For the Best Creamy Shrimp Dip, Try This Easy Trick for Tender, Juicy Shrimp

AutopilotR
Estimated read time 4 min read



Why It Works

  • Marinating the shrimp in baking soda and salt seasons them throughout and gives them an extra-plump texture.
  • Starting the shrimp in cold water and gradually heating it to 170°F (77ºC) ensures that they come out tender and juicy, not tough and overcooked.
  • Allowing the minced shallot to sit in lemon juice softens its raw-onion flavor and gives each piece a tart pop.

I’ll turn nearly anything into an excuse to eat seafood. Feeling sad? Nothing a trip to the raw bar can’t fix. Happy? Let’s celebrate the good times with some oceanic exoskeletons. Away on vacation? Time to immerse ourselves in a new culture…by ingesting local marine bugs. Home alone? Crustaceans count as company! That’s just how my mind works.

So you can imagine that when I’m thinking about a good dip to serve at a party, I skip right past the countless bean spreads and cheesy dips that most people make and decide on a shrimp dip instead. The fact that it has shrimp in it may make some think it’s more complicated than those other options, but that’s not so. It’s as easy as poaching some shrimp, chopping them up, then mixing them with a handful of other ingredients.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik


There are a couple of tricks to making the poaching step as foolproof as possible. The first is to toss the shrimp with salt and baking soda a half hour before cooking them. The salt and baking soda both help make the shrimp extra plump and juicy and nicely seasoned throughout.

The second is to invert the cooking process. The standard procedure for poaching shrimp is to add them to simmering water, then pluck them out as soon as they’re done. The problem there is that the shrimp come out a little tougher from the high heat, and there’s a risk of overcooking them—they go from perfectly cooked to rubbery in a matter of moments. If you start them out in cold water, on the other hand, and then bring it up to—but not past—170°F, you run almost no risk of overcooking the shrimp, and they’re far tenderer thanks to the lower water temperature.

After that, just chill the shrimp in an ice bath, drain and dry them, and chop them up.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik


I combine the shrimp with finely diced celery and shallot, which I’ve soaked in fresh lemon juice while the shrimp marinated in the baking soda mixture. The acidic lemon juice tames the shallot’s raw-onion edge and gives it a pop of tartness.

I mix all of that with equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream and fold in minced fresh herbs, like parsley, dill, and chives. Some ground coriander adds a great aromatic note, and minced preserved horseradish adds some warmth.

But that’s all incidental, because…shrimp!

February 2016

This recipe was cross-tested in 2023 and lightly updated to guarantee best results.

For the Best Creamy Shrimp Dip, Try This Easy Trick for Tender, Juicy Shrimp



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  • 1 pound (454g) peeled and deveined shrimp

  • 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more as needed; for table salt, use half as much by volume

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 medium shallot (about 2 ounces; 55g) diced (about 1/4 cup)

  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (22ml) fresh juice from 1 lemon

  • 1 medium celery rib, diced (about 1/3 cup)

  • 1/2 cup (113g) sour cream

  • 1/2 cup (113g) mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves and tender stems

  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill

  • 2 teaspoons minced chives

  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) drained preserved horseradish

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  1. In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking soda and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. In a small bowl, combine shallot, lemon zest, and lemon juice and refrigerate until ready to use.

  2. In a large bowl, set up an ice bath by filling it halfway with cold water and ice. Set aside. Fill a medium saucepan with cold water. Add shrimp to saucepan and set over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until temperature reaches 170°F (77ºC) on an instant-read thermometer and shrimp are just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer shrimp to ice bath and let stand until chilled, about 5 minutes. Drain well, discarding ice. Pat shrimp dry on paper towels.

  3. Chop shrimp into small chunks. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and add shallot and lemon mixture, celery, sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, dill, chives, horseradish, and coriander. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crackers. 

Special Equipment

Instant-read thermometer

Make-Ahead and Storage

The shrimp dip can be refrigerated for up to 5 hours in a sealed airtight container.

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