Impress your guests with an easy, vibrant New Orleans–inspired Shrimp Cocktail with Sriracha Remoulade. This bright, summery appetizer comes together in about 30 minutes and uses common pantry ingredients for the spicy remoulade.
The sriracha remoulade is versatile—try it with crab cakes, fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, roasted potato wedges, or other seafood and small plates.
What is Shrimp Cocktail?
Shrimp cocktail is simply cooked, chilled shrimp served with a tangy sauce in a glass or on a platter. Popular in mid-century restaurants, it remains a classic party appetizer—elegant, simple, and crowd-pleasing.
What is Shrimp Remoulade?
Shrimp remoulade is a traditional Creole appetizer from New Orleans: boiled shrimp tossed in remoulade and served over crisp lettuce. Remoulade itself is a cold, mayonnaise-based condiment of French origin that typically includes pickled elements like capers or cornichons and flavor boosters such as mustard, garlic, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce. The result is tangy, savory, and perfect with seafood.
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe blends two classics—shrimp cocktail and shrimp remoulade—by tossing hot, tender shrimp with a zesty sriracha remoulade and serving them in lettuce-lined glasses with avocado, lemon, and a few capers. The presentation is festive and the flavors are balanced.
Highlights:
- Ready in about 30 minutes using common pantry staples.
- The remoulade stores well and pairs with many dishes beyond shrimp.
How to Make Shrimp Cocktail with Sriracha Remoulade
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the components you’ll need. Exact measurements and the full recipe card follow.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Mayonnaise: Use your preferred brand. Regular or reduced-fat mayonnaise both work, though reduced-fat varieties can contain more additives.
- Sriracha: Preferred for its flavor, but other hot sauces can substitute if needed.
- Coarse-grain mustard: Gives texture and depth; stone-ground mustard is a good choice.
- Capers: Add briny tang. If unavailable, chopped pickles work as an alternative.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best for brightness.
- Celery leaves: Use these to add freshness and reduce waste—great tucked into the glasses under the shrimp.
- Shrimp: Peeled and deveined shrimp (16–20 count per pound) are ideal. Wild-caught U.S. shrimp offer the best texture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Measure and prep all ingredients.
- Whisk the remoulade ingredients together in a small bowl and chill so the flavors meld.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper, remembering that capers and Worcestershire add saltiness.
- MAKE AHEAD: The remoulade keeps in the fridge for up to one day. Cooked shrimp can be made ahead but store separately to avoid the remoulade’s acid firming the shrimp.
- Boil shrimp in generously salted water until just opaque—30 seconds to a minute depending on size; don’t overcook.
- Drain and rinse shrimp under cold water, then drain again and season with freshly ground black pepper.
- Toss shrimp with remoulade just before serving.
- Line glasses with Bibb, butter lettuce, or baby romaine and a few celery leaves.
- Add avocado wedges and lemon wedges, then divide shrimp evenly among glasses.
- Garnish with capers and serve immediately—provide seafood forks or small forks for guests.
This chilled shrimp cocktail is refreshing, bold, and perfect for warm-weather entertaining.
Chef Tips and Tricks
- Wild-caught U.S. shrimp typically offer superior texture to imported farmed shrimp and are a sustainable choice.
- Quick method to peel and devein shrimp: use kitchen shears to slit the shell along the back of each shrimp, then rinse under a gentle stream of water to remove the vein. Leave the tail tip on for presentation if desired.
- Work efficiently by cutting shells off all the shrimp first, then removing veins and rinsing—this saves time when prepping larger batches.
Recipe FAQs
Make the remoulade up to one day ahead and refrigerate. Cook the shrimp ahead if you like, but store them separately—combining shrimp and remoulade long before serving can firm the shrimp due to the acid in the sauce.
Use large shrimp, around 16–20 count per pound, for the best balance of meatiness and ease of eating.
Yes—precooked shrimp works in a pinch, though freshly cooked shrimp often has better flavor and texture.
Serve As a Starter With
- Buttery blackened steak bites with gorgonzola
- Red beans and rice
- Baked catfish with pecan meunière and spicy sautéed greens
- Pecan-crusted pork tenderloin with bourbon mustard sauce
- Cajun-smothered pork medallions
More Shrimp Appetizers You’ll Love
- Shrimp Cocktail Louis
- Baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta
- Mexican shrimp cocktail
- Shrimp cakes with roasted red pepper mayonnaise
Find additional appetizer and snack recipes in your favorite recipe collection.
Shrimp Cocktail Recipe with Sriracha Remoulade
Equipment
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- Serving glasses
Ingredients
Remoulade
- 1 cup mayonnaise (regular or reduced fat)
- 1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon sriracha, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon drained capers, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 scallion, finely chopped (white and light green parts)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Handful of celery leaves, finely chopped
Shrimp and Salad
- Salt
- 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (16–20 count)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head Bibb or butter lettuce
- Celery leaves
- 1 large avocado, halved, peeled, and cut into wedges
- Lemon wedges
- Capers for garnish
Instructions
Remoulade
- Combine all remoulade ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Shrimp and Salad
- Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add shrimp and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, until opaque.
- Drain shrimp and rinse under cold water. Drain again and season with black pepper.
- Toss shrimp with remoulade.
- Line footed or cocktail glasses with 2–3 lettuce leaves.
- Divide the shrimp among the glasses.
- Add celery leaf sprigs, a lemon wedge, and avocado wedges. Sprinkle with capers and serve immediately.
Notes
- Choose wild-caught U.S. shrimp when possible for better texture and flavor.
Make Ahead:
- Remoulade can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated.
- Cooked shrimp may be made ahead but store separately to avoid the remoulade’s acid affecting shrimp texture.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates and may vary depending on brands and portion sizes. Adjust for dietary needs and allergies.
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