Mexican Shrimp Cocktail (Coctel de Camarones)

A glass goblet filled with Mexican Shrimp Cocktail on a yellow plate with saltine crackers.

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail (Coctel de Camarones)

Course: Appetizer, Entree, lunch

Cuisine: Hispanic, Latin American, Mexican

Keyword: seafood, shrimp, shrimp cocktail

Prep Time: 37

Cook Time: 8

Chilling time: 30

Total Time: 1 15

Servings: appetizer portions

Calories: 138kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail or coctel de camarones is a flavorful appetizer made with plump, roasted shrimp, a combination of crunchy aromatic vegetables, and creamy avocado swimming in a briny, tomato and clam flavored sauce.

This recipe makes enough to serve 12 appetizer portions or 6 meal-sized portions.

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Equipment

schooner glasses or coupe or martini glasses for smaller portion sizes

Ingredients

For the Roasted Shrimp

2 pounds (907 grams) large shrimp peeled, deveined, and tail off
2 teaspoons (1 gram) Tajín classic seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons (9 grams) kosher salt or to taste

For the Tomato Sauce Mixture

2 cups (16 ounces or 475 milliliters) Clamato juice
1/2 cup (120 grams) low sugar ketchup
3 large limes juiced (about 1/3 cup or 80 milliliters)
2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) Mexican hot sauce optional
1 1/2 teaspoons (10 grams) prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) Worcestershire sauce optional
1 medium English cucumber diced (2 cups or 295 grams)
2 stalks celery diced (1 cup or 135 grams)
1/2 large red onion minced (1 cup or 125 grams)
3 cloves garlic minced (2 tablespoons or 20 grams)
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped (about 1/2 cup or 40 grams), plus more to garnish
1 medium jalapeño deseeded and minced (2 1/2 tablespoons or 25 grams)
2 medium Hass avocados diced (1 1/2 cups or 215 grams)

To Serve

saltine crackers
tortilla chips

Instructions

Roast the Shrimp

Heat an oven to 450°F (230°C).
Lightly grease a half-sheetpan with a neutral-tasting cooking spray or oil.
Spread the shrimp onto the sheet pan, then sprinkle the Tajín and kosher salt evenly over the shrimp.
Use your hands or a wide spatula to toss the shrimp in the seasoning blend.
Roast the shrimp in a 450°F (230°C) oven for 8 minutes or until pink and just beginning to curl.
Remove the pan of shrimp from the oven and let them cool to room temperature while you make the tomato-veggie sauce.

Prepare the Tomato-Clam Sauce

Add the Clamato, ketchup, lime juice, Mexican hot sauce, prepared horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce (if using) to a large, nonreactive mixing bowl.
Use a whisk or spoon to stir these ingredients together until smooth.
Fold in the cucumber, celery, red onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, and avocado, and cilantro into the tomato sauce using a spoon or rubber spatula.

Mix, Then Chill the Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Chop the shrimp, which should be cool by now, into 1/2-inch thick chunks or bite-sized pieces.
Use the spoon to gently fold the shrimp into the tomato-veggie mixture. Avoid mashing the avocado too much.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the shrimp cocktail mixture for at least 30 minutes.

Adjust the Spices, Then Enjoy

Before serving, stir the shrimp cocktail and taste it to see if you want more Tajín and salt, hot sauce, or lime juice.
If the cocktail tastes too sweet, add more lime juice.
Serve Mexican shrimp cocktail the authentic way, by portioning it into glass goblets (schooner glasses) and garnishing each portion with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro leaves.
You can also serve it with lime wedges or more hot sauce (on the side) to allow guests to customize their flavors.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

You can purchase cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp to cut down on the recipe preparation time.
Replace Tajín with my Mexican Spice Blend, a store-bought Mexican seasoning blend, or, as a last resort, seafood seasoning.
Make your own version of Clamato by using an 11.5-ounce (340ml) can of vegetable juice (like V8) and 1/2 cup (120ml) of clam juice (found near the tuna fish or canned fish).
Replace the Mexican hot sauce with regular hot sauce.
Replace the jalapeño pepper with a Serrano pepper for more heat.

Tips and Techniques:

I recommend using a ketchup brand that doesn't contain a ton of sugar like Heinz No-Sugar-Added.
Cutting the shrimp too large will make it difficult to eat with crackers or chips.
I recommend chilling the Mexican shrimp cocktail for at least 30 minutes before serving it, but you can store it in the refrigerator for 2 days after mixing.
Only serve the Mexican shrimp cocktail using clean utensils to ensure your cocktail stays safe for consumption.
If you don't have goblets (schooner glasses), you can serve your Mexican shrimp cocktail in small bowls or ramekins.

Storage Instructions:

You can cover the bowl and chill the tomato-veggie mixture overnight before adding the shrimp or use it right away. Don't leave the shrimp out if you do this. Store it in a covered container in the fridge as well.
Store leftover Mexican shrimp cocktail mix in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Stir the cocktail well with a clean spoon before serving.
Don't leave the shrimp cocktail at room temperature for extended periods to avoid the risk of a foodborne illness.

Nutrition