It’s easy to make keto cocktail sauce! Simply replace the sugary ketchup with unsweetened ketchup. It tastes just like the restaurant version!
Shrimp cocktail is one of my favorite appetizers to order in restaurants (deviled eggs is another one). I always feel a little guilty when I order it because the sauce served at restaurants is quite high in sugar.
That’s why I’ve been wanting for a long time now to make a keto cocktail sauce and serve it with boiled shrimp right here at home. I don’t know why it took me so long – it’s so very easy to make.
Can you eat shrimp cocktail on the keto diet?
Yes! You just need to make a low-sugar sauce. To make it, you can use any recipe you like. Simply replace the regular, sugary ketchup with unsweetened ketchup.
I like to use this brand, that I buy at Whole Foods, and is also available on Amazon.
If you look at the ingredients list you’ll see that it’s not perfect. It contains maltodextrin, the all-mysterious “spice,” and “natural flavor,” all of them fairly questionable ingredients.
But it is very low in carbs, and a good compromise to use once in a while when I serve boiled shrimp as an appetizer (or have a big plate of them for my lunch) and want a keto cocktail sauce for dipping.
The ingredients needed for this recipe
You’ll only need a few ingredients to make this easy recipe (the exact measurements are in the recipe card below):
Unsweetened ketchup: It’s really tasty. It always makes me wonder why do they need to add so much sugar to regular ketchup.
Horseradish: I really like the Bubbies brand, which is quite potent! I get it at Whole Foods.
Worcestershire sauce: A very small amount (just 1/2 teaspoon) adds great flavor to the sauce.
Hot pepper sauce: I like the Organic Harvest brand. Again, it’s quite potent.
How to make keto cocktail sauce
It’s so easy, I can hardly call it a recipe! The detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
Mix. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients.
Chill. Cover and chill until ready to use.
Serve. Mix again before serving.
Drawn butter is another keto option
As I said, a shrimp cocktail is one of my favorite appetizers to order in restaurants. But since I realize that the sauce served in restaurants is high in sugar, sometimes I ask them to serve the shrimp with melted butter. It’s delicious!
But I like cocktail sauce so much, that other times I figure that the little I use with the six prawns they typically give you won’t be so bad. So I go ahead and order it. Yum. 🦐
Why is there so much sugar in regular ketchup?
This sauce tastes amazing. It basically tastes just like the restaurant version. It makes me wonder, why do they add so much sugar to regular ketchup? It’s unhealthy and completely unnecessary.
The only difference I notice is that I don’t like lemon juice in this recipe, so I omit it. Perhaps this is because there isn’t enough sugar in the ketchup to balance out the acidity.
How much horseradish should I add to keto cocktail sauce?
The brand of prepared horseradish I use is quite potent, so I only use one tablespoon of it.
Depending on the brand you use, you might need to add up to two tablespoons. It’s best to start with less, then taste and decide for yourself.
If you’re like me and really like shrimp cocktail, you can now enjoy it freely, even on a low carb or a keto diet! Here’s the recipe.
How long will it keep?
You can keep it in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. Give it another good stir before using it.
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Keto Cocktail Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup unsweetened ketchup
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients.
- Cover and chill until ready to use.
- Mix again before serving.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.