This imitation Crab and Shrimp Cocktail recipe is full bodied fresh-fresh! Crisp diced veggies and a juicy seafood flavor-bomb for everyone. Here is my Traditional Family Recipe, made together and enough for up-to-eight satisfying servings. It’s always fresh and vibrant in color with big flavor.
I hope you love it as much as my family does. Carry on your own tradition and favorite flavors forward. It’s nothing but love through sharing food goodness and kindness here at LatinasQueComen xo.
My Shrimp Cocktail Story
True Story: What I grew up knowing as shrimp cocktail later in life ended up being pretty basic. It was when I ordered it from a restaurant menu for the very first time.
To my surprise, I received cooked shrimp, lemon wedges, and cocktail dipping sauce on the side with a miss on the fresh horseradish. Definitely still a delight because shrimp, I love shrimp. But it wasn’t what I knew as my type of seafood cocktail. What I had envisioned was the version I had only ever known- Mexican Seafood Cocktail, y pues, de la casa.
It all depends on the country, state, food establishment or place I’m visiting. Being a tradition in my home, whenever I order in whatever style, I always remember Coctel de Jaiba y Camaron a classic seafood from home. Can you relate to any of this? Tell me your story! 🙂
Enjoy it as an appetizer or main course, any day of the year.
Ingredients
Grocery Quick List: imitation crab, shrimp, baby clams, cucumber, celery, onion, cilantro, lime, tomato juice, optional serrano pepper, and salt.
Optional: Ripe avocado, cut into bite-sized cubes.
Ingredient Notes / Variations
The Seafoods to Make the Coctel
- Crab meat and shrimp – find in your local seafood grocer or defrost from frozen. Unfreezing doesn’t take long. Defrost and prepare, for best results.
- Drain seafood of excess liquid.
- Using pre cooked shrimp saves a bit of work, the choice is entirely yours.
- 1 pound of shrimp is used for this recipe, equalling 42 shrimp. For this, I use pre cooked medium shrimp.
- Baby clams – no shucking clams required here. These are found in the canned seafood aisle. If you have trouble finding them where the tuna is, check out the hispanic or ethnic foods section.
- A small 11 ounce can is enough.
- Chill the canned clams beforehand.
- Don’t drain the clam juice, since it’s also part of the coctel flavor.
Erika’s Tip for the Best Cocktail: If you decide to leave out the baby clams, add an additional cup of shrimp or crab. Ratios matter when making ceviche. I only want the best for you.
The vegetables and tomato juice
- Celery – the coctel recipe can work without it too. But we like the mix and get it’s natural flavor and salt.
- Cilantro – Use half a bunch and dice it up. If the bunches of cilantro local to you are small, you may need to use it all.
- Cucumber – a winner vegetable always part of a juicy coctel. A fresh essential vegetable in ceviche of all kinds.
- Select the firmest.
- Peel all skin of regular cucumber or semi-skin to keep your ceviche tender and easy to bite into.
- A wilted cucumber is no dice. Please use the freshest in cocktail and use the wilted one for infused water or pickles.
- Onion – I use red, it’s a mild choice for an onion. For sharp, as I normally recommend, go with a white onion.
- Limes – always have lime and extra on the side. You’ll love yourself more for this. Lemon is ONLY a backup. I always go for stocking lime for ceviches.
- Tomato cocktail juice – Use a plain tomato juice or spiced tomato juice. Always check the sodium content to ensure it is within your preferred diet. And that’s the end of the ingredient list!
Pro Tip – Hand everyone a vegetable to dice and get the coctel done together, faster. Yes, and yum! Vamos LOL.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preparation of seafood and dicing all fresh ingredients.
Dicing small is worth the Time.
A printer-friendly recipe card with instructions is available at the bottom of this post.
Erika’s Favorite:
- Eat the coctel with your favorites like Salsa Macha, Salsa de Cacahuate and Fake Guacamole. Hijole, dressing it up exactly how you feel it is so satisfying!
What is The Difference; Coctel and Cocktail?
Coctel is not all that far off from shrimp cocktail, or prawn cocktail. It’s the similar in terms of cleaned and cooked shrimp combo’d up with a tomato blend or ketchup, yet very different.
I identify with both, but I especially love mariscos coctel, Mexicano style! Secondly, Thai River Prawns, oh my delish but that’s a story for another day. Back to the coctel…
For example: Shrimp coctel is cleaned, cooked and peeled shrimp, diced fresh produce, doused in tomato sauce or juice, ketchup and lime juice. Authentic and traditional recipes may also use the salty shrimp broth in the coctel mix and micheladas, some will omit.
These seafood cocktails are often spotted served in a chilled glass schooner. It’s topped with avocado and served with saltine crackers or tostadas [lovely to look at but the coctel inside is the real treat].
Ways To Flip Leftover [Crab, Shrimp, and Clam Juice]
Heres a few ideas on How To use up any extra ingredients.
- Michelada Beer Cocktail
- Crab Salad
- Easy Shrimp Tacos
- Garbanzo and Cucumber Snack
Pro Tips / Receta Notes
Recipe yield: about 8 cups of seafood cocktail.
Storage: Eat same day for freshest taste. Will soften by day 2, 3 and 4 but coctel can easily last up to 5-6 days. Use proper airtight food storage. Seafood cocktail must be refrigerated for safe storing.
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Jaiba and Shrimp Coctel with Clams
DESCRIPTION
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Knife for dicing
- Cutting Board
- citrus juice
- can opener (incase clams are not in easy pop top can)
Ingredients
- 4 cups imitation crab aka jaiba, about 1.25 lbs
- 1 cup shrimp cooked and de-shelled
- 1 cup baby clams canned
- 2 cups cucumber diced
- 1 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1/2 cup celery small diced
- 1/2 cup onion small diced
- 32 ounces tomato cocktail juice or spicy tomato cocktail juice
- 8 whole limes 4 juiced, 4 wedged on the side
- 1 tbsp serrano pepper small diced (optional in cocktail or on the side)
Instructions
Ensure all ingredients are chilled for freshest taste; including can of baby clams.
- Shred all imitation crab, de-shell and remove tails from cooked shrimp, drain clams (optional) and place in large bowl set aside in fridge.
- Note: If defrosting the ceviche and notice excess liquid, simply strain ceviche. You don’t need to pat it dry or anything, just let the excess drain off.
- Dice all remaining ingredients: cucumber, onion, celery, cilantro.
- Combine all ingredients in large seafood bowl, including tomato cocktail juice, juiced lime, and with large serving spoon gently mix ingredients.
- Serve immediately and enjoy or refrigerate for later consumption.
Notes
- Recipe yield: about 8 cups coctel.
- Storage: Place in food safe storage and cover with lid and keep in refrigeration. Eat same day for freshest taste. Will soften by day 3-4 but can easily last up to 5-6 days.
- Ripe avocado – sliced or cubed are a popular pairing with this Mexican Seafood Cocktail.
- Condiments like, Worcestershire, Hot sauce, Ketchup, Soy sauce or other flavoring is not required to make this recipe but are recommended on the side based on your liking.
- Refresh with more crisp fresh veggies if you like and mix in.
- The time accounted to make this recipe is from using chilled ingredients.
- Always use a clean spoon when serving ceviche and keep chilled.
Please check out the full post on LatinasQueComen.com for all the recommendations, ideas, and tips about this Seafood Cocktail Recipe.
Nutrition
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Large mixing spoon
- Knife for dicing
- Chopping board
- Citrus juice
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