Coctel de Camarones {Mexican Shrimp Cocktail}


Mexican Shrimp Cocktail


Today's recipe is one I will never forget.

I learned how to make Coctel de Camarones after a small cultural difference with Hubby when we were newlyweds.

My new Hubby had requested that I make one of his favorite foods...Coctel de Camarones (Shrimp Cocktail.)

I had never had shrimp cocktail before.  I had only seen it on TV cooking shows and in cookbooks.  Not even my grandparents could help me with this one.  So, I perused through the many cookbooks I received as a wedding present, looking for the perfect shrimp cocktail recipe to impress my Hubby with.  Most of the recipes I found involved serving cold, cooked shrimp in a cold tomato-chili sauce dip of sorts.  I couldn't figure out why Hubby would want shrimp cocktail for dinner, isn't it an appetizer?  But, I made it for him anyway.

It was pretty easy.  All I had to do was cook the shrimp and make the cocktail sauce.  My shrimp cocktail turned out just like the one in the cookbook.  I let it chill in the refrigerator until Hubby came home from work.   

Hubby sat down to dinner, and began eating his shrimp cocktail.  He really liked it.  He ate it all!  Then he turned to me and asked if the Coctel de Camarones was ready.  What???  Didn't you just eat all of the shrimp cocktail?   

I was confused, again!

I argued explained to Hubby that he had already eaten his Coctel de Camarones.  I even showed him the picture in the cookbook.   Hubby just stared at me and nodded.  And waited patiently for me to stop arguing explaining.

Finally, Hubby got his chance to explain that American Shrimp Cocktail and Mexican Coctel de Camarones are two very different dishes.  

Coctel de Camarones is more of a soup, served at room temperature, made with cooked shrimp, chopped tomato, onion, cucumber, avocado and ketchup.  Yes, ketchup! (Or catsup!)  It's a very easy recipe.  No measuring required.  Just add as much or as little of the ingredients that you want.

Coctel de Camarones
(Mexican Shrimp Cocktail)

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound shrimp
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 sprig cilantro
  • Chopped tomato
  • Chopped onion
  • Chopped cucumber
  • Chopped avocado
  • Fresh limes or lemons
  • Ketchup
  • Bottled hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
Peel and de-vein the shrimp.  (Trust me, you really don't want to eat that nasty black vein.)  Place shrimp in a medium saucepan with the small onion and sprig of cilantro.  Fill with enough water to cover shrimp. (About 4 cups.)  Cook over high heat just until the water begins to boil.  Immediately remove from heat.  (You'll know the shrimp are completely cooked when they turn a pinkish/orange color.)


Coctel de Camaron prep


While the shrimp is cooking, fill individual bowls with desired amounts of chopped tomato, onion, cucumber and avocado.  Spoon the cooked shrimp into bowls.  Squeeze the juice of half a lime over shrimp.  Top with 1/4 cup of ketchup.  Fill the bowls with shrimp broth.  Stir to combine all of the ingredients.

Serve with bottled hot sauce, tostadas and/or crackers.  Enjoy!!!


You might also like these delicious Mexican shrimp dishes: 






37 comments

  1. This looks very yummy! I love shrimp cocktail! My husband likes to add raw oysters to his bowl!

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  2. Looks delicious. Almost like a Ceviche.

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  3. We put orange juice without pulp into ours as well as the ketchup. Maybe this is a chilanga thing?

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  4. My boyfriend like spicy v-8 juice in his while I like Fanta in mine. Very delicious :D

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  5. First time I tried this was in Monterry, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. It was served in a large sundae glass, much like the picture you show here. I couldn't stop eating it and just wanted to dive in to the glass headfirst! Anyone who likes shrimp cocktail will fall in LOVE with this dish. Reminds me a Gezpacho with shrimp.

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  6. This is perfect! Just what I was looking for. Thanks Leslie!!!

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  7. I love coctel de camaron! But instead of ketchup, we use v8 juice or clamato juice. And for the hot sauce I love to use Salsa Valentina, but careful, it's SPICY!

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  8. ANONYMOUS: Clamato juice in Coctel de Camaron sounds delish! And I agree with you on the Valentina, it is my preferred hot sauce. It's not too spicy and slightly sweet. But my Hubby loves to use Salsa Porky! (It's a local brand of hot sauce made with Yahualica chile de arbol. The best in the world!)

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    1. OMG SALSA PORKY IS THE BEST.....my family is from Yahualica and let me tell you we always have plenty of salsa porky at home. Your recepie sounds great similar to how I prepare mine but I prefer clamato and just very little ketchup. Also I add a little of chopped jalapeño to mine sometimes for extra spice.

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  9. If You cook the shrimp with the shell and salt it gives better taste to the juice, even better if you cook the shrimp with the head and peeled after is beign cooked

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  10. Try adding CLAMATO CAMARÓN (available at supermarkets) in your coctel de camarón. Another dimention!

    Saludos!

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  11. se les olvido un poquito de aceite de oliva

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  12. I make mines with pulpo camarones y oysters. i use clamatp y tapatio (better than valentina), haha

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  13. wow! everything is so easy! i love it

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  14. try simmering the shrimp shells only for about 20 minutes then cook the shrimp.  This gives the Coctel a much stronger flavor.  Some regions in Mexico have these warm (hot) others room temperature, we like ours cold.  The colder the better.

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  15. David, that sounds really good!  I simmer the shrimp shells when I want a shrimp broth for rice or other soups. :)  I've only had Coctel de Camarones at room temperature.  Never tried it cold, but will have to next time.  Thanks for stopping by and commenting. :) 

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  16. A local restaurant makes Coctel de Camarones that I LOVE.  I've tried about a dozen recipes prior to yours and they were always "not quite right".  This was perfect!   I'd used every combo of V8, Clamato, tomato juice, sauce, purée, paste...Who knew it was ketchup?  Thanks for posting!

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  17. Try the Camaronazo juice makes it delicious n cooked bay shrimp (frozen will make ur coctel cold). super delicious with cracker n tapatio hot sauce.

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  18. YOU JUST SAVED MY HUSBANDS BDAY DINNER! Thank you for such a great blog. Keep up the good work!

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  19. I add the clamato picante with tapatio.... I add a little clam juice with some clams and abalon. It's delishes

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  20. Ooh and yes we like it freezing cold!

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  21. this is exactly how i make it, with the exception i add chopped cilantro! delicioso!!

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  22. great to hav a good cook put her recipes for others to view thanks for sharing

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    1. Thank you for the compliment! And thank you for visiting and commenting. :)

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  23. Thank you sooo much for the recipe! I'm sure my husband will love it!!

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  24. I have used your recipe about a dozen times over the past several months; we can't get enough of it! One of my favorites (I used to buy it at the taco truck near my house) - who knew it was so easy! Thank you!!

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  25. I sell it in our store and we use clamato spicy of course. I bring precooked and deviened shrimp to a boiling point with onion to mske sure theres no salmonella then I flash chill with ice water put it in a bowl with a bunch of salt and lime juice to soak for 15 min while chop the veggies. I also use two bottles of ketchup and half a bottle of Valentina but it makes about 15 containers so.... I also use jumex mandarina. Here's to the perfect coctel!!!!!! I have never used cucumbers. Is that a regional thing? Does it make it sweet because I don't know if I could use the cucumbers and jumex. It might be to much

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  26. oh!!!! I forgot the jalapeno!!!!! You HAVE to use Jalapeno!!!! Not alot and somewhere between chopped and minced. It's REALLY nice when you take bite after bite and you get different tastes of things. You can use serrano if you like spicy and never use a salsa you don't personally like. It's like wine, if you hate it in the bottle you won't like it in the mix. serve with crackers ( I was honestly shocked that Mexico had crackers lol I was a little nieve when I met my husband :D)

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  27. love it. it delicious and easy to do.

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  28. I love this story because the first time I ordered "shrimp cocktail" at a restaurant (me being Mexican) was so disappointed! Even now I sometimes see shrimp cocktail in the menu at a seafood restaurant and get all exited but then realize that its not what the Coctel de Camaron that I'm thinking of.

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  29. Leslie, very good your recipe... but shrimp cocktail should be served very cold!


    Saludos!

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  30. Just ketchup ? No.no.no.no.no. have to use clamato or v-8 AND serve it cold.

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  31. I love this receta!! Very easy and fast!!

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  32. Disfruta un delicioso Coctel de Camarones en Salsa Roja
    coctel
    de-camarones receta

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  33. Disfruta un delicioso Coctel de Camarones en Salsa Roja
    http://newhappening.com/coctel-de-camarones-receta/>

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  34. Disfruta un delicioso coctel de camarones en salsa roja http://newhappening.com/coctel-de-camarones-receta/

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  35. Growing up this is the way we had our coctel de camaron. When it's cold it's a whole different ball game, but I do like both versions.

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