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This Cream Cheese Shrimp Dip can be made and ready to serve in minutes! It is a quick and easy appetizer that everyone loves.
Featured with this recipe
This cream cheese shrimp dip is literally the easiest dip you will ever make! Even though there is not a whole lot to it, it is delicious and SO addicting. I usually like to get the shrimp the day of serving just so it is extra fresh. It is a simple appetizer that always seems to disappear the quickest!
It is a simple but elegant appetizer to serve for your holiday get-togethers! Pick a favorite dish or plate to serve it on and you will see how much everyone loves it. It is a sweet, savory, and tangy flavor with a bit of a bite. You will love the added shrimp that is cold yet warm with the sauce. This flavor combination will have your tastebuds thanking you!
Only 3 Ingredients!
This shrimp dip recipe with cream cheese is one of the best and easiest dips to make! It truly comprises layers of deliciousness surrounded by crackers, making it the perfect choice for a party appetizer at any celebration.
- Cream cheese – Grab your favorite cream cheese block. It comes in a rectangle and is easy to open and place on a serving plate.
- Cocktail sauce – Make your own cocktail sauce or purchase your favorite store-bought sauce.
- Shrimp – You can use canned, fresh, or frozen shrimp with this recipe. You can find fresh shrimp in the seafood/meat department of most grocery stores. Frozen pre-cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp in a bag in the frozen section. The easiest and most budget-friendly option is canned shrimp, which is typically found near canned tuna fish.
- Optional: If you like lemon on your shrimp, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the shrimp. You can also add a sprinkle of lemon zest.
Tips and Recipe Variations
If you are needing a quick dip for your next party, this is the dip to bring! It has texture, sweetness, savory vibes, and all the flavor! Make this your own with these extra variations or use these tips to help prepare it even better!
- If you want to make it a little lighter you can use Neufchatel cheese. Neufchatel is a cream cheese made with skim milk, making it a healthier option.
- I like to soften my cream cheese to room temperature before serving. Place it on a plate and smooth it out using a knife for a prettier look. This also makes it easier to dip crackers in.
- Go an extra step and use an electric mixer to fluff and whip the cream cheese before adding it to the plate.
- Get more creative. In a medium bowl add green onions, fresh parsley, and garlic powder, or add heat with chili sauce or tabasco sauce in your cream cheese mixture. Stir the extra ingredients into the cream cheese with a wooden spoon or hand mixer. Spread the mixture on the plate before layering on the sauce and shrimp.
- You can use larger shrimp if that is what you have available. Simply chop the shrimp into smaller pieces to layer on the dip.
What to Dip in Cream Cheese Shrimp Dip
Getting a heavier-duty, more high-quality cracker is best. The cream cheese is soft, but may still break a thin cracker. For the crackers in the picture, I used the Great Value Rosemary Crackers from Walmart. The crackers not only taste delicious with the rosemary seasoning, they also have a pretty scalloped edge. If you have a favorite thin cracker, simply serve the dip with a knife to spread the dip onto the cracker instead of dipping the cracker into the dip.
- Crackers – Ritz Crackers, Triscuits, Wheat Thins, and Club Crackers all work great.
- Chips – Any thick-cut chip will work! You will want to use a knife to spread the dip on the chip.
- Baguette Slices – Fresh or toasted. Again, serve with a knife to more easily spread the dip.
- Vegetables – Celery sticks and carrot sticks.
“You have no idea how excited I am to make this as often as I like! I will make sure I always have ingredients on hand. It is so good, and great for keeping everyone happy until dinner!”
-Natalie
Frequently Asked Questions
This layered shrimp dip has only 3 ingredients: Shrimp, cream cheese, and cocktail sauce. Blended shrimp dips often have mayonnaise or sour cream as a base for a creamy texture and then add parmesan cheese and additional seasonings.
Nope! Canned shrimp consists of mini or small shrimp that have already undergone cleaning and shelling. The shrimp are then cooked and packed in water. Canned shrimp is great to have for food storage and this dip recipe!
We don’t recommend it. Once frozen, there isn’t a good way to remix or reheat the dip. Even if you just thaw out the dip, it won’t taste as good or maintain its texture.
Storing and Making Ahead
Shrimp dip does not last too long. It is best to have the ingredients ready and on hand before preparing for the day of the party. Luckily, you can make this cream cheese shrimp dip quickly and layer it within minutes.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for two to three days. The layers may combine and the cocktail sauce may bleed color into the cream cheese. It will still taste good; just don’t be alarmed. Do not freeze this dip.
More Delicious Dips
If some people in your group aren’t shrimp fans, try some of our other delicious dips! Each of these dips are perfect for preparing within minutes and easy to take to any party.
How to Make Cream Cheese Shrimp Dip
Cream Cheese Shrimp Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cups Cocktail sauce add more to taste if needed
- 4-8 ounces mini shrimp pre-cooked, peeled, & de-veined
- Chips/crackers for serving
Instructions
- Place block of cream cheese on a plate.
- Pour cocktail sauce evenly over the cream cheese.
- Sprinkle shrimp over the top. Serve with crackers or chips.
I’ve had this same sort of dip before many years ago and loved it. The only difference here is the one I ate was all blended together so it was pink and mysterious but MUCH easier to dip into with crackers than a solid block of cream cheese. I think this one would require a knife/spreader.
Yes, a knife spreader is needed! 🙂
I’ve actually done this for quite some time…but the first time I saw it the cream cheese was spread on a platter – so that’s how I’ve always done it. It’s pretty yummy and goes over well
I love this. You can also use pepper jelly with cream cheese, its the bomb.
What crackers would you recommend?
I like Wheat Thins or Ritz! But, honestly any mild-flavored cracker will work!
I have made this with a can of crab meat instead of shrimp on top! It is delicious!
This is so simple. We actually have done this for years but have not added the shrimp. Thanks for the change-up!
I love shrimp & with the sauce & cream cheese, it’s so addicting!! It will be a hit with my family!
You have no idea how excited I am to make this as often as I like! I will make sure I always have ingredients on hand. It is so good & great for keeping everyone happy until dinner!
I also make it with hot red pepper jelly in place of the cocktail sauce
Yum!
Wow, this looks incredibly delicious!!! My family would love it.
The recipe Bonefish Grill uses calls for a coating of cornstarch only on the shrimp before deep frying.
Thank you and Happy Holidays to you and your family.