Layered Shrimp Cocktail Dip
This quick and easy cold dip has a seasoned cream cheese base topped with zesty cocktail sauce and chopped shrimp. It's a perfect party appetizer for any occasion!
Servings: 8 (about ¼ cup total each)
Estimated Calories: 192
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened; I use full-fat for the extra richness and creaminess, but reduced-fat also works
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, full-fat or reduced-fat
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, or to taste (I use 2 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly-squeezed or bottled
- ¾ cup cocktail sauce, divided (I use and recommend my homemade cocktail sauce, but you can use your favorite)
- ¾ pound cold cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined; see Notes below
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions, green part only
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, and lemon juice until well combined and smooth.I do this by hand, but you can use an electric mixer.
- Evenly spread out the cream cheese mixture on a serving plate (I use a 10-inch plate); don't go all the way to the edge of the plate, leave a small border.
- Evenly spread ½ cup of the cocktail sauce over the cream cheese layer, leaving a small border of the cream cheese mixture.
- Remove the tails from the cooked shrimp and discard. Chop the shrimp into ½-inch pieces.
- Evenly top the cocktail sauce layer with the chopped shrimp.
- Randomly spoon the remaining ¼ cup of cocktail sauce over the shrimp.
- Evenly sprinkle the green onions over the shrimp.
- Serve immediately with crackers, pita chips, tortilla chips, or your favorite dippers.
Recipe Notes
- You can use store-bought cooked shrimp (fresh or frozen and thawed), which is what I usually do, or you can cook your own shrimp if you prefer. Any size shrimp will do, since we are chopping it up.
- If using frozen shrimp, be sure to pat it dry with paper towels after it has thawed so your dip doesn't end up watery.
- If you cook your own shrimp (instructions for poaching shrimp are included in the post if you want to do this), make sure it is cold before adding it to the dip.
- This dip is best when served immediately after assembly, as it can get a bit watery after it sits for a while.
- If you want to make it ahead of time, prepare the individual layer components and store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator a few hours and up to a day ahead of time. Then assemble the dip right before serving.
- Estimated prep time shown assumes you are starting with pre-cooked shrimp and prepared cocktail sauce. If you will be cooking your own shrimp and/or making your own cocktail sauce, you will need to add additional time for these.
- Estimated calories shown are for the dip only and do not include whatever dippers you might use.
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