Retro Prawn Cocktail Shooters (Printable)

Succulent prawns paired with a zesty, flavorful sauce in stylish shot glasses for easy entertaining.

# What you need:

→ Seafood

01 - 16 large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on

→ Cocktail Sauce

02 - 6 tablespoons ketchup
03 - 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
05 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
06 - 0.5 teaspoon hot sauce (e.g., Tabasco)
07 - 0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - Salt, to taste
09 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

10 - 1 small lemon, cut into wedges
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped
12 - Optional: lettuce leaves or microgreens for base

# How to make it:

01 - Combine ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly and adjust seasoning as needed.
02 - Refrigerate the cocktail sauce for at least 15 minutes to enhance flavor development.
03 - If desired, line the bottom of each shot glass with a small piece of lettuce or a few microgreens.
04 - Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of cocktail sauce into each glass.
05 - Place two shrimp on the rim of each glass with tails outward for easy handling.
06 - Sprinkle finely chopped chives or parsley over the assembled shooters and serve each with a lemon wedge on the side.
07 - Serve immediately, keeping the shooters chilled until presentation.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These shooters look restaurant-fancy but take barely 20 minutes to pull together, which means you can actually enjoy your own party.
  • The homemade cocktail sauce has more personality than anything bottled—it hits you with heat, tang, and that surprising smokiness from paprika.
  • They're the kind of appetizer that gets people talking, partly because eating shrimp from a shot glass feels delightfully retro and a little bit rebellious.
02 -
  • Don't skip the chilling step for the sauce—those 15 minutes allow the flavors to develop properly, transforming raw ingredients into something cohesive and sophisticated.
  • The horseradish is powerful, so taste as you mix and adjust to your preference; it can easily overwhelm if you're not careful, but too little leaves the sauce one-dimensional.
03 -
  • A small splash of gin or vodka stirred into the sauce adds a sophisticated edge that elevates the whole experience—not enough to taste like a cocktail, just enough to feel like a secret.
  • If your sauce seems too thick, thin it slightly with a teaspoon of lemon juice or water; if it's too thin, let it chill a bit longer or add a touch more ketchup.
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