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Cheesy Shrimp Dip makes a delicious hot appetizer that your guests will devour in seconds! This cream cheese shrimp dip combines three different types of cheese — cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese — with a sautéed shrimp scampi.

shrimp dip with toasted baguette slices around the plate.

Looking for a little inspiration for your next holiday party menu? This is IT — my baked shrimp dip is SO easy, SO cheesy, and SO TASTY!

This easy shrimp dip recipe is made with a half pound of fresh shrimp, but you can add more if you would like your dip to be chunkier.

Bake until hot and bubbly, then serve this deliciously creamy hot shrimp dip with pita chips, assorted crackers, or a sliced and toasted baguettes and dig in!

Love hot appetizers? Hot Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip with Bacon is sweet, salty, and spicy and is irresistible at holiday parties. Or, try my Baked Brie Appetizer — it’s simply elegant and sure to impress — and everyone raves over Bacon Wrapped Shrimp!

ingredients for shrimp dip on a table.

Key ingredients & substitutions for Hot & Cheesy Cream Cheese Shrimp Dip

  • Fresh shrimp | Purchase from the seafood counter already peeled and deveined to save yourself some prep time. Medium-size shrimp is fine for this recipe.
  • Garlic and green onions | for flavor
  • Fresh lemon juice | to brighten up the dish
  • Cream cheese | Be sure to let it soften adequately to make mixing up the dip easier. You can use the low-fat variety if you like.
  • Shredded Parmesan | Don’t use grated, you want some texture from this cheese.
  • Shredded mozzarella | You could also use fresh mozzarella.
  • Mayonnaise and sour cream | A dollop of mayo gives the dip some tang!
  • Smoked paprika —for garnishing

What our readers have to say…

This is my 2nd time trying this recipe. My neighbor and kids so loved it I had to make it again. It’s so, so delicious!! 
– Anthony

How to make shrimp dip with cream cheese

One thing I love about this hot appetizer is that it can be mixed up ahead of time. Just do all the stove top steps in the recipe, then cover and refrigerate. Thirty minutes before your party guests arrive, pop the dip into a preheated oven and bake until hot and bubbly.

chopping shrimp and then cooking it with sliced onions and garlic in a skillet.

STEP 1 | Prep the shrimp

Save yourself a little time by purchasing shrimp that’s already been shelled and deveined. You’ll need a half pound (or more) of fresh shrimp for this dip recipe.

Rinse the shrimp under cool running water, then pat dry with paper towels. Use a chef’s knife to give it a rough chop leaving some big chunks — we want this dip to be meaty and hearty.

STEP 2 | Chop green onions and garlic

Cut the tips off the green onion and slice it up into thin pieces. Either chop or mince the garlic and set aside for the moment.

STEP 3 | Cook the shrimp

Select a large skillet and add a couple tablespoons of butter. Set the skillet over medium heat and once the butter has melted, add the shrimp, onions and garlic.

Sauté the shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are nice and pink. Frankly, you could stop right here and just soak up the scampi with a big piece of crusty bread — I mean this buttery shrimp is delicious!

stirring cheese into shrimp in a skillet.

STEP 4 | Melt the cheese

Reduce the heat to low, the add the block of cream cheese right into the pan with the shrimp. Cook and and stir until it’s all melted.

Now you’re ready to add the rest of the ingredients — the remaining cheeses, mayo and sour cream — and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

STEP 4 | Bake until bubbly!

Once all the cheese is melted and the mixture is creamy, pour it into a lightly greased baking dish and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese if you like. Garnish the top with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and pop it into the preheated oven for about 30 minutes.

Once the dip is heated through, hot and bubbly, you’re ready to dive in! How can you go wrong with a warm and cheesy dip?!

Frequently asked questions

Can I make this dip with other seafood?

How do you devein shrimp at home?

In the event you are starting with shrimp that needs to be peeled and deveined, follow these steps to remove the shells and the vein using a small paring knife:

1. Use the tip of the paring knife to score the shrimp along the back.
2. Look for the dark vein, which is a long black string running the length of the shrimp.
3. Use the tip of the knife to gently lift up the vein and pull it out.

shrimp dip with a shrimp on top as garnish and a baguette dipping into the dish.

Serving suggestions

Before serving, garnish the hot dip with a few sliced green onions or fresh chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, if you like. This will give the dip a touch of freshness and finesse.

Serve the shrimp dip with crackers, toasted baguettes, or pita chips.

More hot and cheesy appetizers

If you’re still searching for just the right appetizer to take to the holiday pot luck, you can’t go wrong with any of these delicious options!

Like this recipe?

Don’t forget to comment below the recipe and please give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating!

shrimp dip with toasted baguette slices around the plate.

Cheesy Shrimp Dip

Cheesy Shrimp Dip makes a delicious dinner party appetizer. Serve hot and bubbly with pita chips, a sliced and toasted baguette, or assorted crackers.
4.34 from 163 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Appetizers
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 172 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 pound medium fresh shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2-3 green onions sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • Pinch salt
  • Pinch cracked black pepper
  • Smoked paprika for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Coarsely chop the shrimp. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, add the shrimp, garlic, and green onions and cook just until the shrimp are pink, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Stir in lemon juice and reduce heat to low. Add the cream cheese, stirring until melted completely.
  • Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and stir until well combined.
  • Season the dip with salt and pepper, then spoon the mixture into a 1-quart baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the top with smoked paprika.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly. Serve immediately with pita chips or crackers.

Notes

  • To mix this dip up ahead of time, follow all the stove top steps in the recipe, then cover and refrigerate. When ready to cook, preheat oven, remove from the refrigerator and bake uncovered as directed.

Nutrition

Serving: 8ServingsCalories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 12gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 276mgSugar: 2g

Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Keyword appetizer, cheese, dip, shrimp
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was.
Sheila Thigpen, blogger

About Sheila Thigpen

Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer

Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.

24 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    THIS IS SO GOOD!! I made this for a girl’s night potluck last night and every girlfriend has messaged me this morning for the recipe!! So delightful!

  2. 5 stars
    Made it for a Christmas party last week and was asked to make it again for Christmas Eve. This hard to please crowd loved it. A definite keeper.

    1. Hi, Rebecca. You’ll use raw shrimp since it will be cooked with the onion before added to the dip mixture. I suppose you could use precooked shrimp and just mix up the ingredients, but I think you’d be sacrificing some of the flavor.

  3. I made this tonight as the main protein for my parents’ dinner. I am allergic to shrimp, so I am always concerned about the flavor when I prepare it for the ‘rents. They loved my version of your recipe. Thanks so much for sharing! I had to make substitutions using what I had on hand as follows:

    – Brie for cream cheese
    – Gouda for mozzarella
    – Red onion for green

    I was too lazy to mince the garlic so it was sliced and allowed to simmer in the butter with the red onion. (I added some olive oil to keep the butter from burning.)

    No mayonnaise, since I didn’t have any and dad doesn’t eat it anyway.

    Lastly, I put the smoked paprika on top in the final 10 minutes of cooking because I almost forgot to add it. 😉

    I was very concerned about the amount of liquid but the flavorful broth was one of my mom’s favorite parts. We have agreed to put it in the dinner rotation whenever there is shrimp in the house. 🙂

    1. Hi, Kellie! You can certainly make up the dip the day ahead and wait to bake it until just before you are ready to serve.

  4. 5 stars
    This is a delicious recipe!!!! I spiced it with up with some mild chopped chiles and mild chopped jalepenos.
    So Yummy ~a big Hit at our Mexican Fiesta!!
    Thank
    Mary in Oregon

  5. 5 stars
    The is my 2nd time trying this. My neighbour and kids so loved it I had to make again. It’s so so delicious!! Thanks for your recipe and can’t wait for your new post!!

    1. Hi, Monica! Thanks for pointing out that I didn’t include the number of servings on the recipe card (I’ve just now updated it!). This recipe will serve 8 people 🙂

      1. Hi, Kitty. I normally just do a light sprinkle on top of the dip (about 1/4 teaspoon, mainly for color and garnish), so it is really at your discretion.

  6. What I be able to make this recipe in a crockpot just throw it all together and put it in the crockpot , I wouldn’t use raw shrimp I would just use cooked shrimp.

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