Shrimp with Keto Cocktail Sauce

Shrimp with Keto Cocktail Sauce is wonderful for an appetizer, and when you make your own cocktail sauce you can control the carbs. And I promise you that no one will ever guess that this delicious cocktail sauce is low in carbs; enjoy!

PIN Shrimp with Keto Cocktail Sauce to try it later!

I’m a huge fan of shrimp cocktail, but traditional cocktail sauce has a fair amount of sugar. That’s why I was happy when Sugar-Free Ketchup started showing up in grocery stores. And now sugar-free ketchup and reduced-sugar ketchup are both easy to find.

And this Shrimp with Keto Cocktail Sauce that’s made using ketchup without added sugar couldn’t be easier to make! And of course shrimp has barely any carbs, so this tasty Keto Shrimp Cocktail is a treat you can enjoy any time you get a craving for shrimp cocktail! And of course this would be a perfect idea for Super Bowl party food, so I’m featuring it for my Friday Favorites pick this week!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe:

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• frozen cooked shrimp
• Sugar-Free Ketchup (affiliate link) or Low-Sugar Ketchup (affiliate link)
• tomato paste (affiliate link)
• fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
• ground horseradish (affiliate link)

Use Sugar-Free Ketchup for Keto Cocktail Sauce:

Traditional Ketchup has 5 carbs per tablespoon, so you  don’t want that if you’re watching your carbs. I love the tomato flavor in G. Hughes Sugar-Free Ketchup (affiliate link) which has only 1 carb in a tablespoon, and that’s what I used for this recipe. 

Want Keto Cocktail Sauce without Splenda?

I did find several options for low-sugar ketchups without artificial sweetener (affiliate link) if you’d prefer to avoid artificial sweeteners and don’t mind one (or sometimes two) more carbs per tablespoon. I also found a variety of natural ketchups without added sugar (affiliate link) which were slightly higher in carbs. Any of these products will let you make cocktail sauce with considerably less sugar than if you used a traditional ketchup.

Want more low-carb appetizer recipes?

Check out 50+ Low-Carb and Keto Appetizers to see more tasty appetizers without the carbs! Or you can use Appetizer Recipes to find all the appetizers on my site.

How to Make Shrimp with Keto Cocktail Sauce:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Thaw shrimp over night in the refrigerator, (or inside the bag in lukewarm water will work in a pinch.)
2. Let thawed shrimp drain well, then pat dry with paper towels.
3. Mix together ketchup and tomato paste. (Tomato paste is the highest carb ingredient, so use half the amount if you prefer.)
4. Add lemon juice and horseradish, stir to combine, then taste to see if you want to add more lemon or horseradish. (I like it pretty sour and spicy, but some people may think the amount in the recipe is tangy enough.)
5. Serve shrimp and cocktail sauce chilled.

More Keto Appetizers with Shrimp:

• Shrimp Salad Wraps
• Easy Shrimp Ceviche
• Sheila’s Low-Carb Shrimp Dip
• Shrimp Cocktail Lettuce Cups
• Air Fryer Shrimp

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 6 servings

Shrimp with Keto Cocktail Sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Shrimp with Keto Cocktail Sauce is wonderful for game-day eats or as an appetizer for a nice meal, and when you make your own cocktail sauce you can control the amount of sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen cooked shrimp, thawed (see notes)
• 1/2 cup ketchup (see notes)
• 2 T tomato paste (see notes)
• 1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 4 tsp. cream-style horseradish (or more, to taste)

Instructions

1. Do yourself a favor and buy large pre-cooked frozen shrimp for this recipe. (The ones at Costco are great.)
2. Thaw shrimp over night in the refrigerator, (or inside the bag in lukewarm water will work in a pinch.)
3. When they are thawed let shrimp drain well, then pat dry with paper towels.
4. To make the easy low-sugar cocktail sauce, first mix together ketchup and tomato paste. (Tomato paste is the highest carb ingredient, so use half the amount if you don't mind a paler sauce with slightly less tomato flavor.)
5. Add smaller amounts of lemon juice and horseradish, stir to combine, then taste to see if you want to add more lemon or horseradish. (I like it pretty sour and spicy, but some people may think the amount in the recipe is tangy enough.)
6. Serve shrimp and cocktail sauce chilled.
7. You can also make a traditional shrimp cocktail by layering chopped lettuce under diced shrimp mixed with cocktail sauce.

Notes

I used 31-40 size shrimp, so for the 6 servings this recipe makes that's about 5-6 shrimp per person. Use sugar-free ketchup, reduced-sugar ketchup, no-sugar added ketchup, or natural ketchup without artificial sweetener to make a cocktail sauce that's low in sugar. Even though it's used in small amounts, tomato paste (affiliate link) has seven carbs in one tablespoon. You may want to use only one tablespoon in this recipe if you don't mind a cocktail sauce that's slightly lighter in color and not as strongly tomato-flavored.

This recipe is one I came up with many years ago and it's dedicated to the memory of my wonderful father, who loved shrimp more than any other food! I made this regularly for dad when I went to cook for him.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 127Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 905mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 18g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Shrimp with Keto Cocktail Sauce is a great appetizer for low-carb or Keto diet plans, and for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. If you’re really limiting carbs, use some portion control on the sauce.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Appetizers to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Danica's Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This shrimp cocktail with keto cocktail sauce was first posted in 2008, when I was making it quite regularly for my shrimp-loving father. It was last updated with more information in 2024.

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