A traditional Baja California dish — Coctel de Camarón Baja is the clamato-spiked shrimp cocktail served ice-cold in a tall glass at every Ensenada marisquería. Plump shrimp swim in a tangy tomato-clam broth with cucumber, onion, and avocado, finished with a squirt of hot sauce. It is less a cocktail and more a bowl of the sea — eaten with a spoon and a stack of saltines.
Coctel de Camarón Baja
A traditional Baja California dish — Coctel de Camarón Baja is the clamato-spiked shrimp cocktail served ice-cold in a tall glass at every Ensenada marisquería.

Step by stepInstructions
- Poach the shrimp in simmering salted water until just pink and curled, about two to three minutes; drain and chill in ice water.
- Whisk the tomato-clam juice with the ketchup, lime juice, and Worcestershire; season with salt.
- Fold in the chilled shrimp, cucumber, onion, and serrano; chill for at least thirty minutes so the flavors blend.
- Gently fold in the avocado and cilantro just before serving.
- Serve in tall chilled glasses with hot sauce on the side and saltines for dipping.
💡 Chef tips & storage
Chill the glasses too — the cocktail should hit the table ice-cold. For a more decadent version, blend a spoonful of mayonnaise into the sauce, as some Baja stands do.

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