These are all of the required ingredients in our Mexican shrimp cocktail recipe:
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
Shrimp
Shrimp is the centerpiece of this recipe but not just any shrimp. We like to use large shrimp.
We buy our shrimp with the head and shell on. We then shell and devein the shrimp. (We show you how to do this in our Gambas al Ajillo recipe.) If you can find headless deveined shrimp then more power to you.
If you’re in the United States, look for 16-20 count shrimp (which means that there are 16 to 20 shrimp per pound). If you’re elsewhere in the world, look for 20-30 count shrimp (per kilo).
Pro Tip
For this recipe, as opposed to a standard shrimp cocktail where you leave the tails attached, you’ll want to completely peel your shrimp before boiling it.
We cook our shrimp by boiling them for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes in well salted water (27 grams or about 1 ounce for every 1.5 quarts or about 1.5 litres of water). We know the shrimp are done once they feel firm to the touch of a spoon.
Once the shrimp are done, we transfer them immediately to an ice bath to cool and then place them on ice if we’re planning to use them immediately. Otherwise, we move them to the fridge where they can be stored up to three days.
Pro Tip
For this recipe, we recommend against brining the shrimp or treating them in baking soda or cornstarch. Well-salted boiling water imparts plenty of flavor and texture to the shrimp. In our experience, brining can result in tough shrimp when you boil them.
Avocado
We buy one Hass avocado for every two cocktails and we buy them a day in advance. Our goal is for the inside of each avocado to be green and firm without being too ripe.
Pro Tip
Save your greenest avocado to fan as garnish. (See below.)
Clamato
Clamato could be called the first of this recipe’s ‘bloody shrimp cocktail’ elements. After doing a bit of research, we found Clamato at our local Mexican shop. If you can’t find Clamato where you live, you can create a similar product using tomato juice and clam juice in a 1:1 ratio.
Pro Tip
Make sure the Clamato or clam/tomato juice mixture is cold before mixing it into the recipe.
Ketchup
Ketchup adds a signature combination of sweetness and vinegar acidity to this Mexican shrimp cocktail recipe. It also acts as a thickener.
Pro Tip
You probably already have ketchup in your pantry. If not, you should be able to find the popular condiment at your local market.
Hot Sauce
Our recipe calls for a tablespoon of Valentina, our go-to Mexican hot sauce. Mindi would add more but Daryl feels that this amount is correct. He wins since this recipe is his baby.
Pro Tip
You can substitute another Mexican hot sauce like Cholula or Tapatío, however, you may need to adjust the amount since sauces vary in piquancy.
Jalapeños
Living in Portugal means that good, fresh, hot jalapeños are not always available. Accordingly, we use pickled jalapeños in this recipe and the result is fine.
Pro Tip
Use fresh jalapeños if you make this recipe in the United States.
Tomato
Dicing a small vine ripened or plum tomato provides a fresh tomato texture and flavor against the cooked tomato flavors found in ketchup and Clamato.
Cilantro
Cilantro provides the herbaceous backbone in most Mexican recipes. This recipe is no exception.
Cucumber
Cucumber gives this recipe an almost gazpacho-like flavor. We like it and hope you do too.
Celery
Celery is the second ‘bloody shrimp cocktail’ element in this recipe.
Red Onion
Thinly sliced red onion adds texture and pungency to the saucy mix.
Salt
We use salt twice in this recipe. First, we add a generous amount of salt to the shrimp boil. We later add salt to taste as we compose the sauce.
