Shrimp Dip
Table of Contents
This cold Shrimp Dip recipe is an easy appetizer with just a few ingredients. It’s thick and creamy, and full of clean shrimp flavor. The recipe comes from my mom – it’s a Christmas Eve tradition for our family!
Mom’s Shrimp Dip is an Annual Tradition
My parents hosted Christmas Eve for my mom’s side of the family for many, many years. And my mom’s Shrimp Dip quickly became an annual tradition, right alongside the oyster stew, hand-cranked vanilla ice cream, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies.
Some of the best memories I own are Christmas Eve memories. As a kid, our house was filled with energetic cousins, all of whom could also be called friends. Along with our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, we played games for hours: Spoons, Farkle, and a variety of marbles, dominoes, and card games. We filled the house with so. much. awesome. laughter.
This recipe is one of the easiest and best appetizers you’ll ever make. And you can prepare it ahead of time, leaving it to rest its merry little self in the refrigerator until your guests arrive. It’s thick and creamy, and full of clean shrimp flavor. We enjoy this dip on Christmas Eve and all year ’round!
Ingredients List, with Cream Cheese and Canned Tiny Shrimp
I’ve often thought, “What can I add to this recipe to improve it?” Because it feels just too simple. But it really needs nothing more.
You just can’t go wrong with shrimp dip with cream cheese. Right?!
I keep cans of tiny shrimp in our pantry at all times. They’re key for this shrimp dip. AND my mom’s Macaroni Salad – as I sometimes swap out the ham for shrimp. :)
This recipe has only 5 ingredients, plus black pepper if you like.
- canned tiny shrimp
- cream cheese
- mayo – Absolutely do NOT use Miracle Whip!
- fresh green onions – I love the fresh, bright flavor this adds.
- garlic salt
- black pepper – I like to grind some over the top, but it’s totally not necessary.
A few more favorite dip recipes: Baked Reuben Dip has all the flavors of the famous Reuben sandwich that we love, deconstructed into a dip. Dill Pickle Dip is super fun with cream cheese and dill pickles. And my aunt’s Layered Creamy Chili Shrimp Dip is festive and fantastically delicious!
How to Make This Dip
Don’t laugh at how easy this recipe is. Embrace its simplicity!
- Chop shrimp and green onion. First set aside a few of the nicer looking shrimp, then finely chop the rest. Chop the green part of the green onions.
- Blend cream cheese and mayo. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and mayonnaise until well blended. An electric blender works best, to get the mixture super smooth.
- Stir in shrimp, green onion, and garlic salt.
- Serve. Transfer dip to a small serving bowl and top with reserved shrimp and additional green onion. Sprinkle a bit of freshly ground black pepper over the top if you like. Serve with crackers and/or veggies.
FAQ’s and Tips for the Best Shrimp Dip
Can I make this in advance? This questions deserves a great big YES! Go ahead and make this dip several hours to a day ahead of time. Just store it in a container with a lid in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Can I use Miracle Whip? And this question is coming back at you with a great big NO! Miracle Whip has corn syrup and spices added to it – it is not mayo. Just use mayonnaise!
Can I use fresh or frozen shrimp? If you prefer to not use canned shrimp, substitute fresh or frozen. Just be sure to use shrimp that has been cooked – do not use raw shrimp! But my preference will always be canned tiny shrimp, as it gives me the traditional flavor that I grew up with.
Tip 1: Prep the cream cheese. And by that I mean, simply let it come to room temperature before making this recipe. This will ensure that it blends smoothly and doesn’t leave you with chunks of cream cheese.
Tip 2: Blend until smooth. I believe that the best way to blend cream cheese is to use an electric mixer. But if you’re an expert at hand-blending it with a wooden spoon or spatula, go right ahead. Just make sure that when you blend the cream cheese with the mayo, that the combination is completely smooth before adding in the remaining ingredients.
How to Serve This Dip
This dip is great with a variety of crackers, but we mostly serve it with Ritz Original Crackers or Keebler Original Club Crackers. Their buttery, flaky goodness is wonderful with the dip.
I also like to offer some fresh veggies for dipping – like mini carrots and sliced cucumbers and bell peppers.
And as far as when to serve this dip, well the possibilities are truly endless!
Make this for game day, girls night, New Years Eve, or any special gathering. It makes a great appetizer for backyard get-togethers and is a fun addition to a cheese board.
And if you enjoy this on Christmas Eve, it’ll be just like we’re celebrating together. You. Me. And my mom’s shrimp dip. Cheers!
Like this recipe? Save it to Pinterest!
A few more dip recipes from my friends!
- Skillet Buffalo Cauliflower Dip from Heartbeet Kitchen
- Warm Brie, Crab, and Artichoke Dip from Noble Pig
- Easy Jalapeno Popper Dip from Saving Room for Dessert
Mom’s Shrimp Dip
This dip is one of the easiest and best appetizers you'll ever make. It's thick and creamy, and full of clean shrimp flavor. It's a Christmas Eve tradition for my family!
Ingredients
- 1 can (4 oz.) tiny shrimp, drained and rinsed
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise (Do not use Miracle Whip!)
- 1/3 c. finely chopped green onion, plus a bit more for sprinkling over the top
- 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Set aside a few of the nicer looking shrimp, then chop up the rest.
- In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and mayonnaise until well blended. A blender works best, to get the mixture nice and smooth. Then stir in the chopped shrimp, green onion, and garlic salt.
- Transfer dip to a small serving bowl and top with reserved whole shrimp and additional green onion. Sprinkle a bit of freshly ground black pepper over the top. Serve with crackers and fresh veggies for dipping. For crackers, we mostly serve this dip with Ritz Original Crackers or Keebler Original Club Crackers.
Notes
This can be prepared several hours to a day ahead of time and then stored in a container with a lid in the refrigerator.
from Mom's recipe box
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 184mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
This post was previously published in 2012. Photographs and some of the text were updated in 2018.
I would like to make this for our babies 1st birthday to keep in the theme of under the sea. But I have several guests that do not like green onions. What else can I use??
What a fun theme, and I love that you’re including this dip! Chives would be similar. Otherwise, to get some fresh green flavor and color, maybe just chopped parsley?
Made the recipe as noted, but way too salty!
Hmmmm, I’ve never had anyone say that before. I’m wondering if you perhaps measured the garlic salt incorrectly? If not, maybe you might prefer to just add some garlic powder (not garlic salt)?
No measurements on the Shrimp Dip Recipe. HELP
Hello Diane – scroll to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the recipe card with measurements.
Looking forward to making this for Coming Eve! I’ll let you know!
I did loved the shrimp dip. I used frozen salad shrimp instead of canned. It was a big hit.
Wonderful! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
Excellent appetizer/dip.
Thank you! Glad you liked!
I love traditions like these…for us it’s always cheese dip on Christmas eve. My husband will love this, though!
Fresh lemon juice and some lemon zest. That’s it.
My mom made this when we were kids 40 years ago! It’s delicious. We always serve with plain Carr’s Water Crackers – the light taste of the crackers lets the Shrimp Dip flavor shine. (We call it Shrimp Dip, too, though it’s more like a spread.)
I bet those crackers would be great with this dip. It’s fun to hear that you grew up with this too!
I found the print button … halfway down the page. Thanks for providing one.
Such a great party appetizer. It was easy to make too. 5 stars all the way!!
I served this up for Pokeno night, it was gone in a flash. I love it when that happens!
This was a huge hit in my house! Would love to try it again for New Year’s Eve!
This is a must at our family parties!
Such an easy, tasty dip! And best of all, I usually have everything except the green onions on hand!!
I make something similar but afd a little curry and chopped boiled eggs. We eat with Rosemary olive oil crackers. Delicious!. Its call shrimp cheese strata
Definitely will make this recipe!
This looks delish! I cannot find the recipe for the creamy sriracha shrimp dip. I looked on Phyllo cite and didn’t see it there either. Can you email it to me? Thanks!
Made this Christmas Eve and have to do it again New Years Eve it was such a hit!! Great recipe!
Can I use fresh shrimp?
Yes, Michelle, you can. Just make sure it’s cooked shrimp.