Is Shrimp Cocktail Served Raw?

Shrimp cocktail's a classic for a reason. That's because pairing plump, ice-cold shrimp with a bracingly refreshing tomato and horseradish-based sauce seems to make perfect sense. But some of you novices out there who're brand-new to cooking might wonder if the shrimp in shrimp cocktail is something that's served raw. (Don't worry, asking these types of questions is perfectly good!)

The answer is no — the shrimp in shrimp cocktail is always cooked, and always should be. For maximum convenience, you can buy the pre-cooked and frozen stuff (I get the giant cost-efficient bag from Costco) — but for those who want to do it themselves, the shrimp in shrimp cocktail should always be cooked before it's served. Shrimp is a type of seafood that's only served raw under certain circumstances, and that's due to the normal safety concerns surrounding any raw seafood. Just like with any other food, it's to prevent you from getting sick. 

One of the few ways you'll see raw shrimp served is in the form of sushi or sashimi. This version is called amaebi, also known as sweet prawn or sweet shrimp. Amaebi isn't to be confused with ebi, which is the cooked and butterflied shrimp you also see on top of some nigiri. You can tell the difference mainly by its texture; amaebi will be a little more translucent, a little lighter in hue than its cooked counterpart, and it'll also be silky and soft when you eat it. It's delicately sweet, which is why it's such a prized (and usually expensive) treat. 

But in general, eating raw shrimp carries the risk of consuming a bacteria called vibrio, which can cause food poisoning. This is why almost all other shrimp preparations, including shrimp in shrimp cocktail, are cooked. Plus, as much as I love raw sweet shrimp, the limp texture of raw shrimp meat in cocktail form wouldn't be nearly as satisfying. 

When people cook the shrimp in shrimp cocktail from its raw state, it's typically gently poached or boiled until the meat is firm and pink. The one benefit to poaching the shrimp yourself is that you can include aromatics in your poaching liquid, like lemons, peppercorn, and any type of herb you like, which'll add a bit of extra flavor to the meat. That's one benefit you can't ordinarily get from a thawed cooked package of frozen shrimp. 

But honestly, there's no actual rules around this, so if you want to oven-roast your shrimp for shrimp cocktail like Ina Garten does, you can always do that, or you can grill the shrimp to add a bit of smoky flavor. As long as you aren't serving the shrimp raw, you're good to enjoy the classic shellfish appetizer at home. By the way, if you're in the mood for shrimp cocktail now — we have a recommendation for a premade cocktail sauce which you should really check out, especially if you love the burn of horseradish.