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A lively, spoonable appetizer or light lunch featuring tender cooked shrimp, crisp cucumber, juicy tomato, sharp red onion, fresh cilantro, and creamy avocado tossed in a zesty tomato-lime sauce. Served chilled in individual cups or bowls, perfect for casual gatherings or refreshing warm-day meals.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb fully cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed, chilled and patted dry
  • 1 medium Roma tomato, seeded if very juicy and diced
  • ½ English cucumber, diced
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped and divided
  • 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 ripe but firm avocado, diced
  • Lime wedges for serving
  • Tomato-Lime Sauce: 1 cup plain tomato juice or Clamato
  • Tomato-Lime Sauce: ¼ cup ketchup (plus 1 tbsp reserved for adjustment)
  • Tomato-Lime Sauce: 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (plus more to taste)
  • Tomato-Lime Sauce: ¼ tsp black pepper
  • Tomato-Lime Sauce: fine salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Pat cooked shrimp completely dry with paper towels; leave small shrimp whole or cut larger shrimp into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Seed (if very juicy) and dice the tomato; dice the cucumber; finely dice the red onion; chop most of the cilantro and reserve some for garnish; seed and finely chop jalapeño if using.
  3. Whisk tomato juice or Clamato with ¼ cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper until smooth.
  4. Taste the sauce and add the reserved 1 tablespoon ketchup and salt sparingly if needed.
  5. Combine shrimp, diced tomato, cucumber, red onion, most cilantro, and jalapeño in a large bowl; pour the sauce over and gently fold to coat.
  6. Cover and refrigerate about 20 minutes to let the flavors meld.
  7. After chilling, gently stir and taste; adjust with a squeeze of lime or a pinch of salt if desired.
  8. Carefully fold in diced avocado at the end, taking care not to mash it.
  9. Divide the shrimp cocktail among cups, spoon any extra sauce on top, and sprinkle with the reserved cilantro.

Notes

Make sure the shrimp is nicely dried before mixing so your sauce stays thick and not watery., Cut large shrimp into uniform bite-sized pieces for balanced texture and flavor., Hold back some cilantro and avocado until the end to preserve fresh color and crisp texture., Taste tomato juice or Clamato before seasoning with salt as some versions are already salty., Store diced avocado separately until serving to prevent browning and sogginess., Seafood variations can include cooked crab, lobster, or imitation crab., Adjust spice level by including jalapeño seeds or adding hot sauce., Add fruit like mango or pineapple for a sweet-tangy contrast., Stir in sour cream or Mexican crema for extra creaminess if desired., Use fresh parsley as an alternative to cilantro for a milder herbal note., Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 24 hours; do not freeze assembled cocktail.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cozyovenkitchen.com/mexican-shrimp-cocktail-cups-with-avocado-and-cucumber/