Easy Shrimp Dip

A classic shrimp dip for parties! Mix small pink shrimp, lemon zest and juice, scallions, parsley, hot sauce, cream cheese, and a little mayo in this easy cold shrimp dip.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated April 07, 2022
Elise Bauer
Shrimp Dip recipe
Elise Bauer

In the world of party appetizers, there's a time for fancy, and there's a time for oh-my-gosh-I-only-have-10-minutes-to-make-something-that-I-wouldn't-be-ashamed-to-serve-to-guests.

Usually, I'm in the latter camp, having grossly underestimated the time it takes to get organized.

For these times it's helpful to have a dish like this shrimp dip in one's back pocket.

Some little pink shrimp (they're sustainable and sweet), some cream cheese, a touch of mayo, a little lemon, some chopped herbs, a dash of hot sauce and presto! A lovely dip—thick, shrimpy, and brightly flavored with the lemon, herbs, and hot sauce.

Keep some frozen shrimp around for occasions like this, and some crackers, and you can pull it all together in 10 minutes. (Well maybe 15 if you have to defrost the shrimp.)

Easy Shrimp Dip

Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Servings 8 servings
Yield 2 cups

If using frozen shrimp, defrost safely by placing in a bowl of ice water. When defrosted, strain.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temp

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise

  • 2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice (2 if regular lemon, 4 if Meyer lemon), more to taste

  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

  • 3/4 pound cooked, shelled, small pink shrimp (salad shrimp)

  • 1/4 cup sliced scallions, including the greens

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

  • 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco or Crystal hot sauce

  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

  1. Beat the cream cheese, mayo, and lemon:

    In a medium bowl beat together the cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat until smooth (you may need to use a whisk.)

  2. Pulse the shrimp with cream cheese mixture:

    If you have a food processor, pulse together the shrimp and the cream cheese mixture, three 1-second pulses. If not, or if you just don't want to deal with the food processor, chop up the shrimp—fine to medium chop—and mix into the cream cheese.

  3. Add the scallions, parsley, hot sauce, and pepper:

    Return to the bowl and stir in the scallions and parsley. Add the hot sauce and black pepper to taste. Add more lemon juice to taste.

    Keep chilled. Serve with crackers or crudité.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
232 Calories
21g Fat
4g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 232
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 8g 38%
Cholesterol 93mg 31%
Sodium 393mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 57mg 4%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 130mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.