We turn to this shrimp cocktail with Old Bay mayo whenever we want a quick, crowd-pleasing appetizer. The recipe comes together fast; the only time-consuming step is cleaning and peeling the shrimp. It’s worth the effort—serve this at parties or holiday gatherings and everyone will love it.
If you prefer a more traditional sauce, check out our Classic Shrimp Cocktail with Horseradish Cocktail Sauce, which mixes ketchup, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and prepared horseradish.
What ingredients do you need for this shrimp cocktail recipe?
Cleaned and deveined shrimp: Buy shrimp cleaned and deveined if you like, but we prefer shrimp with the shells on. Poaching shrimp with shells intact helps them stay flavorful, plump, and well-shaped.
Poaching liquid: A fragrant mix of water, sugar, kosher salt, lemon (juice and peel), red onion, peppercorns, and fennel seeds. The red onion adds mild sweetness while the fennel gives a bright, aromatic note.
Old Bay Mayo: This quick dipping sauce is simply mayo combined with lemon zest and juice, Old Bay seasoning, a pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper. It’s an easy, flavorful complement to the poached shrimp.
Step-by-step instructions to make the best shrimp cocktail
Make the poaching broth: In a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, combine 6 cups water, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup kosher salt, one small red onion (peeled and quartered), 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, and 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds. Juice half a lemon into the pot and add the peel. Reserve the remaining lemon half for serving. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Poach the shrimp: Once the liquid boils, turn off the heat and move the pot off the burner. Add 1 pound jumbo shrimp (deveined, with shells and tails on). Cover tightly and let the shrimp gently poach off the heat—about 3 1/2 minutes for smaller shrimp and 4 minutes for larger shrimp.
While the shrimp cook, prepare a large bowl of ice water.
When the cooking time is up, use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp immediately to the ice bath to stop cooking.
Make the Lemon Old Bay Mayo: While the shrimp cool, whisk together 1/2 cup mayo, the zest and juice of a small lemon, 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Peel the shrimp carefully, leaving the tails intact. Arrange the peeled shrimp on a shallow platter or bowl over ice, and serve with the Old Bay mayo and lemon wedges alongside.
Tips, Tricks and Substitutions
Shrimp cocktail pairs well with roasted chicken, salads, and other appetizers like dips or crostini. It also works as a starter before fish or seafood mains.
Both methods work, but poaching in a seasoned liquid infuses more flavor than steaming. If you follow the poaching method here, the shrimp absorb the seasoned broth for a tastier result.
Timing depends on shrimp size. Bring the poaching liquid to a boil, remove it from heat, then add the shrimp and cover to poach gently off the heat. Plan on 3 to 5 minutes total—shorter for small shrimp, longer for large.
Check out the below fish and seafood recipes for more dinner inspiration!
Appetizers
Steamed Mussels in White Wine & Lemon
Fish & Seafood
Halibut en Papillote with Green Olive Salsa Verde
Pasta
Pasta with White Wine and Mussels
Fish & Seafood
One Pan Seared Salmon with Burst Cherry Tomatoes
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Shrimp Cocktail with Old Bay Mayo
Equipment
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Mixing Bowl
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Large Pot
Ingredients
Shrimp Cocktail
- 6 cups water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1 small red onion, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, deveined, with peels and tails on
Lemon Old Bay Mayo
- 1/2 cup mayo
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make Your Shrimp Cocktail
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Combine the water, sugar, kosher salt, quartered red onion, peppercorns, fennel seeds, and the juice and peel of half a lemon in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Turn off the heat and move the pot off the burner. Add the cleaned, deveined shrimp with shells on, cover tightly, and let poach off the heat for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes depending on size.
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Prepare a large bowl of ice water while the shrimp cook. When the shrimp are done, transfer them immediately to the ice bath to stop the cooking.
Make your Lemon Old Bay Mayo
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While the shrimp cool, whisk together the mayo, lemon zest and juice, Old Bay, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
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Peel the shrimp, leaving tails intact. Arrange on a platter over ice and serve with the mayo and lemon wedges.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 17 g,
Protein: 16 g,
Fat: 22 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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