Quick answer: A generous 5-ounce portion of shrimp with classic cocktail sauce delivers about 34 grams of protein — well above most versions of this classic, which usually serve a much smaller portion. Sodium runs about 720mg per serving (~31% of the WHO’s 2,300mg daily limit), almost entirely from the cocktail sauce. Fifteen minutes, no cooking if you buy shrimp pre-cooked.
Why This Snack Works
Most shrimp cocktail recipes serve a small, appetizer-sized portion — closer to 3 ounces, which lands around 11 grams of protein. This one uses nearly double that, turning a starter into a real snack. Shrimp is lean enough that even at this larger portion, the calorie count stays low.
Ingredients
- 5 oz (140g) cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tbsp cocktail sauce (ketchup + prepared horseradish)
- Lemon wedge, for serving
Protein & sodium breakdown (per serving, preliminary)*
| Ingredient | Amount | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrimp, cooked | 5 oz (140g) | ~34g | ~378mg |
| Cocktail sauce | 2 tbsp | ~0.3g | ~340mg |
| Total | ~34g | ~718mg |
* Preliminary estimates based on standard ingredient weights. Pending verification against USDA FoodData Central.
A Note on Sodium
About 720mg per serving, roughly 31% of the WHO’s 2,300mg daily limit — one of the higher totals in this pillar, and it comes almost entirely from one place.
- Shrimp (cooked, often processed with a light brine): ~378mg
- Cocktail sauce: ~340mg
What helps: cocktail sauce is the easier lever to pull here — a squeeze of fresh lemon and a smaller dab of horseradish on its own cuts a meaningful amount of sodium while keeping most of the flavor people actually want from this dish.
How to Make It
- Arrange the shrimp in a cup or small bowl, tails removed if you prefer.
- Serve with cocktail sauce alongside or spooned over the top.
- Add a lemon wedge and chill until ready to eat if the shrimp isn’t already cold.
Tip: Buy Pre-Cooked, Peeled Shrimp to Keep This Genuinely No-Cook
Most grocery stores sell shrimp already cooked, peeled and deveined in the seafood section — it’s priced only slightly higher than raw and skips the only step in this recipe that would otherwise require a stove. For a snack meant to take 15 minutes, this is worth the small price difference.
Substitutions
- Lower sodium: make a quick sauce from plain tomato paste, a little horseradish and lemon juice instead of bottled cocktail sauce, which is often sodium-heavy.
- No horseradish? A squeeze of lemon and a dash of hot sauce make a reasonable stand-in.
- Bigger portion: this scales up easily for a shared appetizer if you’re serving more than one person.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Cooked shrimp keeps well for up to 3 days refrigerated. Keep the sauce separate until serving if you’re prepping ahead, since the acid in cocktail sauce can make the shrimp’s texture slightly mushy if it sits too long.
High Protein Shrimp Cocktail Cups
Ingredients
Method
- Arrange shrimp in a cup or bowl.
- Serve with cocktail sauce.
- Add a lemon wedge; chill until ready to eat.
Notes
- A homemade sauce (tomato paste, horseradish, lemon) lowers the sodium total.
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated; keep sauce separate if prepping ahead.
FAQs
Is this recipe high in sodium?
Yes — about 720mg per serving, almost entirely from the cocktail sauce and the way most cooked shrimp is lightly processed. A homemade sauce brings this down.
Can I use raw shrimp instead of pre-cooked?
Yes, just boil or steam it for 2-3 minutes until pink and opaque, then cool before serving — this adds a cooking step but isn’t difficult.
Why is the portion bigger than a typical shrimp cocktail?
A standard appetizer portion only has about 11 grams of protein, well short of this pillar’s 25g target. Doubling it is what gets this recipe to a real snack-level protein count.
Can I make my own cocktail sauce?
Yes — tomato paste or ketchup, a spoonful of horseradish and a squeeze of lemon make a quick version with less sodium than most bottled sauces.
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Related Recipes
- Shrimp & Avocado Salad — the salad-pillar recipe using the same generous shrimp portion
- Canned Salmon Snack Cups — another seafood-based snack in this pillar
- High Protein Snacks — the full pillar this recipe belongs to
