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Close-up of shrimp cocktail shooters in glasses rimmed with seasoning, garnished with parsley, and served on a bed of ice.
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Shrimp Cocktail Shooters Recipe

Cold, snappy shrimp over Creole-rimmed shot glasses with sharp homemade cocktail sauce. A 20-minute party appetizer that assembles fast and disappears faster.
Prep Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings (1 shooter per serving)
Calories: 35kcal
Author: Dee Broughton

Ingredients

For the Rim & Garnish

  • 2 tablespoons water or fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons Creole seasoning we used Tony Chachere's
  • 12 fresh parsley stems

For the Shrimp

  • 12 large cooked shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

For the Cocktail Sauce

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish to taste
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Rim the Glasses

  • Pour water or lemon juice onto one small plate and Creole seasoning onto another. Dip the rim of each shot glass into the liquid, then press firmly into the seasoning. Set glasses aside for 10 to 15 minutes to dry completely before filling.
    Six empty glasses with seasoned rims are arranged on a marble surface, with fresh herbs and a beige textured cloth visible at the edges.

Season the Shrimp

  • Pat shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Toss with Old Bay until evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
    A bowl of cooked, seasoned shrimp sits on a stone surface next to fresh parsley, half a lemon, and a bowl of ground black pepper.

Make the Cocktail Sauce

  • Whisk ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust — add horseradish a teaspoon at a time for more heat.
    A bowl of red cocktail sauce with a metal whisk, next to fresh parsley, half a lemon, ground pepper, and a textured cloth on a beige surface.

Assemble

  • Spoon or pipe cocktail sauce into each rimmed glass, filling about halfway. Hook one shrimp over the rim by the tail. Tuck a parsley stem alongside. Serve cold immediately.
    Six small cups filled with cocktail sauce, each garnished with a shrimp and parsley, are arranged on a textured surface, surrounded by herbs, lemon, pepper, and utensils.

Notes

  • Make the cocktail sauce the night before. It sharpens up as it sits.
  • Rim the glasses up to 1 day ahead; store uncovered at room temperature.
  • Store shrimp and sauce separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. Do not assemble ahead.
  • Horseradish heat varies by brand:  Silver Spring and Boar's Head run hotter than most store brands. Taste before seasoning. You can usually find these in the cold deli section or near the packaged deli meats in the meat department or the fresh seafood counter. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 35kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 712IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.4mg