Pauline
Cocktail sauce is typically made from just ketchup, horseradish sauce, and maybe some Tabasco sauce or worcestershire sauce, but I find the flavor lacking when it’s made this way. My version has a lot more flavor, and it tastes a lot fresher. Plus, when you make it homemade you can tailor the recipe to your taste. Use more or less horseradish (or even none) or add a little more heat with more hot sauce.
I find that this is the best homemade cocktail sauce recipe, because it just tastes fresh. The lemon juice really brightens the flavor, and the addition of the diced tomatoes makes it less sweet. It really tastes almost like a Bloody Mary!
Best Homemade Cocktail Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup (I prefer Heinz, because it’s not as sweet as other brands)
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes drained
- 1/4 of a small white onion, minced finely
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce (I prefer Lea and Perrins)
- A few dashes of hot sauce (I like Frank’s, but many people use Tabasco)
- 1-2 Tbsp prepared horseradish (NOT horseradish sauce)
- 1 lemon (2 if they aren’t very juicy)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Put ketchup and diced tomatoes into a blender or food processor.
- Add onion, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and half the horseradish. Pulse a few times to blend.
- Add lemon juice and a bit of salt. Pulse once or twice to blend.
- Taste, and adjust seasoning as desire. Add more horseradish, salt, or hot sauce until it tastes like you want it.
Notes
If you want this to taste even more like a Bloody Mary, you can add a dash or two of celery salt and use less regular salt. So yummy!
