Need a quick condiment for your favorite seafood snacks and are fresh out of horseradish? I've got you covered! Just a few ingredients and a spoon will result in this delicious homemade cocktail sauce without horseradish. It tastes just as yummy!
What Is Cocktail Sauce, Anyway?
Cocktail sauce, also known as seafood sauce, is a dipping condiment most often served with cold shrimp (... shrimp cocktail) and raw oysters. It's also delicious with popcorn shrimp, other shellfish... or coconut shrimp, as shown in these photos!
The sauce doesn't have to be limited to just seafood, though. It's also super tasty with fried mozzarella sticks. Yum yum.
In the States, cocktail sauce is typically prepared using horseradish, ketchup, a smidge of lemon juice, and a smidge of Worcestershire sauce. Some peeps add a few drops of tabasco sauce as well.
How Do You Make Cocktail Sauce Without Horseradish?
Cocktail sauce is simple and fast to prepare at home, but what if you're someone who doesn't usually stock horseradish in your pantry?
Enter spicy brown mustard! Not to be confused with the yellow squiggles on top of hot dogs, spicy brown mustard is made from brown mustard seeds and has less vinegar. The more potent seeds and reduced vinegar are what gives brown mustard extra potency, making it a great substitute for horseradish.
What Ingredients Do You Need?
As mentioned above, most of the ingredients for cocktail sauce are probably already chilling in your pantry:
- Ketchup - use whatever you have
- Spicy brown mustard - your horseradish substitute (not yellow mustard!)
- Worcestershire sauce - a dash'll do ya
- Lemon juice - use the real stuff
Special Equipment Needed
Ah man, I hate to break it to you, but homemade cocktail sauce without horseradish requires some specialized and expensive equipment only available for purchase overseas. It may not even be legal.
... just kidding. You need a bowl and a spoon. Maybe a handheld manual juicer if you are squeezing your own lemon juice.
What Other Substitute for Horseradish Can I Use?
Wasabi paste is another popular substitution for horseradish. Be aware that wasabi is potent stuff and you'll need waaaay less of it than you'd need of horseradish or brown mustard. Start with ½ teaspoon, stir and taste, then add more as needed.
Fun Variations
Do you prefer your cocktail sauce to have some extra kick? Add a few drops of hot sauce to spice things up.
You can also add a teeny pinch of garlic and onion powder for a fun condiment to spread on burgers and sandwiches.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover cocktail sauce in the refrigerator, either covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Serve cold or let it sit out for just a bit to take the chill out.
Depending on the expiration date of your ingredients, prepared cocktail sauce can be kept for 3-6 months if stored sealed in the refrigerator.
Can I Make Classic Cocktail Sauce Using This Recipe?
Yes, you can! Just replace the spicy brown mustard in the recipe with 2 tablespoons of prepared horseradish.
Print
Homemade Cocktail Sauce Without Horseradish
- Total Time: 55 minute
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
Description
This is a delicious cocktail sauce that uses spicy brown mustard instead of horseradish. It comes together in minutes and has so many uses!
Ingredients
- ½ cup ketchup
- 4 teaspoons spicy brown mustard (add 2 extra teaspoons for extra spice)
- ⅛ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon pure lemon juice
Instructions
Stir all ingredients together and serve with cocktail shrimp, fried shrimp, fried cheese, oysters, crab, or anything you want. Try using it as a hamburger condiment or drizzle it on top of a meatloaf.
Notes
Instead of brown mustard, you can use a small bit of wasabi paste instead. Add only a very small amount, stir, taste, and add more a little as a time as needed. It's potent, so add slowly!
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: N/A
- Category: Sauces
- Method: No Bake/No Cook
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