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La Piña en la Cocina

Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

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Home » Traditional Mexican Recipes » Coctel de Camarones ~ Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Coctel de Camarones ~ Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

January 21, 201437 Comments

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As a kid, I remember the  Coctel de Camarones or Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, that my Dad would prepare.  And as a kid, I also remember that it was mostly for the adults, lol! We would get a little taste and we were happy as could be. I mean feeding Coctel de Camarones to 8 kids plus 2 adults could get pretty expensive.  My family’s recipe was pretty close to this one, minus the Clamato juice. We would use V-8 juice instead and make it really spicy. It’s great as  starter for a special meal or as a light meal on it’s own.

cocktail served in margarita glasses top view

Do you remember the first time you cooked shrimp?

I do! I was a nervous wreck! Lol! My family was not accustomed to seafood recipes coming from northern Mexico where beef was the most popular. Trial and error is how I really learned to cook seafood. The first time I cooked shrimp it was definitely overcooked! My friends made excuses on why they couldn’t eat seafood that day, no lie. Who can blame them? Take notes and learn from it. Seafood is not so intimidating anymore.

https://animoto.com/play/16F4SVT0yXm3XXmEs2ipzw
The video reflects half of the ingredients from the written recipe at the end of post.
shrimp cocktail up close

Don’t get hung up on the ketchup!

Recipes are only a guideline. Not crazy about ketchup in your Mexican shrimp cocktail? Omit it. It will still be delicious. There are different variations on how to prepare coctel de camaron. I have a great spicy recipe for shrimp cocktail with no ketchup on site. It requires more steps because it’s all from scratch, but so worth it in the end.

large shrimp close up

Simple or dressed up?

I enjoy preparing this recipe with plenty of fresh ingredients, like tomato, onion, serrano pepper, cilantro, cucumber and avocado. It’s like your getting a salad with shrimp. A complete meal! Traditionally we enjoyed the cocktail with saltine crackers, but corn tostadas are delicious as well.

fresh ingredients for shrimp cocktail
Top view of shrimp going into bowl
cocktail served in margarita style glasses with saltine crackers
shrimp cocktail close up

Coctel de Camarones-Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Only on special occasions would my family prepare coctel de camarones(shrimp cocktail). Growing up in a family with roots from Northern Mexico, it was a lot of beans, rice, eggs, meat and potatoes. The shrimp was a delicious change of pace!
4.73 from 62 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cool Shrimp: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 pound large uncooked shrimp cleaned and peeled
  • 5 cups water for cooking the shrimp
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 cup ketchup I used a spicy ketchup
  • 1 1/4 cups Clamato juice
  • 2 cups english cucumber diced
  • 1 to 2 serranos minced
  • 2 roma tomatoes seeded, diced
  • 1/3 cup white onion finely diced
  • 1/3 cup cilantro chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 1 large avocado diced
  • Juice of 3 to 4 key limes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Valentina or Tapatio hot sauce to taste
  • Saltine crackers or tostadas

Instructions

Directions

  • Add the five cups of water to a pot. Salt the water to your liking and heat to medium. Once the water comes up to a boil add the shrimp. Poach the shrimp in boiling water for just just 2 minutes or until they turn pink. Drain and transfer shrimp to a bowl of ice water, set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients in the order listed. Taste for salt, pepper and hot sauce. Drain the chilled shrimp and add to the sauce mixture. Cover and chill for 1 hour before serving. Serve with saltine crackers, garnish with more cilantro.

Notes

During the summer, I like to add a few fresh fruits to my coctel de camarones. Mango, peaches and jicama are a tasty addition to garnish your Mexican shrimp cocktail! If you prefer the recipe with no ketchup, just omit it. Bump up the clamato a bit. It will appear watery. 
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!
Pinterest image of shrimp cocktail

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Filed Under: Mariscos~Seafood, Shrimp, Traditional Mexican Recipes Tagged With: coctel de camarones, Mariscos, mexican shrimp cocktail, Seafood, Shrimp

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandra

    August 2, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    All your recipes are wonderful, they never fail me or my family

    Reply
    • Sonia

      August 5, 2020 at 4:33 pm

      Sandra, thank you so much for taking the time to leave me this comment. It really inspires me to try and do the best job possible.

      Reply
  2. Nat

    October 16, 2020 at 8:57 pm

    5 cups of water made my coctel very soupy.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      October 17, 2020 at 7:10 am

      The 5 cups of water is for cooking the shrimp. It doesn’t go into the coctel.

      Reply
  3. Sherry Pierce

    November 24, 2020 at 1:37 pm

    Hi Sonya, I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s always delicious and very authentic. One question: how far ahead can this be made? 1 day? or more, or less?
    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      November 25, 2020 at 10:01 am

      I would not prepare it the day before. Prepare it the same day you ate going to serve it. A few hours ahead is fine.

      Reply
      • Allen

        May 18, 2024 at 3:12 pm

        Hey Sonia!! I love the recipe! I would have to say the longer it sits and gels the better it seems!! What a great recipe!!

        Reply
        • Sonia

          May 18, 2024 at 3:57 pm

          I agree! Love it more after a few hours!

          Reply
  4. Carie Carper

    April 14, 2021 at 6:07 pm

    So very Wonderful!! I’ll never have to order this favorite again!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      April 15, 2021 at 12:10 am

      Hi Carie! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment.

      Reply
  5. Jasmine

    April 26, 2021 at 9:15 am

    I made this and I loved it!

    I had Coctel de Camarones for the first time and fell in love! This recipe has way more veggies than the restaurant, but the taste was even better!!

    I ate this with ritz crackers and saltines. I truly enjoyed both! I will be having this again!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      April 26, 2021 at 9:39 am

      I like a lot of veggies in my coctel. I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  6. Whitney Rector

    November 20, 2021 at 1:07 pm

    Wow! Love it!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      November 22, 2021 at 12:22 pm

      Thank you!!

      Reply
  7. Rose

    December 28, 2021 at 4:09 pm

    this really hit the spot! I added double the tomatoes because I couldn’t help myself

    Reply
    • Sonia

      December 28, 2021 at 4:58 pm

      Hi Rose! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  8. Fred

    January 15, 2022 at 10:15 am

    I prepared all the ingredients separately mixed all the chopped veggies together kept the shrimp the cocktail sauce and the veggies separate and assembled at the last minute and it was a huge hit. This also allowed me to customize for everyone attending.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      January 16, 2022 at 2:30 pm

      That’s a great idea Fred! Thank you for taking the time to send me some feedback on the recipe!

      Reply
  9. Stephanie

    January 24, 2022 at 8:57 am

    This is absolutely delicious!!!!! I just prepared and soooo very excited to have for dinner this evening. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      January 24, 2022 at 6:18 pm

      Thank you Stephanie! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  10. Adrian

    May 16, 2022 at 10:39 am

    Hi do I have to use the Serrano peppers?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      May 16, 2022 at 12:32 pm

      Hi Adrian, on the instructions, number 2. Add all of the ingredients in the order listed. That includes the serrano peppers.

      Reply
  11. Jessica

    May 20, 2022 at 10:19 pm

    This is the absolute best recipe I’ve come across for coctel de camarón! It was so easy and my husband and I enjoyed it over lunch, he absolutely loved it!! This recipe is an absolute must for anyone wanting to make this dish. Sonia, thank you so much for sharing this incredible recipe, I no longer have to buy this because it’s so easy and every bit of flavor that should be there is there!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      May 22, 2022 at 4:44 pm

      Thank you Jessica for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it! I love this recipe and have been preparing it for many years now!

      Reply
  12. Mirna

    August 20, 2022 at 12:28 pm

    Hi I just want to say great recipe is great. But no you don’t need the serranos peppers. I made it for my husband who really doesn’t like too spicy without them and he loved it.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      August 20, 2022 at 4:35 pm

      For my taste, I do need the chile serrano. That’s how I grew up enjoying coctel de camarones. I would be reaching for the hot sauce if there were no chile in there. That’s the beauty of cooking at home. I always encourage my followers to make the recipes their own. Have fun!

      Reply
  13. Terri

    January 20, 2023 at 11:53 am

    Hi Sonia, I love your blog! Very authentic recipe! I would like to ask if there is any substituion for ketchup? I find it too sweet! I would like to make this spicier and not as sweet… any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      January 20, 2023 at 11:56 am

      Hi Terri! You can just leave the ketchup out. Some people only use clamato or add some spicy V8 juice. Here is a more authentic recipe with no ketchup https://pinaenlacocina.com/spicy-mexican-shrimp-cocktailwith-no-ketchup/

      Reply
  14. Jen

    May 2, 2023 at 5:43 pm

    Just made this and it tastes like I am on vacation! Great recipe! Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      May 2, 2023 at 5:56 pm

      Thank you Jen!

      Reply
  15. Tianna

    February 29, 2024 at 2:29 pm

    THIS WAS SO GOODD it doesn’t even make it passed an hour

    Reply
    • Sonia

      February 29, 2024 at 3:18 pm

      Wow! That is , like wow! I am so happy you all enjoyed the coctel de camarones!

      Reply
  16. Mike

    May 25, 2024 at 9:30 pm

    The sugar in the ketchup ruined this recipe, I’m going to try rinsing the sauce off and remaking it, I almost couldn’t eat it.
    I’ve had this dish in Guadalajara, Tonala and Telacapaque, never was it sweet.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      May 26, 2024 at 7:24 am

      We are not in Mexico. The ketchup is optional Mike. I have another recipe with no ketchup. A lot of people enjoy this version. It’s all good! Have a blessed day!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Mango and Shrimp Ceviche Tacos – My Year In Tacos – Week 28 of 53 – Forks Go On The Left says:
    October 23, 2019 at 11:04 am

    […] This red sauce ceviche from La Pina en la Cocina is more the type that I saw on menus where I grew up. It’s kinda like a shrimp cocktail and ceviche mix. I DO want to try making this sometime (P.S. she also has a recent Salmon Ceviche that looks amazing!). Coctel de Camarones ~ Mexican Shrimp Cocktail […]

    Reply
  2. 5 Shrimp Dinner Ideas – What’s that Smell? says:
    November 9, 2019 at 7:45 pm

    […] 2. Coctel de Camarones […]

    Reply
  3. Mango and Shrimp Ceviche Tacos – My Year In Tacos – Week 28 of 53 – Coaching Wanderlusters says:
    November 15, 2019 at 7:00 pm

    […] This red sauce ceviche from La Pina en la Cocina is more the type that I saw on menus where I grew up. It’s kinda like a shrimp cocktail and ceviche mix. I DO want to try making this sometime (P.S. she also has a recent Salmon Ceviche that looks amazing!). Coctel de Camarones ~ Mexican Shrimp Cocktail […]

    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

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