Cheesy Baked Shrimp Dip

Are you guys getting excited about Christmas? Something I like best about the holidays are the family traditions.

We have several, but one of them is that we get together with extended family on Christmas eve, where we serve a bunch of fun party appetizers and open a few presents.

Usually I bring my Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies and a dip of some kind (last year it was this Bacon Cheeseburger dip)… but this year I might just bring this dip!

If you’re a fan of shrimp scampi, then this is the dip for you.

So creamy, so cheesy, so garlicky, and absolutely incredibly delicious! Plus it can be made ahead of time.

How to make baked shrimp dip?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Cook shrimp. This is best done in a large skillet.
2. Deglaze. Deglazing is just a fancy term for adding a small amount of liquid (in this case, wine) and cooking it in the skillet, while stirring, until the liquid is mostly cooked off.
3. Mix dip. You’ll want a large mixing bowl for this, and you can use a hand mixer, whisk, or rubber spatula.
4. Stir in shrimp.
5. Transfer to baking dish. Spread it into an even layer.
6. Bake. You’re looking for the dip to be hot and bubbly.

Variations of this recipe

• Shrimp – you want the shrimp to be in small bite-sized pieces, so feel free to cut the shrimp into as many pieces as you’d like. For large size shrimp, I typically cut them in fourths.
• Garlic – this is a pretty garlic-heavy recipe, as it’s suppose to mimic the flavor of shrimp scampi, but if you’d prefer less (or maybe more), you can adjust the amount to your tastes.
• Wine – you want a dry white wine for this recipe, like a chardonnay. But if you’d prefer not to use any alcohol, you can use an equal amount of chicken broth, or you can omit that step all together.
• Cheeses – we love the combination of gooey mozzarella and nutty Parmesan cheese, but please feel free to experiment with using your favorite cheeses.
• One pan – to make this a one pan dip, cook the shrimp in a cast iron or other type of oven-safe skillet. Remove the shrimp to a plate after it cooks, and mix up the dip ingredients in the skillet. Stir in the shrimp and bake as directed.
• Slow cooker – if you’d like to make this dip in a slow cooker, please check out the slow cooker directions in the “chef tips” section of the recipe card below

Making shrimp dip ahead of time

The great thing about this appetizer is that it can be made ahead of time.

Just assemble it, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Let the dip sit on the counter for 30 minutes or so to let it come up closer to room temperature, then bake as directed!

Storage

Leftover dip should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 3-5 days.

This recipe has been on the site since November 2018, but has been updated in 2023 with additional information and new photos.