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Home Prawns/Shrimp

Prawn Cocktail !!!

By:Nagi
Published:31 Dec '18Updated:24 Jun '20
55 Comments
Recipe v Dozer v

Everybody loves a Prawn Cocktail! Prawns (shrimp) tossed in a classic rose coloured Prawn Cocktail Sauce that’s simple to make and way, way better than store bought.

So Aussie, so summer, so Christmas, so…..erm…80’s….and we love it!!!

Prawn Cocktails - juicy prawns dressed with Cocktail Sauce on a bed of lettuce served in a martini glass. Elegant appetizer

PRAWN COCKTAIL – HERE TO STAY!

“There’s only one thing better than the sight of a pile of fresh, juicy prawns…. and that’s a pile of freshly PEELED prawns!!“

Prawn Cocktails might be a classic from the 80’s but in my books, they have NEVER gone out of fashion and never will!

In my younger days, I associated prawn cocktails with posh restaurants and feeling very grown up, eating the prawns out of fancy looking glasses with little forks. I know that nowadays, many posh restaurants do modernised versions of prawn cocktails. Plating them up in a fancy way, with poshed-up sauces (I think I even saw a prawn cocktail foam sauce once!!).

I’ve never poshed-up Prawn Cocktails. To me, it’s a classic that is perfect as it is.

Prawn Cocktail - Prawns (shrimp) tossed in a Marie Rose Sauce, the classic pink mayonnaise sauce for prawn cocktails. Fast, fresh and delicious! www.recipeteineats.com

Today’s, it’s a perfect summer day here in Sydney. Clear blue skies, the ocean is crystal clear (though surfers are probably sulking because there is zero surf). For festive seasons and summer holidays in Australia, the vision of piles of fresh prawns is one that is familiar to many.

And we all know that there is only one thing better than the sight of a pile of fresh prawns….

Prawn Cocktail - Prawns (shrimp) tossed in a Marie Rose Sauce, the classic pink mayonnaise sauce for prawn cocktails. Fast, fresh and delicious! www.recipeteineats.com

….a pile of peeled freshly cooked prawns. Am I right or am I right?? 😉

Prawn Cocktail - Prawns (shrimp) tossed in a Marie Rose Sauce, the classic pink mayonnaise sauce for prawn cocktails. Fast, fresh and delicious! www.recipeteineats.com

Thus the ultimate appeal of Prawn Cocktails. It’s every prawn lovers dream come true because it’s a mound of prawns that someone has already peeled for you!

How to make Prawn Cocktail Sauce (Marie Rose Sauce)

Prawn Cocktails are served with a Prawn Cocktail Sauce (also known as Marie Rose Sauce) which is made of mayonnaise, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, with optional horseradish. It’s quick and easy to make, and tastes way better than store bought Seafood Sauce which tends to have an artificialness about it and is often too sour.

I use Neil Perry’s recipe (he’s a famous restauranteur in Australia). Fab for prawn cocktails but also a great sauce generally for dipping in fresh prawns (here are 5 more Prawn Dipping Sauces!), or crunchy Coconut Crumbed Prawns, chicken fingers/nuggets, wings, and using on burgers (Beef Burgers, Chicken Burgers, Portuguese Chicken Burgers, Steak Sandwiches and Veggie Burgers).

Prawn Cocktail - Prawns (shrimp) tossed in a Marie Rose Sauce, the classic pink mayonnaise sauce for prawn cocktails. Fast, fresh and delicious! www.recipeteineats.com

How to serve Prawn Cocktail

It just so happens that I have martini glasses because I am rather partial to the odd martini myself. 😇However, you don’t need fancy glasses for Prawn Cocktails. Yes they are nice served in glass. But they are just as tasty and quite cute in any smallish bowl or ramekins. And failing that, serve them in lettuce cups! (Actually, that’s a great idea for an appetiser!)

Prawn Cocktail - Prawns (shrimp) tossed in a Marie Rose Sauce, the classic pink mayonnaise sauce for prawn cocktails. Fast, fresh and delicious! www.recipeteineats.com

Variation Ideas

As briefly mentioned above, there are many variations of Prawn Cocktail but I like to keep it classic because it’s great as is! But here are some add in ideas: diced avocado, finely chopped gherkins or dill pickles, a hint of spiciness from sriracha or tabasco in the sauce, diced mango, fresh dill.

I know many of you reading this are in or approaching the dark depths of winter, so hopefully this doesn’t make you jealous about our Australian summer but instead brings back memories of YOUR summer! – Nagi xx

FRESH PRAWN RECIPES TO ENJOY ALL SUMMER!

  • 5 Prawn Dipping Sauces for a giant bucket of fresh prawns

  • Prawn Mango Avocado Summer Salad with Lime Dressing

  • Thai Prawn Mango Avocado Salad

  • Prawn Cocktail (this recipe)

  • Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

  • Fresh peeled prawns alongside a Corn Salad with Avocado for a quick summer meal

  • Browse all Prawn / Shrimp Recipes

 

Prawn Cocktail - Prawns (shrimp) tossed in a Marie Rose Sauce, the classic pink mayonnaise sauce for prawn cocktails. Fast, fresh and delicious! www.recipeteineats.com

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Prawn Cocktail - Prawns (shrimp) tossed in a Marie Rose Sauce, the classic pink mayonnaise sauce for prawn cocktails. Fast, fresh and delicious! www.recipeteineats.com

Prawn Cocktail!!!

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Total: 10 minutes mins
Appetizer
5 from 13 votes
Servings6
Tap or hover to scale
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  • 48
A classic Prawn Cocktail recipe! Juicy prawns (shrimp) tossed in a beautiful Prawn Cocktail Sauce (Rose Marie Sauce - a pink mayonnaise). The key to a good Rose Marie Sauce is a good mayonnaise. Use whole-egg if you can find it . (Note 1) A classic Aussie summer festive starter!

Ingredients

  • 1 kg / 2 lb medium fresh cooked or raw prawns with shell and heads on (yields ~600g once peeled); OR
  • 600 g / 1.2 lb fresh cooked prawns already peeled
  • About 3 cup iceberg lettuce, finely sliced
  • Lemon wedges
  • Finely chopped parsley (optional)

Sauce

  • 2/3 cup / 165 ml mayonnaise , preferably good quality whole egg mayonnaise (Note 2)
  • 1 tbsp ketchup or Australian/UK tomato sauce (Note 3)
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp freshly grated horseradish (or sub 1 1/2 tsp jarred OR 3/4 tsp wasabi)
  • Dash of tabasco sauce (to taste)
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste + tiny bit of colour)

Instructions

  • If you are using whole prawns, remove heads and peel them. Leave a few whole for decorative purposes, if you wish. I find that with medium size already cooked prawns, deveining is usually not necessary (it's hard to do + so small it's barely noticeably especially with sauce).
  • Mix together Sauce in a small bowl.
  • Toss prawns with Sauce.
  • Place a bit of lettuce in serving dishes. I like to use Martini glasses, but you can use any small serving vessel, or even small lettuce cups.
  • Top with prawns. Serve, garnished with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of parsley, if using.

Recipe Notes:

1. Let's talk PRAWNS! The better and fresher your prawns, the tastier this will be. In Australia, seafood stores and even major supermarkets sell really great quality fresh whole cooked prawns. They are basically cooked the moment they are caught, so they are great quality!
For a premium, you can purchase them already peeled. But they will be juicier and fresher if you peel them yourself!
2. Whole Egg Mayonnaise is smoother and not as sharp in flavour as classic mayonnaise. It is now widely available in Australian supermarkets - I use S&W (sold at Woolies and Coles).
3. Tomato Sauce in Australia/UK and many other countries outside America is a condiment that is the equivalent of ketchup (just slightly less flavouring spices in it). If you are in America, do NOT use your tomato sauce which is more like pureed tinned tomatoes with some flavourings, the flavour is not strong enough!
4. How much prawns per person - I cater for 100g / 3.5 oz of prawns per head which I think is a good size for starters. But you can be as generous as you want!
5. Prep time assumes you use already peeled prawns. I peeled my own - it takes me about 15 minutes to peel 1 kg / 2 lb of medium sized prawns (about 45 I think), but I've had practice! Line up the family at the kitchen bench and make a production line out of it! 
6. Sauce recipe by Neil Perry.
7. Make Ahead: Peel prawns and place in airtight container for up to 24 hours (the fresher the better). Make sauce and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Assemble just before serving. If you assemble more than say 3 hours ahead, you'll end up with sauce pooled on the lettuce. I assembled it 5 hours ahead and had that problem - still delish and still enough sauce on the prawns, but there was more sauce than ideal pooled at the base of the glass.
8. Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 150gCalories: 232cal (12%)Carbohydrates: 9.5g (3%)Protein: 23.2g (46%)Fat: 10.9g (17%)Saturated Fat: 1.9g (12%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 218mg (73%)Sodium: 479mg (21%)Sugar: 2.7g (3%)
Keywords: Prawn Cocktail
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

LIFE OF DOZER

See? I told you it was a beautiful day today. 🙂 Dozer is gagging to get to the beach so I’m signing off!

dozer-looking-out-at-ocean

Prawn Cocktail - Prawns (shrimp) tossed in a Marie Rose Sauce, the classic pink mayonnaise sauce for prawn cocktails. Fast, fresh and delicious! www.recipeteineats.com
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55 Comments

  1. Liz says

    December 5, 2023 at 6:39 pm

    5 stars
    Best Marie Rose sauce ever!!!!

    Reply
  2. ASN says

    January 24, 2023 at 4:09 pm

    5 stars
    Re the mayo – I used to use S&W as recommended but for a supermarket brand I discovered Colway (the German one with 8.8% egg yolk) which is really nice and a lot cheaper. When feeling indulgent I use Doodles Creek mayo, but that is better by itself as the ketchup etc. masks most of the mayor flavour.

    Reply
  3. Sandra Kidd says

    December 27, 2022 at 9:52 pm

    5 stars
    Winner. Spot on. Takes 1 minute.

    Reply
  4. Wendy says

    December 25, 2022 at 8:36 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious sauce, wouldn’t change a thing!!!

    Reply
  5. Amy says

    December 24, 2022 at 12:03 pm

    5 stars
    Your recipes never let me down. Absolutely perfect

    Reply
  6. Blitzo says

    October 17, 2022 at 1:11 pm

    5 stars
    I love your recipe Nagi us always. This is my second comment I think.

    Reply
  7. Blitzo says

    August 10, 2022 at 10:32 am

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi girl, thank you so much for believing us that we can make better foods everyday because of your recipe also. Thanks for inspiring us.

    Reply
  8. Judie McEnallay says

    January 13, 2022 at 6:07 am

    Love this recipe for a hot summer night. I used Neil’s Marie Rose sauce to finish it off. Your recipes are always fail safe – particularly love the Pad Thai – it’s my go to. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  9. Terese Masters says

    December 18, 2021 at 1:32 pm

    I love this recipe Nagi. I make it as big salad with shredded iceberg, thinly sliced shallots, capers, lemon juice topped with freshly peeled prawns and Neil’s Marie Rose sauce. We have it on sliced sourdough baguette with some Pepe Saya butter. Delicious!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 19, 2021 at 5:57 pm

      Ooooohhh!! Love that idea! N x

      Reply
  10. Peter Cifuentes says

    August 2, 2021 at 10:50 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    I follow your posts and I think your recipe are great.
    I’ve tried a number of them.
    With this one, you suggest 100g of prawns per head. Is that peeled or whole
    ?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      August 3, 2021 at 10:34 am

      Hi Peter, in the recipe ingredients, I note 600 g / 1.2 lb fresh cooked prawns already peeled – so it’s the peeled weight here. N x

      Reply
  11. Billy Bong says

    April 16, 2021 at 4:36 am

    5 stars
    It’s fair dinkum mate, I also made it with croc tail. We eat it all the time, bloody good stuff mate.

    Reply
  12. Ann maree says

    December 21, 2020 at 1:31 pm

    Hi I love all your recipes I’ve tried heaps and always work out perfectly thank you a couple of weeks ago I made a prawn dipping sauce with caper and feelings etc but can’t find it now. Can you please direct me! 🙏🏼

    Reply
    • Maria says

      January 22, 2021 at 9:20 am

      I think this is what you are looking for: https://www.recipetineats.com/5-great-prawn-dipping-sauces/ 🙂

      Reply
  13. Patricia says

    December 20, 2020 at 3:01 pm

    Hi Nagi going to make your version of Prawn Cocktail for this Xmas Day so made a half amount of the sauce just to try out. Tasted yummy but felt it was a bit too thick (included dash of Tabasco) . Would a squeeze of lemon juice help or????

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 20, 2020 at 4:22 pm

      Hi Patricia! Lemon would work great if you want to add some tang to it 🙂 Just use a little at a time – it is supposed to be thick so it clings to the prawns. If it’s too thin it slips off 🙂 – N x

      Reply
  14. Shirley says

    December 9, 2020 at 6:09 pm

    Hi Nagi, this is one of my favourite dishes. I use 1/2 n 1/2 mayo and salad cream, fresh lemon, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and celery salt! Also with the lettuce I finely slice red onion mix and dress with freshly squeezed lemon!

    Reply
  15. Colin Peart says

    November 13, 2020 at 4:51 am

    5 stars
    I add a dash of Sherry or whiskey to the cocktail dressing too.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 13, 2020 at 9:08 am

      Yum, great Colin! N x

      Reply
  16. Betty Quirk says

    December 19, 2019 at 11:03 am

    5 stars
    Best prawn cocktail ever…..first time making it. YUM. YUM

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 19, 2019 at 7:34 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it Betty!

      Reply
  17. Theresa says

    January 15, 2019 at 4:16 pm

    Hi,
    This recipe looks amazing. Is it ok if I assemble about 6- 7 hours ahead of time if the prawns are on lettuce cups?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 16, 2019 at 11:23 am

      Hi Theresa, You might find that the lettuce goes limp – I find salads that have dressing on them never keep well!

      Reply
  18. Miranda says

    January 9, 2019 at 10:36 am

    This looks so delicious!! I only have prepared horseradish though…do you think it would be okay?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 10, 2019 at 8:30 pm

      Hi Miranda – sub 1 1/2 tsp jarred – N x

      Reply
  19. Karishma says

    December 20, 2018 at 3:52 am

    Hi Nagi! This looks delish… But we get only raw prawns here in India. How do you cook it??
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 22, 2018 at 6:16 am

      Hi Karishma, you can simply boil the raw prawns and cool them!

      Reply
  20. Auntie Anne says

    November 15, 2018 at 9:52 am

    Dear Nagi

    Thank you for sharing your recipes, I am from Singapore.

    I have been following your blog for a long time. I had requested for your e cookbooks several times, but until today have not received, am disappointed.

    Will you please email to me?

    Thank you,
    Auntie Anne

    Reply
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