{"title":"How to Make Cocktail Sauce (Easy 4-Ingredient Recipe)","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/cooking/how-to-make-cocktail-sauce","category":{"slug":"cooking","name":"Cooking"},"creator":{"name":"T-ROY COOKS","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6TxZUDQX5bPWQ9e4LdUEAg","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-l5mjF9lu4"},"tldr":"Make homemade cocktail sauce with 4 ingredients: ketchup, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and horseradish. Ready in 5 minutes, better than store-bought.","totalDurationSeconds":416,"difficulty":"easy","tools":[],"materials":[],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Start with a Cup of Ketchup","text":"Squeeze about one cup of ketchup into a mixing bowl. This is the main ingredient and the backbone of the whole sauce, so don't skimp. A measuring cup keeps you honest, but T-ROY eyeballs it, and you can too once you've made it a few times.Everything else you add builds on this tomato base. Get it all out of there and scrape the bowl clean before moving on."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Add the Worcestershire Sauce","text":"Pour in two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. This is the ingredient that pulls the flavor away from plain ketchup and gives it that deep, savory backbone. T-ROY uses Lea and Perrins here.If a little extra splashes in, no worries. This sauce is forgiving, and more Worcestershire just means a richer flavor. You can always taste at the end and adjust."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Squeeze in the Lemon Juice","text":"Add about one teaspoon of lemon juice. It's not much, but it wakes everything up and cuts through the sweetness of the ketchup. Fresh-squeezed is great, though bottled works fine too.Like everything in this recipe, the amount is flexible. If you want it a little more citrusy and bright, add a touch more. A little extra never hurts."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Add the Hot Horseradish","text":"Now for the ingredient that makes it cocktail sauce. Spoon in two heaping teaspoons of prepared horseradish. T-ROY reaches for Beaver Extra Hot, and that's where all the kick comes from.This is the flavor that totally makes the sauce, so use a good one. Go heavy if you love heat, or ease off if you're sensitive to it. You can always stir in more after you taste."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Stir Until Smooth","text":"Give everything a good stir until the sauce turns a deep, even red with no streaks of straight ketchup. It comes together fast.This is the moment to taste and dial it in. Too hot? Stir in a little more ketchup. Not bright enough? A splash more lemon. Want it richer? Add a bit more Worcestershire. Make it the way you like it."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Chill, Then Serve with Shrimp","text":"Cover the bowl and chill it in the fridge for two to three hours. You can serve it sooner, but that rest is what lets the flavors mingle and mellow into each other. It's worth the wait.When it's cold and the flavors have settled, spoon it into a serving glass and ring it with cold shrimp. Boiled or steamed both work, though shrimp cooked in a seasoned seafood boil takes it over the top."}],"recipe":{"servings":"Makes about 1 cup","prepMinutes":5,"cookMinutes":null,"cuisine":"American","ingredients":[{"name":"ketchup","notes":"the base of the sauce","amount":"1 cup"},{"name":"Worcestershire sauce","amount":"2 tbsp"},{"name":"lemon juice","notes":"fresh or bottled","amount":"1 tsp"},{"name":"prepared horseradish","notes":"extra-hot for more bite","amount":"2 heaping tsp"}]},"lastUpdated":"2026-07-20T17:59:15.304Z","published":"2026-07-20T17:56:39.270Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}