Skinny Weight Watchers Shrimp Cocktail

WW Recipe of the Day: Chunky Shrimp Cocktail Sauce (0 WW Points)

Shrimp cocktail is an all-time favorite of mine dating back to when I was a kid and it was a special Christmas Eve treat.

Still my go-to date night or party treat, it’s not surprising that I have a shrimp cocktail sauce recipe or two in my files.

In addition to being tasty, shrimp cocktail is healthy and low in calories. Three ounces of plain cooked shrimp has 0 WW Points.

And most bottled cocktail sauces have about 3 WW Points in a generous 1/4 cup serving.

By making your own cocktail sauce with less sugar, you can decrease the points even more.

Is it any wonder shrimp cocktail has become my go-to appetizer of choice on Weight Watchers?

I’ve gathered several of my favorite shrimp cocktail sauce recipes here for easy access, as well as a tip or two on preparing the shrimp. Enjoy!

More About Shrimp

Shrimp come in several sizes from tiny to colossal and are labeled by the number of shrimp per pound. The best size for cocktails are medium (16 to 25 shrimp per pound).

You can buy frozen raw shrimp either in the shell but not deveined or shelled and deveined. Most frozen cooked shrimp come already shelled and deveined, making them a quick easy option.

Frozen raw shrimp are better when thawed before cooking. Most brands include preferred directions for thawing right on the package so be sure to follow them for best results.

How to Make Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp cocktail is nothing more than cooked shrimp accompanied by a tangy cocktail sauce. So all you need to do to make shrimp cocktail is cook the shrimp and make (or buy) a sauce.

Most of the time to keep things quick and easy, I just thaw and drain already cooked peeled shrimp when making shrimp cocktail, so all I need to do is arrange them on a platter and make a simple cocktail sauce.

If you prefer to cook them yourself, here’s what you need to know.

Boiling is the most popular way to cook shrimp for cocktail.

How to Shell and De-Vein Shrimp

You can shell and de-vein them either before or after you cook them, it’s totally up to you.

To peel them, start at the large end and peel away the thin shell.

To de-vein them, make a a shallow cut down the center back (outer curved side) with a small sharp knife and pull out the dark vein.

Rinse away any remaining bits of the vein under cool water.

Here’s a helpful video from Epicurious which shows how to peel and de-vein the shrimp:

How to Boil Shrimp

To boil the shrimp, allow 1 quart of water per pound of shrimp, and 2 tablespoons of salt for unshelled shrimp and 1 tablespoon for shelled.

Bring the salt and water to a boil in a pot, then add the shrimp, cover the pot and simmer just until the shrimp turn pink. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes depending on the size of your shrimp.

Drain and if still in the shell, shell and de-vein them, leaving the tails on.

Chill them thoroughly.

While the shrimp chill, you can make your cocktail sauce any way you like it – it smooth or chunky, spicy, mild, traditional or with the ingredients required to turn it into a Mexican shrimp cocktail.

If you don’t know how to make shrimp cocktail sauce, I’ve got several great homemade cocktail sauce recipes here for you to chose from.

When you are ready to serve, arrange your shrimp attractively on a platter and serve with your favorite sauce and lots of cocktail napkins.

How Many Calories and WW Points in this Chunky Shrimp Cocktail Sauce?

According to my calculations, each 1/4-cup serving of this chunky shrimp cocktail sauce has just 21 calories.

To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)

0 SmartPoints (Green plan)
0 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
0 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
0 PointsPlus (Old plan)

If you’ve made this Chunky Shrimp Cocktail Sauce, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

If You Like WW Friendly Shrimp Cocktail, You Might Also Like:

• Favorite Shrimp Salad Recipes
• Easy Healthy Shrimp Recipes
• WW Friendly Shrimp Creole
• Easy Shrimp & Wild Rice Casserole
• Healthy and Quick Shrimp Recipes