If you like shrimp cocktail, you’ll absolutely love this New Orleans inspired Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread. It’s quick and easy to prepare and tastes as good as it looks! It consists of spicy sauce and succulent shrimp on top of a savory cream cheese base.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Table of Contents
Ingredients
This amazing appetizer has three basic layers plus a garnish.
- Cream Cheese Layer: The cream cheese layer includes cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, onion and garlic.
- The Condiment Layer: For the condiment layer, I used my standard recipe which included chili sauce, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.
- The Shrimp Layer: With the word shrimp in the title, you shouldn’t be surprised that I used fresh boiled shrimp.
- The Garnish: For the garnish on the top, I used sliced green onion tops.
How to Make This Recipe
As I previously indicated this delicious recipe contains three basic layers.
- For the cream cheese layer, I beat together softened cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, minced onion and minced garlic.
- Next, I spread the cream cheese mixture evenly in an 8-inch springform pan. Then, I covered the cream cheese layer and refrigerated it overnight to allow for the flavors to blend together.
- Next, I made the cocktail sauce by whisking together the chili sauce, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. I covered and refrigerated this to allow the flavors to blend together.
How I Put This Appetizer Together
One of the beauties of this recipe is that the three layers can be made ahead of time and assembled right before serving.
For the assembly, I started by removing the sides of the springform pan from the cream cheese layer.
Next, I spread about half of the cocktail sauce over the cream cheese layer. I saved the rest of it for another use.
Then, I sprinkled the chopped shrimp on the top. Finally, I garnished the appetizer with chopped green onions.
I served this amazing appetizer with saltine crackers. My friend Jim was the first to dive into it! Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, I used prepared horseradish which is not the same as creamed horseradish. Prepared horseradish which is sold in the refrigerated section of a grocery store is primarily made with the horseradish root. Often vinegar, sugar and salt are added. As such, it has a pungent and intense flavor. Creamed horseradish which sold in the condiment section of a grocery store adds a creamy base to the prepared horseradish.
I wouldn’t recommend substituting creamed horseradish for the prepared horseradish in the cocktail sauce. The reason is that the creamed horseradish would not provide the same depth of flavor as the prepared horseradish.
You can prepare the individual layers of the shrimp cocktail spread a day or two in advance. However, you should wait until right before serving to assemble the dish.
This dish is best eaten right after assembly. While the leftovers, if any will still be yummy, it will look somewhat of a mess as the layers start to mesh together when it’s eaten.
Cocktail sauce tends to be spicier and thicker than ketchup. If you’re in a pinch, ketchup can be substituted. However, the cocktail sauce is really better using chili sauce.
To be honest, I’ve never used the store-bought variety, so don’t know whether it could be successfully used in this recipe.
Layered Shrimp Cocktail Spread
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Layer
- 12 ounces cream cheese (See Tip 1) softened
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon grated onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
Cocktail Sauce
- 12 ounce bottle chili sauce
- 1 Tablespoon prepared horseradish (See Tip 2)
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Remaining Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh boiled shrimp, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 2 green onion tops, chopped for garnish chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Cream Cheese Layer
- Blend together cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, onion and garlic. Spread mixture evenly in an 8-inch springform pan or shallow serving dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate a minimum of 12 hours.
Cocktail Sauce
- Combine chili sauce, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Assembly
- Remove the sides of the springform pan with the cream cheese layer. Spread half of the cocktail sauce evenly over the cream cheese layer. (See Tip 3)
- Sprinkle chopped shrimp over cocktail sauce. Garnish with chopped green onion tops.
- Serve with crackers.
- Yield: 10-12 servings.
Chula’s Expert Tips
- I used full fat cream cheese in this recipe, but you could also use reduced fat cream cheese.
- Do not substitute creamy horseradish sauce for the prepared horseradish when making the cocktail sauce.
- You will only need to use about half of the cocktail sauce. Refrigerate the rest for a later use.
Nutrition
I previously posted this delicious appetizer on January 19, 2018. This post includes updated photographs and text, but the same great recipe.
This is an all time favorite childhood Christmas memory! As I have lost almost all of my family members, I had no one to ask for this recipe and the memory of my nine year old self couldn’t begin to recreate it. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Hope you enjoy making it J.J.!
Chula
my aunt makes this every year for Christmas and it brings back such happy memories!
Use shredded crab meat instead.