Gluten Free Garlic Lime Shrimp Cocktail
Plump, perfectly poached shrimp chilled over ice and served with a bold, tangy cocktail sauce — this is the kind of appetizer that disappears fast at any gathering. The shrimp are gently simmered in a fragrant poaching liquid of smashed garlic, whole peppercorns, and fresh lime, which gives them a subtle brightness before they even hit the sauce. That homemade cocktail sauce brings serious heat and zip from prepared horseradish, hot sauce, and a squeeze of lime juice, and it comes together in minutes while the shrimp chill. The one detail worth calling out is the Worcestershire sauce — the recipe specifically calls for a gluten free version, which is an easy swap but one that matters when you're cooking for anyone avoiding gluten. Store-bought cocktail sauces and seasoning blends can be surprisingly tricky in that department, so making everything from scratch here is a genuine win. Serves four, and honestly you might want to double it.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the shrimp
- 1 ½ lb large shrimp (21–25 count), peeled and deveined, tails on
- 4 cups cold water
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 lime, halved
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
For the cocktail sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- ½ tsp worcestershire sauce (gluten free)
For serving
- lime wedges, for serving (optional)
- fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the water, smashed garlic, lime halves (squeeze them in before dropping them in), kosher salt, and black peppercorns in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 3 minutes until fragrant.
- 2
Add the shrimp to the simmering poaching liquid in a single layer. Cook, stirring once, for 2–3 minutes until the shrimp are opaque throughout and pink, with no translucent gray at the center, and register 145°F (63°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
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