cktail sauce. Remember you can always add more if you want the sauce spicier.
If you accidentally put too much horseradish in or it turns out to be too spicy for you, just add a little more ketchup to the mixture and make it your own co*cktail sauce, suited to your tastes.
Mix the prepared horseradish with ketchup and chili sauce.
Add the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce to the mixture and blend together.
You’ve just created a Classic co*cktail Sauce, used for generations by premier seafood restaurants in the United States. This sauce goes well with all my favorite seafood and I know it will with your favorites too!
Let the co*cktail sauce sit for a few hours before using. This allows the flavor profile to become more intense. Kept in an air tight container this sauce can be kept refrigerated for 6 months, although I wouldn’t recommend keeping it longer than 2 months.
Recipe FAQ’s
Can I make this seafood sauce without Heinz chili sauce?
Yes you can. It won’t be the epic sauce that it could be, but it will still be a delicious homemade co*cktail sauce.
Can I use another brand of chili sauce?
Well technically you can, but don’t expect it to taste as good. Heinz chili sauce is the real deal. You’re better to leave out the chili sauce if you can’t find Heinz.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Shrimp co*cktail Recipe {Restaurant-Style}
- Restaurant-Style Fried Lobster Tails
- Restaurant Style Peel and Eat Shrimp
- Crispy Fried Shrimp
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5 from 39 votes
Homemade co*cktail Sauce – Restaurant Quality
Making delicious tangy co*cktail sauce that will rival (or be better than) your favorite seafood restaurant is easier to make than you think. It only takes 5 minutes to make and with my chef's secret ingredient you'll never be satisfied with the seafood sauce that is served in many restaurants.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time0 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Course: condiment, Sauce
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 33kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup Heinz chili sauce
- 2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 3 teaspoon prepared horseradish more or less depending upon how spicy you like co*cktail sauce.
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Mix the ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.
Depending upon how spicy you like co*cktail sauce adjust the amount of horseradish. Remember you can always add more.
Chill until needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 33kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 392mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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About Chef Dennis
Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home.For more details, check out his About page.
Reader Interactions
Comments
James
Quick, easy, and very tasty.Reply
Patricia Sgro
Chef Dennis : I am an old time Italian mother, nonna and bisnonna. I have been cooking for many years but must confess mostly Italian dishes are mainly my forte. The family has me on a pedestle for my cooking but they haven’t had your cooking. I now cook only for myself daily which is a challenge, or if the family gets together. I love the way you feature your recipes with instructions that are so simple to follow. I have tried many and they turned out fantastic. I am so happy I ran into you, I look forward to your newsletter and new food challenges. Thanks and keep them coming.
Reply
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you so much for your comment Patricia, you really made my day!
Reply
5 from 39 votes (38 ratings without comment)
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