Whether you’re partying it up with friends or whipping up a date-night spread at home, this easy cheesy Buffalo Shrimp Dip makes the perfect appetizer! Hot melty cheese with shrimp, veggies, and a kiss of hot sauce? Perfection!
THIS DIP! It’s an all-caps affair, really.
One rainy afternoon, when the pilot and I were feeling extra peckish, I set off to make us a little snack. Something quick and easy that we could enjoy while playing rainy day board games with our toddler, easy enough right? Since it was Sunday, Paul quickly declared it beer-thirty and cracked open a cold one. I followed suit (peer pressure!) andstarted tossing things together in the kitchen.
I swear some of the absolute best recipes on this blog are the result of just goofing off in the kitchen for the heck of it.
I try to be all official, meal planning and making lists of recipes I’d like to test, then purposefully buying the ingredients I need to make them. But the ones that seem to just organically leap from my kitchen? Those are always the ones y’all seem to go bonkers over.
To name a few, my Bell Pepper Pizzas, Buffalo Chicken Taco Salads, holiday-favorite Honey Roasted Butternut Squash, and Thai Veggie Noodle Salad were all random kitchen concoctions that I made on a whim. No rhyme, no reason, just a hungry blogger and a crisper full of possibilities.
The veggies. They speak to me.
Ok I promise I’m not crazy!!! Pinky-swear!
Buffalo Shrimp Dip
So there I was, folding tender shrimp and spinach into the most amazingly cheesy queso when the beer just leaps out of my hand and into the dip. Really! I didn’t even register what I was doing until I saw the bubble of the beer hitting the cheese. I quickly tipped my glass back gave the dip a taste, and then proceeded to swirl nearly half a cup of beer into that dip. It was DELICIOUS!
Of course you can 110% make this sans booze. It will be just as marvelous and full of easy, cheesy deliciousness; however, if you like beer — you simply must add it!
After that beer jumped into the dip, all bets were off! I grabbed the red pepper flakes, another handful of spinach, and a bottle of hot sauce. The result was truly swoon-worthy! I taunted the besties with a few snaps of the completed dip and proceeded to faceplant into it with the hubs. It. Was. Glorious.
Cheesy Buffalo Shrimp Dip FTW!
My friends have actually demanded I make it for them, so I’ll now be hosting an adult game night just so we have a legit excuse to shovel this easy cheesy dip into our face. I suggest you follow suit!
Now that we’ve gotten my fancy staged photos out of the way with, let’s get up close and personal with this bad boy!
SAY CHEESE!!!!!
special diets and swaps
Not a fan of (or drinker of beer) Skip it! The dip will be extra thick and cheesy (YES!) and may be thinned with warm milk if desired.
No spinach? No problem! You can 110% make the dip without it but man I love me some green goodness so adding it was a total perk! Plus spinach in a cheese dip basically makes the whole dish a veggie right? Humor me.
No Jalapeños? Try choppedbell pepper and spice it up with a little extra hot sauce or red pepper flakes if you’d like!
get cheesy!
This delicious dip will taste great with a bevvy of cheeses. My rule of thumb is usually to add one super soft easy-melt cheese and one more flavorful sharp cheese. Havarti, Gruyere, Gouda, Pepper Jack, Cheddar, etc… Go nuts!
Buffalo Shrimp Dip
Whether you’re partying it up with friends or whipping up a date-night spread at home, this easy cheesy Buffalo Shrimp Dip makes the perfect appetizer! Hot melty cheese with shrimp, veggies, and a kiss of hot sauce? Perfection!
4.91 from 21 votes
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Buffalo Shrimp Dip
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Jenn Laughlin – Peas and Crayons
Ingredients
- 12-14 oz raw shrimp (cleaned + peeled + thawed if frozen)
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2 jalapeños
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1/2-1 tsp oil or butter for sautéing
- 4 oz softened cream cheese
- ¼ cup beer plus extra 1/2 cup as needed
- 1 TBSP melted butter
- 3 TBSP Frank’s Red Hot sauce extra to taste
- 3 oz grated pepper jack cheese
- 2 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
- garnish with chopped spinach and red pepper flakes
Instructions
Chop your shrimp into small pieces.
Prep your veggies by dicing/mincing the onion + jalapeño (seeds and stem removed) and chopping your spinach.
Heat a pan or skillet to medium-high heat with a little olive oil and sauté your onion and jalapeños.
You may add the spinach now, or toss it in at the end to ensure it stays bright green and vibrant.
Add your shrimp and and cook for 1-3 minutes until opaque.
Add cream cheese and beer and stir to combine, reducing burner to medium heat.
Add your butter, hot sauce, and grated cheeses.
Stir well until hot and melty, adding extra beer as desired to thin the sauce.
I’ll admit my husband and I wound up adding an entire extra 1/2 cup of beer to ours, (cheers!) but it’s still great with less.
Optional: Garnish with a little extra chopped spinach for a pop of green or some fiery red pepper flakes for an extra kick. You can even add an extra drizzle or two of hot sauce on top. Keep it simple or get fancy, but whatever you do, dive in while it’s nice and HOT!
Notes
Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed based on swaps and choice of dippers and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 147kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 115mg, Sodium: 533mg, Potassium: 91mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 620IU, Vitamin C: 6.2mg, Calcium: 170mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?I want to see! Tag @peasandcrayons on Instagram and Facebook!
If you get a chance to try this spicy buffalo shrimp dip recipe, let me know!Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
serving suggestions
- crispy corn tortilla chips
- fluffy warmed/toasted pita bread or torn french bread
- pretzels (soft or crunchy)
- a SPOON!
I also have it on pretty good authority that leftover buffalo shrimp dip makes the most amazing seafood quesadilla EVER! #doit
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About The Author:
Jenn Laughlin
Hi! I’m Jenn and I’m here to help you eat your veggies! It'll be fun, painless, and pretty darn delicious as I teach you to plan your meals around fresh, seasonal produce with a little help from healthy freezer and pantry staples.
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