Sous vide shrimp cocktail is simple and so delicious! 3 Ingredients and 30 minutes are all you need for the perfect shrimp cocktail.
I know this one thing for sure. I will not have a Sous Vide in my kitchen again. I can't live without it. It is an essential appliance now and forever. And it makes this shrimp cocktail so perfect and so easy it is almost not allowed!

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What is a sous vide?
Sous vide is a method of cooking. Just like grilling, slow cooking, or air frying.
To "sous vide" something you need an immersion circulator. Which is a small tool (or appliance) that is placed into a large pot of water in which it heats the water up to a certain temperature, keeping it there for a specified amount of time. The food is then placed in the water bath - either vacuum-sealed, in a bag, or jars, to cook.
With more traditional ways of cooking, it is impossible to precisely control the exact temperature at which you are cooking. Which can lead to over or undercooking your food.
Not with the sous vide! You have complete and total control over the temperature AND time of which you cook something.
Leaving you with perfect results every single time!
So in short....
I like to explain to some that it's like a crockpot, but for water and better. Find whatever temperature you want your item cooked to, seal it. place it in the water, and forget about it. It is incredible - so easy to use!
And the best part?! (well there are many.....)
EASY CLEAN UP! Just throw the bag away and you are done!
Ingredients Needed for Sous Vide Shrimp Cocktail
- 1 Pound Fresh Shrimp - deveined but not pealed
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- Cocktail Sauce & Lemon Wedges for Garnish
How to Make Shrimp Cocktail with Sous Vide
- Fill a large pot with water and set up your Sous Vide inside. Turn on to 130 degrees and press start. Let the water heat up as you prepare the shrimp.
- In a gallon ziplock bag or vacuum seal bag, place the shrimp, lemon juice, and old bay seasoning in. Seal (or vacuum seal) and get as much air out as you can. Massage the seasoning around to get on all the shrimp.
- Once the water has reached 130 degrees, place the ziplock bag of shrimp in and let cook for 30 minutes.
- When the time is finished, place cooked shrimp on a platter or bowl and enjoy!
- Serve with cocktail sauce, lemon wedges, and plenty of napkins. Enjoy peel and eat shrimp cocktail!
The beauty of sous vide cooking? It never ever overcooks anything! Once the food has reached the desired temp, it stays there. No tough meat, dried out chicken, or underdone anything. Ever.
Have I convinced you of the magic of sous vide cooking yet? haha
Once the shrimp are finished cooking, pour out onto a platter or bowl and dig in! Serve it alongside lemon wedges and cocktail sauce and you have yourself shrimp cocktail made in the sous vide. Easy as
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This is one of Justin and I's favorite meals. A pound or 2 of peel and eat shrimp cocktail with a bottle of wine on the beach and calling it dinner. It really doesn't get any better.
You can enjoy this on the beach for 2, or make a big batch and serve as an app for a dinner party or shower. Don't want the mess of peel and eat? Make it already peeled and deveined and toss it onto a Kale salad for a delicious healthy dinner.
Really you can do no wrong. I hope this helps you understand how to make shrimp cocktail in
Can I Do This With Frozen Shrimp?
Absolutely!
Follow the recipe as directed but sous vide for 1 hour.
Where Can I Buy a Sous Vide
There are many places to buy a sous vide.
My recommendation is to get the Imersa Elite from Vesta Precision. I have this one and love the bigger screen on it. (full disclosure - I am an affiliate with Vesta but would never promote anything I haven't used in my own kitchen weekly and trust).
Use the code "SOUTHERNSOUL" for 10% off any Vesta product!
I also have an Anova one that is from Amazon. Little bit different design but is also a great option! *
More Sous Vide Recipes
- Sous Vide Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
- Sous Vide Roasted Red Pepper Egg White Bites
- Sou Vide Steak Gyros
- Garlic and Rosemary Olive Oil Infusion
- Sous Vide Maple Carrots
- 2 Ingredient Nutella Cakes
Frequently Asked Questions
No.
When you use the method of sous vide to cook anything, you cannot overcook (or undercook) what it is.
You want to cook shrimp at 130 degree Fahrenheit with a sous vide.
If you are using fresh shrimp, sous vide for 30 minutes.
If using frozen shrimp, sous vide for 1 hour.
Yes! Having the shell on or off does not effect if you can sous vide shrimp or not.
This recipe has shell on for traditional peel and eat shrimp cocktail shrimp. Either way can be done though.
Yes! You just need to cook a little longer.
To sous vide frozen shrimp, sous vide at 130 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour.
Recipe
How to Make Shrimp Cocktail in a Sous Vide
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Sous vide shrimp cocktail is simple and so delicious! 3 Ingredients and 30 minutes are all you need for the perfect shrimp cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Fresh Shrimp - deveined but not pealed
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- Cocktail Sauce & Lemon Wedges for Garnish
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and set up your Sous Vide inside. Turn on to 130 degrees and press start. Let the water heat up as you prepare the shrimp.
- In a gallon ziplock bag or vacuum seal bag, place the shrimp, lemon juice, and old bay seasoning in. Seal (or vacuum seal) and get as much air out as you can. Massage the seasoning around to get on all the shrimp.
- Once the water has reached 130 degrees, place the ziplock bag of shrimp in and let cook for 30 minutes.
- When the time is finished, place cooked shrimp on a platter or bowl and enjoy!
- Serve with cocktail sauce, lemon wedges, and plenty of napkins. Enjoy peel and eat shrimp cocktail!
Notes
- You can also use peeled and deveined shrimp - it doesn't have to be peel and eat. Any shrimp will work.
- If using frozen shrimp, cook for 1 hour.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Sous Vide
- Cuisine: Seafood
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ pound
- Calories: 97
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 134.9 mg
- Fat: 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 22.8 g
- Cholesterol: 182.5 mg
Keywords: Sous Vide Shrimp Cocktail