Coctel de Camarones or Mexican Shrimp Cocktail is a refreshing, cold dish bursting with flavor and texture. Crunchy vegetables, creamy avocado, and tender shrimp swim in the most delicious blend of vegetables, tomato juice, citrus, and spices.
This recipe is a take on a taqueria classic. It is traditionally served in a huge stemmed glass like a Schooner glass with tortilla chips or saltine crackers. You can scoop the shrimp and vegetables onto the crackers or add the crackers directly to the broth to soak up the spiced up juices and add some crunch to the mix.
My favorite versions of this dish are usually more savory recipes that don’t have ketchup.
I created my own version of this recipe to serve as shooters during event cocktail hours and they have been a huge hit.
The great thing about this Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Recipe is that it can be an appetizer, dip, or complete meal.
Serve up some Chunky Guacamole, Cheesy Chicken Baked Taquitos, and Steak Quesadillas alongside this festive dish for a perfect Mexican themed party!
Make this recipe, because…
Coctel de Camarones is an easy and impressive cold dish that can be prepared ahead of time.
V8 pureed with more vegetables, lime juice, spices, and hot sauce is so bright and full of flavor that you won’t want to stop eating it.
The combination of crunchy chopped vegetables, creamy avocado, and tender shrimp is perfectly scoopable and makes a great dip for tortilla chips.
Cooked Bay Shrimp are bite sized and allow you to get a little of everything in each bite.
Ingredients
Cooked Bay Shrimp- I like to use the smaller Bay Shrimp for this recipe, because I really like being able to get a bite of everything together. This is especially important if you use this recipe as a dip for chips.
Vegetable Juice- You can use any vegetable juice where the primary ingredient is tomato. Clamato is very popular and can add a touch more seafoodiness. I don’t think the clam flavor is all that prominent, so I think you should use the brand you like best. I usually use V8 Juice.
Instructions
Step 1
- Make the cocktail sauce/juice by blending vegetable juice, fresh lime juice, cilantro, carrot, red onion, celery, cucumber, jalapeno, hot sauce, oregano, chili powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper until completely smooth. (You can make this ahead of time and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes before pouring over the shrimp and avocado mixture.)
(You can make this up to a week ahead of time and chill it in the fridge or just 30 minutes before pouring over the shrimp and avocado mixture.)
Step 2
- Defrost frozen cooked shrimp by placing in a bowl colander under running water for 5 minutes. Drain the defrosted shrimp and pat dry.
- In a large bowl, combine shrimp, diced avocado, red onion, cucumber, and cilantro with a cup of cocktail sauce. Reserve the remaining cocktail sauce for assembling your shooters or cocktail glasses.
(If you are going to serve this as a dip with chips, you can combine all of the sauce with the chunky ingredients, chill, and serve.)
Step 3 (Assembly)
- Set up a station for assembling shooters or individual cocktail glasses. Line up your glasses, next to a bowl with hot sauce, a bowl with chili salt, the shrimp and vegetables, and the cocktail juice in a pourable container.
- Rim the shot glasses or cocktail cups by dipping the glasses in Mexican hot sauce and chili salt.
- Add the marinated shrimp to the glasses, then pour extra Mexican cocktail juice over the top.
- Serve as shooters or in larger glasses for individual servings. Add a few wedges of lime and saltine crackers for the perfect summer dish.
FAQs
Most types of cooked shrimp come fully ready to eat. They need to be defrosted properly to be healthy and maintain a good texture. They can be placed in the refrigerator for an hour and then placed into a colander and rinsed. They can also be quick defrosted by placing in a colander and running cool water over them for about 5 minutes.
The whole cocktail mixture can be kept refrigerated for 1-2 days. After that, the acids in the juice soften the texture of the shrimp. However, the juice can be made up to a week in advance. You can make the juice well ahead of serving and just add the shrimp and avocado a half an hour before serving.
Expert Tips
Serve Coctel De Camarones Safely!
It is important to start with Mexican shrimp cocktail that has been well chilled. It should reach the refrigerator temperature which needs to be under 42°.
If you are serving shooters, do not put all of the cups out at one time. Instead, make them up as you go or place premade shot glasses into the refrigerator and refill the serving area as needed.
When doing a large serving you can put your serving bowl down into a pan of ice to keep salsa cold. You can also put out a small amount at a time and put out a new bowl when needed.
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Coctel De Camarones (Mexican Shrimp Cocktail)
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Frozen Cooked Shrimp salad/bay shrimp or medium shrimp
- ½ Cucumber peeled and diced
- 2 Avocados diced
- ½ Red Onion diced
- ¼ Cup Cilantro diced
Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Juice
- 4 Cups Vegetable Juice V8 or Clamato
- 6 Tablespoons Lime Juice 3 Limes
- 1 Carrot peeled
- 1 Stalk Celery
- ¼ Red Onion small chunk
- ¼ Jalapeno seeded
- ½ Cucumber peeled
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- ¼ Cup Cilantro
- 1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce Mexican Style
- 3 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Make the cocktail sauce/juice by blending vegetable juice, fresh lime juice, cilantro, carrot, red onion, celery, cucumber, jalapeno, hot sauce, oregano, chili powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper until completely smooth.
- Defrost frozen cooked shrimp by placing in a bowl colander under running water for 5 minutes. Drain the defrosted shrimp and pat dry.
- In a large bowl, combine shrimp, diced avocado, red onion, cucumber, and cilantro with a cup of cocktail sauce. Reserve the remaining cocktail sauce for assembling your shooters or cocktail glasses. (If you are going to serve this as a dip with chips, you can combine all of the sauce with the chunky ingredients, chill, and serve.)
Shooter and Cocktail Glass Assembly
- Set up a station for assembling shooters or individual cocktail glasses. Line up your glasses, next to a bowl with hot sauce, a bowl with chili salt, the shrimp and vegetables, and the cocktail juice in a pourable container.
- Rim the shot glasses or cocktail cups by dipping the glasses in Mexican hot sauce and chili salt.
- Add the marinated Mexican shrimp cocktail to the glasses, then pour extra Mexican cocktail sauce over the top.
- Serve as shooters or in larger glasses for individual servings. Add a few wedges of lime and saltine crackers for the perfect summer dish.
Notes
- Serve Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Safely.
- It is important to start with Mexican shrimp cocktail that has been well chilled. It should reach the refrigerator temperature which needs to be under 42°.
- If you are serving shooters, do not put all of the cups out at one time. Instead, make them up as you go or place premade shot glasses into the refrigerator and refill the serving area as needed.
- When doing a large serving you can put your serving bowl down into a pan of ice to keep salsa cold, or you can put out a small amount at a time and put out a new bowl when needed.
Nutrition
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This was so delicious, we love easy shrimp recipes! Thank tou for another great recipe
I love shrimp cocktail, and this sounds like a fun and delicious twist!
I love trying various versions of shrimp recipes, and this one is definitely exciting! Love how you have shared your tips and detailed instructions. I am certainly making this soon.
I'm all about the Mexican food inspiration, so this Mexican shrimp cocktail recipe is right up my alley. Thank you!
This recipe totally reminds me of our family vacations to Mexico and I know my Dad is going to love this shrimp cocktail with all of the different spices and flavors. Thanks for sharing!
So much flavor! Delicious. Perfect for hot summer weather.