Description
Zesty Mexican shrimp cocktail blends oceanic freshness with tangy citrus and crisp vegetables. Spicy, cool, and refreshing, this classic coastal dish delivers a perfect balance of flavors you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 ripe avocados, chopped
- 3 Roma or plum tomatoes, diced
- 12 ounces (340 grams) cocktail sauce
Produce and Herbs:
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 jalapeño, seeded as desired, finely diced
- 2 fresh limes
Seasoning and Serving:
- Salt, to taste (plus extra to cook shrimp if needed)
- Tortilla chips or saltine crackers, for serving
Instructions
- Craft a vibrant salsa base by dicing ripe tomatoes, finely chopping red onion, fresh cilantro, and jalapeño into a large mixing bowl.
- Enhance the salsa with freshly squeezed lime juice and a delicate sprinkle of salt, gently tossing ingredients to meld flavors.
- Incorporate prepared cocktail sauce into the vegetable mixture, creating a zesty foundation for the seafood.
- Thoroughly rinse raw shrimp under cold water, ensuring complete drainage and removing tails if desired.
- Prepare a salted boiling water bath, carefully submerging shrimp and cooking until they transition from translucent to opaque with delicate pink edges.
- Immediately shock cooked shrimp in an ice water bath to halt cooking and preserve tender texture.
- Slice most shrimp into bite-sized pieces, reserving several whole specimens for elegant garnishing.
- Fold chopped shrimp into the prepared salsa mixture, distributing seafood evenly throughout the sauce.
- Immediately before serving, carefully dice creamy avocados and protect their freshness by drizzling remaining lime juice over the chunks.
- For individual presentations, layer the shrimp cocktail in clear glasses, alternating between seafood mixture and avocado pieces.
- Garnish each serving with whole reserved shrimp, additional avocado cubes, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
- Accompany the Mexican shrimp cocktail with crisp tortilla chips or traditional saltine crackers.
- For advance preparation, assemble vegetable base and cocktail sauce several hours prior, refrigerating until service time to maintain peak flavor and freshness.
Notes
- Prep ahead saves time by mixing tomato base and cocktail sauce hours before serving, keeping ingredients crisp and flavors developing.
- Cooking shrimp precisely for 2 minutes prevents rubbery texture, ensuring tender and perfectly cooked seafood.
- Lime juice acts as a natural preservative for avocados, preventing browning and adding bright, zesty flavor to the dish.
- Cutting most shrimp into pieces allows better sauce distribution, while keeping some whole for attractive garnish.
- Flexible serving options include traditional bowl presentation or elegant individual glasses, making it perfect for casual gatherings or upscale events.
- Refrigerating mixture helps meld flavors, creating a more complex and delicious Mexican-style shrimp cocktail.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg