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Prawn Cocktail is the ultimate retro recipe that never dates! Filled with juicy fresh prawns, crunchy green lettuce and the divine Marie Rose sauce, this simple starter is not only delicious, it’s super easy to make too.
Prawn Cocktail is a super simple and delicious starter. It definitely reminds me slightly of my 1980’s childhood when it was almost always on restaurant menus (just me?!) but.. It’s every bit as good now as it was then.
Bring this out for your next fancy dinner, home date night or even a light lunch – everyone will be impressed!
Why you’ll love this Classic Prawn Cocktail recipe
⭐️ Timeless and much-loved starter
⭐️ Simple but elegant and impressive
⭐️ Super easy and convenient
Homemade Marie Rose Sauce
If you’re tempted to reach for the ready-made variety, give this recipe a go at home. It’s honestly SO easy to throw together.
Homemade cocktail sauce – AKA Marie Rose Sauce (the British name for it, said to have perhaps been named after the Tudor warship, the Mary Rose, that was built for King Henry VIII) – is made up of a simple combination of tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce.
See the recipe below for getting the quantities of each just right, resulting in a beautifully creamy but slightly tangy sauce that pairs with prawns perfectly.
Prawn Cocktail Ingredients
- Lettuce – Go for baby gem lettuce because it’s nice and crunchy. This will need shredding. You could also use iceberg if you prefer.
- Prawns – For these you could go for a combination of large peeled king prawns and smaller prawns (called ‘shrimp’ in the US), or just stick with one kind. Make sure they’re cooked already or cook them yourself.
- Mayonnaise – Feel free to use low fat or whichever you prefer.
- Tomato ketchup – Any brand is fine.
- Worcestershire sauce – You can swap this for Henderson’s Relish if that’s what you have.
- Salt and pepper – To season.
- Chives and paprika – To sprinkle over the top to garnish. The chives should be fresh.
- Lemon – Serve wedges on the side with each serving.
How to make Prawn Cocktail
1. Shred the lettuce and add into your serving dishes.
2. Mix the prawns, mayo, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce together and season well. Serve as per the full recipe below.
Leftovers
These should be made and eaten on the same day.
If you want to make your starter on the day, but ahead of the serving time, simply mix your prawns and dressing, cover and keep in the fridge. Prepare your lettuce in the glasses and store in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, give the prawns a good stir and top the lettuce with them. Garnish and serve.
Recipe Tip
Serve up as finger food instead!
You can adapt this recipe to be a canape-style starter if you prefer. This is great if you’re having a more stand-up gathering rather than a sit-down meal.
Follow my recipe for Prawn Cocktail Canapes, which are made up with lettuce cups.
More easy starter recipes…
Christmas Recipes
Smoked Salmon Canapés
Lunch Ideas
Parsnip Soup {Easiest Ever 20 Minute Recipe}
Under 15 minutes
Smoked Mackerel Pate {Quick, Easy & Healthy}
FAQs
Prawn Cocktail in the UK is a classic starter, made famous in the Seventies and Eighties by British chef, Fanny Cradock.
It became the height of sophistication and has remained popular, especially for the important Christmas Day lunch.
It’s traditionally made up of a bed of green lettuce with prawns mixed with Marie Rose sauce on top, served in a decorative glass.
In the US, this dish is more commonly known as Shrimp Cocktail and there may be a few different variations of the recipe.
For dairy free, use a dairy alternative for the mayonnaise.
For gluten free, make sure you use Henderson’s Relish or gluten free Worcestershire sauce instead.
As always, read the labels carefully of your ingredients to double check.
Yes, just defrost them according to the pack instructions before using.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Prawn Cocktail {Classic Recipe}
Ingredients
- 2 Baby gem lettuces, Halved
- 280 g Cooked, large, peeled king prawns, x2 packs of 140g
For the Marie Rose sauce:
- 100 g Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper, To season
To garnish:
- 7-8 Chives, Chopped
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 Lemon, Cut into wedges
Instructions
- Shred the baby gem lettuce and add to the serving dishes.
- Mix the prawns, mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper together and place on top of the lettuce.
- Sprinkle over the chives and paprika and serve with the lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A fantastic Prawn Cocktail recipe, perfect, thank you.