Step out of you comfort shrimp cocktail appetizer recipe zone and serve this delicious shrimp dip at your next party or gathering. It is a simple homemade ultimate party or family food. Creamy, savory, loaded with shrimp this awesome dip is a real find. Your guests will be raving about it begging you for the recipe and the dip is gonna be gone in minutes.
This best shrimp appetizer is very quick and easy to make with just simple, basic ingredients. You don’t need to waste hours to prepare ingredients and make beautifully tasty dish. The star of the dip is of course the shrimp. I recommend using so called cooked salad shrimp.
Labeled tiny, extra small, or small, these shrimp tend to be served cold on salads. They have an ideal texture that is very soft that mixes wonderfully with cream cheese and is perfect for the dip. You can also substitute for the canned shrimp, which is also very convenient. If you choose to use any other types of cooked, chilled shrimp just keep in mind that larger shrimp will have firmer texture and would not blend to the uniform, smooth consistency in the dip like the little ones would.
Lemon juice, chili sauce and Worcestershire sauce add a nice flavor and kick to the cream cheese and shrimp mixture and a ton of flavor. You can also jazz the dip up by using different varieties of fresh herbs like chopped green onions or chives, dill or parsley or even some pressed garlic or garlic powder and improve this meal. I prefer to add red onion, green bell pepper and garlic or just keep it simple because that is how my kids like it. So much variety!
This cream cheese dip can be made ahead and left in the fridge for up to two days. It actually tastes even better the next day after all the flavors had some time to meld together. Just leave it out for about 30 minutes before serving to soften the cream cheese a little bit. But do not leave it out for more than 3 hours because of the mayo in it.
Serve this mouthwatering appetizer with an array of salted crackers or even tortilla chips. Or health it up and offer carrots, celery sticks and cucumber slices to go along with dip. The creamy texture of cheese and mayonnaise and savory taste pairs great with almost anything so sky is the limit. Enjoy!
