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5 from 3 votes

Shrimp Dip

My grandmother's old-fashioned shrimp dip is a retro classic that has been enjoyed at social gatherings and holiday parties for decades!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword cream cheese shrimp dip, shrimp cream cheese dip, shrimp dip, shrimp dip with cream cheese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6 - 8 people
Calories 201kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to blend together cream cheese, mayonnaise, chili sauce, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Fold in green onions, shrimp, and parsley.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve. Garnish with extra parsley, additional green onion, small shrimp, or a dash of paprika.

Notes

  • Make sure that the cream cheese is softened at room temperature. This will ensure that all of the ingredients blend smoothly together.
  • Any variety of cooked shrimp will work here. I use "salad shrimp" or small cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp which I find in the frozen seafood section at my grocery store. They're already cooked (great shortcut) and they're really tiny, so they're quick and easy to chop. You can also use canned shrimp or larger shrimp that you boil at home.
  • Use an electric mixer instead of a simple whisk. The electric mixer makes the base of the dip nice and smooth.
  • Pat the shrimp dry before adding it to the dip. You don't want wet shrimp to thin or water-down your cream cheese mixture.
  • Allow at least one hour for the dip to chill before serving. It will firm up and "set" in the fridge, and the flavors will come together.
  • Use fresh parsley, if possible. It adds a bright color and taste to balance the rich dip. In a pinch, you can sub with 1 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes.
  • In lieu of the chili sauce, substitute with an equal amount of cocktail sauce or ketchup.
  • Chopped fresh chives are a nice alternative to the sliced green onion.
  • Use the dip to make small tea sandwiches or to fill phyllo cups.
  • Shrimp and Crab Dip: Substitute 1 cup of jumbo lump crab meat for 1 cup of the shrimp.
  • Spicy Shrimp Dip: Add ½ teaspoon - 1 teaspoon of Cajun or Creole seasoning to the dip. If the seasoning mix has salt in it, you will likely want to omit the seasoned salt so that your dip isn't too salty. You can also mix in a few drops of hot sauce to really kick it up a notch. Alternatively, add a dash of cayenne pepper or crushed red peppers for extra spice.
  • A squeeze of fresh lemon juice would be a nice addition to brighten up the dip.
  • Use sour cream in lieu of some of the mayonnaise for a dip with more tang.
  • Old Bay seasoning is a classic addition to many seafood recipes, and would work well in this dip.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the dip | Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 599mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 448IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1mg