A classic sauce recipe that totally transforms a homemade prawn cocktail. A simple mixture of mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice and Worcestershire Sauce with a Tabasco kick, this prawn cocktail sauce has a serious amount of flavour. Marie Rose sauce is the perfect accompaniment to seafood and takes just minutes to make.
If you have had a prawn cocktail, then you can had this cocktail sauce before. Whilst you could just open a jar of seafood sauce, it's so easy to make yourself and it will taste 10 times better.
Made with ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge, if you are making your own prawn cocktail, then go the extra mile and make your own Marie Rose sauce.
Prawn cocktail is a must at Christmas time, and during the festive season we tend to have a little bit more time to spend in the kitchen, so we have a few extra minutes to make a homemade prawn Marie Rose sauce. But seriously, very little effort goes into making this.
If you are looking for some other sauce recipes, why not try our tangy Mango Chutney, creamy Whipped Feta, Subway copycat Southwest Sauce or speedy 2 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Mayonnaise - This is what makes the marie rose sauce recipe nice and creamy. You could make your own, but for ease we used a store bought one. Use the best quality you can, as you really will be able to taste the difference. We used full fat, as it gives a creamy flavour.
- Ketchup - Like the mayonnaise, you will want to use the best quality you can. Cheap ketchups can have a chemical flavour to them. Or make your own using our Healthy Tomato Ketchup recipe.
- Worcestershire Sauce - This adds a lovely tangy flavour to the sauce for prawn cocktail.
- Lemon - This helps to loosen it up a bit, as well as add some freshness.
- Tabasco - This is an optional ingredient, however it does add a nice kick of heat.
More ingredient substitutions and variations can be found in the recipe card.
How to Make Marie Rose Sauce - Step by Step
- Step 1: Add the mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice, tabasco and Worcestershire sauce to a bowl.
- Step 2: Mix until everything is combined.
How to Serve Marie Rose Sauce
This is a really versatile sauce. Although the classic way to serve it would be with our Ultimate Prawn Cocktail, there is so much more that you can do with it. It goes really well with seafood, so we love using it as a dip for crab sticks. We also love it with smoked salmon and it's our choice of sauce on a salmon and avocado sandwich.
However, there is so much more that you can do with it. It is a delicious sandwich sauce, and makes a change from just using mayo. It is served on a Rueben sandwich in the US, but we think it goes well with any meaty sandwich.
You could also think this prawn cocktail sauce out a little with some extra lemon juice and it would make a really nice salad dressing. Why not try it on our Grilled Little Gem Salad?
We recently tried Marie Rose sauce on a burger and let me tell you, it was epic! Why not try our Hidden Vegetable Beef Burgers?
Extra Tips
- Add a little extra kick of flavour to this marie rose sauce for prawns with some paprika or cayenne pepper.
- Full fat mayonnaise will give a better, and creamier, flavour, in this recipe for marie rose sauce, however you could use reduce fat if you prefer.
- We wouldn't recommend freezing this because mayo doesn't freeze very well and it separates when it defrosts.
- For a more luxurious prawn cocktail, add a tablespoon for brandy to the cocktail sauce.
- We would recommend making this prawn cocktail sauce the day before and keeping it in the fridge to allow all the flavours to come together.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are basically the same thing, with the same ingredients, the only difference is the way that they are served. Thousand Island sauce is very popular in the US and is used as a salad dressing or on burgers and sandwiches. It sometimes has horseradish mixed into it or some chopped onion, which is the only difference in ingredients. A Marie Rose sauce is more traditional in the UK and is used as a seafood sauce, which is why you will find it on prawn cocktail.
This sauce will store well in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You could make this in advance and then just stir it with the prawns just before serving a prawn cocktail.
Yes, you can. Replace the mayonnaise with a vegan version and swap the Worcestershire sauce for Henderson's Relish or even soy sauce.
More Sauce Recipes
If you’ve tried this Marie Rose sauce recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Easy Marie Rose Sauce
Ingredients
- 100 ml (0.5 cups) Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 0.5 Lemon - (juice only)
- 0.5 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Instructions
- Add the mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce to a bowl.
- Mix until everything is combined.
Recipe Tips
- Add a little extra kick of flavour with some paprika or cayenne pepper.
- Full fat mayonnaise will give a better, and creamier, flavour, however you could use reduce fat if you prefer.
- We wouldn't recommend freezing this because mayo doesn't freeze very well and it separates when it defrosts.
- For a more luxurious prawn cocktail, add a tablespoon for brandy to the cocktail sauce.
- We would recommend making this prawn cocktail sauce the day before and keeping it in the fridge to allow all the flavours to come together.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
m t says
this works well with cooked chicken or smoked cooked ham too
Sammie says
I made these for a dip with breaded spicy prawns and I added some extra Tabasco. Really lovely and easy to make too.
Emma J says
How long will the sauce keep for? Can I make it on Christmas Eve?
Dannii says
You can keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Helena says
I made this for pre-Christmas dinner with my friends yesterday and it was lovely. We followed your prawn cocktail recipe too and the avocado was a lovely touch.
Kayleigh says
I think the ratios are off. I tasted it as the recipe is listed and it needed much more ketchup and worcestershire sauce
Dannii says
If you are comparing this to store bought marie rose, then it won't taste the same. But this is how homemade marie rose should taste. Adding much more ketchup makes it taste really sweet, and fake. It makes it taste like the fake chemical store bought sauce. The ketchup should give a hint of flavour, rather than being the main flavour.
Julia says
I totally agree, Danii. The sauce should be complementing the prawns, not overpowering them. I thought the proportions were perfect!
Julia says
Great recipe. I used BBQ sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce as I didn’t have any in the house, it turned out just as delicious. Sooo much better than any other Marie Rose sauce I have tasted, I usually don’t like this type of sauce. Thanks Danii!
Julia says
Sorry, I meant to rate it 5 stars!
morag taylor says
the proportions of this are spot on, it reminds me of 1970s prawn cocktails, absolutely amazing flavor, nothing in a jar from the store can compare to this! recipe now saved as my go-to for prawn cocktail, and also as a salad dressing. i added a little extra lemon juice and a dash of Italian herbs to use as a salad dressing.
Ollie says
I’ve tried many different recipe s and this nails it, I doubled up on the recipe as had more guests , but lovely proper prawn sauce, don’t forget the cayenne pepper for the finishing touch
Dannii says
So glad you enjoyed it! You can't beat a classic prawn cocktail.
Natalie says
I love added tabasco kick. I have to make this for my next party. Yum!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
My family is going to love this! The flavors are perfect and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Mahy says
Oh wow, I have never thought of making something like this. Now I NEED TO - it looks so good!
Angela says
I would love to make this but am not a fan of mayo, I used yogurt and sour cream instead. It was fabulous!
Tavo says
this rose sauce goes so well with so many dishes! I used it with a sandwich with avocado and grilled tofu and it was delicious!
Biana says
What a great idea for a sauce for prawns! Should be great with some cod fish too.
Gina says
Such an easy sauce that brings so much added flavor to anything you pair it with. It's also insanely delicious as a fry dipping sauce!
Alejandra says
Yesss I have to try this sauce with a prawn cocktail! Haven’t had one in a long time but now this sauce recipe is giving me cravings!
Jessica Stroup says
Perfect on my cod fish sandwich last night! So good!!!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
This is the perfect sauce for seafood and I love it in a tuna sandwich too. Such a great idea to make it with what you already have at home.