Need an appetizer that's perfect for parties, requires no cooking, and is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser? This cold shrimp dip is the perfect solution to all these and more!! flavor and creamy texture making it sure to be a hit. Even better it uses simple ingredients and mixes up in just minutes.
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This shrimp dip recipe is always a hit when I serve it up for holiday parties or summer cookouts! As a matter of fact, my family insists I make a double batch because they simply can't get enough of the delightful blend of flavors.
I always try to have a handful of easy dip recipes to have on hand for parties. They're perfect for pairing with more labor-intensive recipes and make a great filler and display for the table.
If you're looking for some more dip inspiration, you're going to love this easy cranberry jalapeno dip and my pineapple pico de gallo. They both require absolutely NO cooking and everyone always loves them.
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Ingredients
Making this easy shrimp dip relies on simple ingredients. They're easy to find at most grocery stores and some you may even have in your kitchen already.
- Cream cheese: I prefer plain, full-fat cream for my cold shrimp dip. Use the block style of cream cheese for best results.
- Mayonnaise: Adds flavor and creaminess while also creating a more dippable consistency.
- Shrimp: My preference is for the ready-to-go shrimp cocktail at the grocery store because it creates a super clean and fresh shrimp flavor. It’s often cooked to perfection with subtle hints of lemon making it perfect for this shrimp dip recipe. Even better, it requires less work!! However, you can also cook and chill fresh shrimp.
- Green onion: For color and mild onion flavor.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed brings the best flavor. The bottled stuff just doesn’t taste as fresh.
- Soy sauce: Adds more depth of flavor to the creamy shrimp dip.
- Cocktail sauce: An easy condiment that adds plenty of zestiness to your dip.
- Hot sauce: Adds a nice flavor layer in the background that adds a bit of zing but does not make the dip spicy at all. Some popular choices include Tabasco, Sriracha, or even a milder hot sauce like Frank's RedHot.
See the full recipe card for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few simple variations and ingredient substitutions you to consider when making your shrimp dip!
- Lower Calorie or Lower Fat: You can certainly replace the cream cheese and mayonnaise with lower fat options but it will affect the flavor and texture a bit. You can always adjust any of the other ingredients to add more flavor if you feel like it needs it when making this swap.
- Spicy: If you are looking for a spicier dip you can add more hot sauce to your dip until you reach the desired level of spiciness. Chopped fresh jalapeno also makes a great addition.
- Cheesy: Grated Parmesan cheese makes a great addition for extra flavor and texture.
- Garlicky: Add in a few cloves of minced fresh garlic.
- More Veggies and Herbs: Consider adding in some diced red bell peppers, chopped cilantro, or fresh dill.
If you prefer a hot shrimp dip try my recipe for this baked shrimp dip! It's delish!
How to Make Shrimp Dip
Here's a look at the steps for making your creamy dip! It goes together in just a few short minutes.
- Chop your shrimp into pieces. They can be whatever size you prefer but keep in mind that you want them to easily fit on a chip or cracker when dipped. If you prefer a finer consistency you can even pulse them in your food processor.
- Beat the room-temperature cream cheese with a hand mixer at low speed until it's smooth.
PRO TIP: The hand mixer is great for beating the cream cheese and n-- it makes it nice and fluffy. However, you want to switch to a spoon for mixing the rest of the ingredients in so it doesn't overmix the shrimp and onions as it may alter the texture of your dip.
- Add the mayonnaise to the cream cheese mixture and continue mixing until it's fully combined.
- Add the shrimp to the bowl.
- Add the green onion, lemon juice, soy sauce, cocktail sauce, and hot sauce to the bowl.
- Mix everything together.
- Transfer the shrimp dip with cream cheese to a serving bowl and sprinkle the top with fresh parsley to garnish. Serve with your favorite crackers, bread, or veggies for dipping.
Storage Tips
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dip will need a good stir before serving because it will likely have settled or separated a bit.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing so I do not recommend storing it in the freezer.
What to Serve with Cold Shrimp Dip
- Cold shrimp dip is ideal for parties of all sizes! It mixes up quickly, requires no cooking, and is super easy to make in larger batches. You can even make it ahead so there's less work on the day of your event.
- Serve it with a variety of dippers. Mix and match your favorites to provide a variety of textures and flavors. Crackers, bread, tortilla chips, vegetable sticks (carrots, celery, bell peppers), and even pita bread are a few tasty ideas.
- Pair it with other fun appetizers! A few tasty ideas are this bacon Brussels sprouts, easy turkey meatballs, and this mango pico de gallo.
- Serve it with a tasty and fun drink! For a non-alcoholic option, you can't go wrong with a pineapple agua fresca. It's popular with kids and adults. For adults, you're going to love this pineapple margarita!
- Don't forget dessert! My family always loves these chocolate snowball cookies, cannoli dip, and chocolate covered blueberries.
Expert Tips
- Use ready-to-go shrimp cocktail! It's such an incredible time saver and as a bonus, it comes with cocktail sauce so there's no need to buy more!
- Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. Chilled cream cheese prevents a creamy smooth base in your dip and doesn't allow the other ingredients to mix in as evenly.
- Use the hand mixer only to beat the cream cheese and mayo. Switch to a spoon or spatula to mix in the rest of the ingredients.
- Servings: This recipe makes about two cups of dip which will serve 6-8 people depending on the portion sizes. If you're planning for a party, I would recommend about a quarter cup of dip per person.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Any cooked shrimp will work. I discovered during testing that it tastes best when prepared using a shrimp cocktail from the store. It requires absolutely NO prep and is prepared in a manner that gives the shrimp a hint of lemon in the background. Last, it comes with the sauce which you can use in the recipe or drizzle over the top.
Yes, you can prepare your dip a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Just remember to give it a good stir before serving to ensure the flavors are fully mixed together.
No, not really. Even with the hot sauce, it's relatively mild. However, you can easily adjust the spiciness by adding more or less hot sauce according to your taste. Start with the recommended amount and adjust as needed. If you're very sensitive to spiciness you might want to taste the dip and then add a few drops at a time to reach a nice level of flavor.
More Easy Appetizer Recipes
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card right below! You can also write a review in the comment section further down the page I always appreciate your feedback. And don’t forget to tag me @freshcoasteats in your photos on social media, I'd love to see your results!
Easy Shrimp Dip (Cold)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 cups cooked shrimp finely chopped and chilled
- ½ cup green onion finely sliced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon shrimp cocktail sauce
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce
- Optional: finely chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low speed to beat cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the mayonnaise and continue mixing until fully combined.
- Stir in the shrimp, green onion, lemon juice, soy sauce, cocktail sauce and hot sauce until well incorporated.
- Transfer into a serving bowl and top with fresh parsley to garnish. Serve with your favorite crackers, bread or veggies for dipping.
Notes
- Use ready-to-go shrimp cocktail! It's such an incredible time saver and as a bonus, it comes with cocktail sauce so there's no need to buy more!
- Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. Chilled cream cheese prevents a creamy smooth base in your dip and doesn't allow the other ingredients to mix in as evenly.
- Use the hand mixer only to beat the cream cheese and mayo. Switch to a spoon or spatula to mix in the rest of the ingredients.
- Servings: This recipe makes about two cups of dip which will serve 6-8 people depending on the portion sizes. If you're planning for a party, I would recommend about a scant quarter cup of dip per person.
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