Cocktail sauce (American)

Name: Cocktail sauce (American)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 240 g tomato ketchup; 40 g prepared horseradish; 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 5 ml worcestershire sauce; 3 ml chilli sauce (sriracha-style); 0.5 g black pepper, freshly ground

Non-vegetarian

Tomato ketchup sharpened with plenty of prepared horseradish, lemon, Worcestershire and hot sauce. The bright red, nose-tingling dip for chilled shrimp and raw oysters.

Cocktail sauce (American) is an American sauce from United States, ready in about 35 minutes and made with tomato ketchup and prepared horseradish. It serves 8 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 5 min
Cook: 0 min
Rest: 30 min
Total: 35 min
Serves: 8
Level: Beginner
Calories: 34

Ingredients

8 servings (about 38 g)

240 g Tomato ketchup (opens in a new tab)
40 g Prepared horseradish (opens in a new tab)Prepared horseradish, drained; use more for a sharper sauce.
15 ml Lemon juice (opens in a new tab), freshly squeezed
5 ml Worcestershire sauce (opens in a new tab)Contains fish, gluten
3 ml Chilli sauce (sriracha-style) (opens in a new tab)
0.5 g Black pepper (opens in a new tab), freshly ground

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Stir the ketchup (opens in a new tab), horseradish (opens in a new tab), lemon juice (opens in a new tab), Worcestershire, hot sauce (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab) together in a bowl.
2
Step 2
Taste and add more horseradish (opens in a new tab) until it clears your nose slightly; that is the point of the sauce.
- 1 min
3
Step 3
Chill for at least 30 minutes so the horseradish (opens in a new tab) blends in. Serve cold in a small bowl set in ice with the seafood.
- 1 min

About this dish

Origin: United States · Commonly attributedA ketchup-and-horseradish oyster sauce appears in American cookbooks by the early 1900s; it is distinct from the British mayonnaise-based Marie Rose.Also popular in CanadaMore food from United States
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Snack · Sauces · Dips & spreads
Cooking method: No-cook
Taste: tangy, spicy (chilli heat), sweet
Diet: Pescatarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Pescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday · Make-ahead
Cook more with: Tomato ketchup · Prepared horseradish · Lemon juice · Worcestershire sauce · Chilli sauce (sriracha-style)

Allergens

May contain: Milkfrom prepared horseradish
May contain: Eggsfrom prepared horseradish
Contains: Fishfrom worcestershire sauce
Contains: Glutenfrom worcestershire sauce
May contain: Mustardfrom tomato ketchup, prepared horseradish
May contain: Celeryfrom tomato ketchup, worcestershire sauce
May contain: Sulphitesfrom prepared horseradish, worcestershire sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

34 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 38 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

Protein 4%
Carbohydrate 94%
Fat 2%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g
Energy	34 kcal	91 kcal
Protein	0.4 g	1 g
Carbohydrate	9.2 g	24.4 g
Net carbohydrate	8.9 g	23.7 g
Sugars	7 g	18.6 g
Added sugars	—	—
Fibre	0.3 g	0.8 g
Fat	0.1 g	0.2 g
Saturated fat	0 g	0 g
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	311 mg	829 mg
Salt equivalent	0.8 g	2.1 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 106 mg
Calcium: 9 mg
Iron: 0.2 mg
Magnesium: 6 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 8 µg
Vitamin C: 3 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 6 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Freshly grated horseradish root is much hotter than prepared; start with half the amount.

Common mistakes

Serving it warm or straight after mixing, before the flavours blend.

Serve with

Shrimp cocktail and peeled boiled shrimp.
Raw oysters and clams on the half shell.
Fried calamari and crab cakes.

Storage

Refrigerate in a covered jar for up to 2 weeks.

Variations

Bloody Mary-style: A dash of vodka, celery salt and extra lemon.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 2 Nov 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Lemon juice, freshly squeezed15 ml · 16 g

Used in step 1

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

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