I love making restaurant-inspired sauces, especially a bright, spicy dip that brings a plate of seafood together. This St Elmo’s Cocktail Sauce combines tangy ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, and a little hot sauce in one easy bowl.

After enjoying Luby’s Tartar Sauce, I wanted another simple seafood companion with a sharper bite. This homemade version has a sweet tomato base and a clear horseradish kick, with room to adjust the heat at the table.

You need only a few minutes of mixing, followed by a short chill. It is a home-style sauce inspired by St. Elmo’s famous spicy shrimp cocktail; the exact heat and flavor will depend on the ingredients you choose.

Why This Sauce Is Great

• It comes together without turning on the stove. Measuring carefully and stirring thoroughly are the only hands-on jobs before the bowl goes into the refrigerator.
• The sweet tomato base balances the sharp horseradish. Lemon and Worcestershire add brightness and a savory finish without making the sauce complicated.
• You can make it before preparing the rest of the meal. That short refrigerator rest gives you time to arrange seafood and finish a side dish.
• The texture stays thick enough to cling to a shrimp or crab cake. There is no flour, starch slurry, or separate cooking step to manage.
• A small bowl goes a long way on a seafood platter. Serving a little at a time keeps the remaining sauce cold and ready for clean refills.

What Is the Best Horseradish to Use?

Choose plain prepared horseradish: grated horseradish preserved with vinegar and seasoning. Check the label because creamy horseradish sauce contains a creamy base and will change the color, texture, and flavor of this recipe. The listed amount means prepared horseradish, not a piece of whole fresh root.

Stir the jar before measuring so the grated root and its liquid are evenly distributed. Follow the jar’s refrigeration directions, and choose a product with a lively aroma. Different brands and older opened jars can taste quite different, so two tablespoons gives a starting point rather than a promise of identical heat.

Use a ketchup you enjoy on its own. A very sweet or strongly spiced ketchup will carry that flavor into the finished bowl. Fresh lemon juice adds a clean tang; remove the seeds before measuring the teaspoon into the mixture.

Ingredients

• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish (or more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of salt

The amounts above make one batch. The finished volume is a little more than the ketchup alone and can change with extra horseradish, so the card uses a batch yield instead of an exact cup measurement. Portion it according to the seafood and other sauces you are serving.

Kitchen Equipment You Will Need

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• Medium mixing bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Small whisk
• Mixing spoon
• Chef knife
• Cutting board
• Citrus juicer
• Citrus zester
• Airtight storage container
• Small serving bowls

How To Make St Elmo’s Cocktail Sauce

1. Combine the ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Use a small whisk to distribute the horseradish evenly, scraping around the sides with a spoon.
2. Taste carefully. Put a small amount on a clean spoon and taste. If you prefer more heat, add a little extra prepared horseradish, as allowed in the ingredient list, and stir well. Extra hot sauce is an optional adjustment; keep it gradual so its vinegar does not overpower the sauce.
3. Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate at 40°F or below for at least 30 minutes. The complete recipe takes about 40 minutes, including 10 minutes to measure and mix. Stir again before serving; a little liquid separation can be normal.
4. Serve cold. Transfer a small portion to a serving bowl and keep the rest covered in the refrigerator. Serve with chilled cooked shrimp or other cooked seafood. Use a fresh spoon for refills and keep seafood-dipped leftovers separate from the untouched batch. Refrigerate promptly and use the untouched sauce within 3–4 days.

Notes

• Measure the base recipe before adjusting anything. Ketchup already brings sweetness, vinegar, and salt, so a heavy hand with extra seasoning can quickly overwhelm the balance.
• Taste only a small spoonful at first. Horseradish has a different, sharper sensation from pepper sauce, and repeated large tastes can make careful adjusting difficult.
• Keep the sauce cold while it rests. Chilling is part of the recipe, but it does not guarantee that every brand of horseradish will become stronger.
• Stir from the bottom as well as around the sides. Little pockets of horseradish can make one bite much hotter than the next if mixing is rushed.
• If the bowl looks slightly separated after chilling, stir it again before adding anything. Do not thin it automatically; the ketchup should keep the mixture spoonable.
• If a variation becomes too sharp, mix that portion with a little more ketchup. This changes its yield and balance, so keep the adjustment outside the main batch until you like it.
• Use clean serving utensils and small bowls. Sauce that has been shared for dipping should not be poured back into the refrigerated storage container.

Ingredients You Can Add

These are optional finishing ideas for a small serving, not additions required by the recipe. Try one at a time and keep the main batch simple.

• Finely chopped parsley adds a fresh green finish. Sprinkle it over a serving bowl just before bringing it to the table.
• A little lemon zest strengthens the citrus aroma without adding much extra liquid. Use only the colored outer peel.
• A tiny pinch of smoked paprika adds a smoky note that works especially well with grilled seafood.
• Finely chopped chives bring a gentle onion flavor. Keep the pieces small so the sauce remains pleasant for dipping.
• A pinch of cayenne adds pepper heat. It does not replace the distinct flavor of the prepared horseradish.
• A small pinch of celery seed gives a savory finish. Crush it lightly before stirring it into a separate portion.

What To Serve With It

Chilled, fully cooked shrimp is my favorite starting point. Pat away excess water so the sauce can cling, then set out lemon wedges and a small bowl of this dip. Keep the seafood chilled until serving.

Try it beside Faidley’s Crab Cakes when you want a tangy sauce with a crisp seafood main. Spoon it alongside the cakes so their crust stays crisp until each bite.

For a fuller plate, add Bonefish Grill Coleslaw and a simple baked potato. A cool, crunchy side gives everyone something mild to enjoy between bites of the spicy sauce.

Variations and Swaps

• For extra horseradish bite, use the “or more to taste” option already listed. Add it gradually, stirring and tasting between small additions.
• For a milder serving, blend a spoonful of the finished sauce with extra ketchup in a separate bowl. Label the bowls if you are serving both versions.
• Choose a familiar vinegar-style hot sauce for the base recipe. A thick sweet chili sauce or smoky pepper sauce will make a different variation.
• Use a certified gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if needed, and check every other condiment label. A short ingredient list alone does not confirm the whole recipe is gluten-free.
• For a fish-free version, choose a Worcestershire-style condiment specifically labeled without anchovies. Ordinary Worcestershire often contains fish, even though only a little is used.
• For a smoother texture, select finely ground prepared horseradish. Coarsely grated products leave more visible texture in the red sauce.
• For a stronger citrus finish, add lemon zest to one serving. Keep the measured lemon juice unchanged in the main recipe.
• For a larger gathering, multiply all the ingredients evenly and use a larger bowl. Chill the sauce in smaller covered containers so refills can stay cold.

Storage

Transfer untouched sauce to a clean airtight container and refrigerate promptly at 40°F or below. Use within 3–4 days as a conservative home-kitchen limit. This homemade mixture has no validated shelf-stable storage time; the vinegar and ketchup do not make it suitable for pantry storage or home canning.

Keep a serving bowl out for no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Discard sauce contaminated by raw seafood or left out too long. For the best texture, make only what you expect to use; freezing may leave it separated, and stirring cannot restore the original texture in every batch.

FAQ

Is this the exact restaurant recipe?

No. This is a homemade, restaurant-inspired cocktail sauce built around ketchup and prepared horseradish. It should be judged as its own easy seafood dip, with a heat level that varies by product.

Does the sauce need cooking?

No cooking is needed. Mix the ingredients, cover the bowl, and chill for at least 30 minutes. Heating it would change the fresh horseradish character and is not part of this method.

Can I use creamy horseradish sauce?

It will make a different sauce. Plain prepared horseradish supplies the clean bite used here; a creamy condiment also adds its own base, seasonings, and sometimes egg or dairy.

Why is my sauce less spicy than expected?

Check the prepared horseradish and hot sauce you used. Their strength varies. Add a little more prepared horseradish to taste instead of assuming that a longer chill will create more heat.

Can I make it the day before?

Yes. Make the sauce with clean utensils, cover it promptly, and keep it refrigerated. Stir before serving and include that day in the recommended 3–4-day refrigerated storage window.

Can I put it directly on a seafood platter?

A separate small bowl is easier to keep clean and cold. Set out only what you need, refill with a fresh spoon, and keep the untouched remainder in the refrigerator.

Short Description

A homemade St. Elmo-inspired cocktail sauce with ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon, and a lively peppery finish. Stir together, chill, and serve with cooked seafood.