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Home » Recipes » Appetizers & Snacks

Shrimp martini appetizer

By: Kathryn Doherty | Last Updated: Mar 10, 2025 | Published: Nov 16, 2017
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Shrimp martini appetizer is an easy shrimp salsa dip that’s perfect for a fun and fancy appetizer with friends and family!Close up of a shrimp mixture served in a martini glass lined with lettuce.

I have partnered with ALDI on this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

How has your week been going friends?

I had my monthly girls dinner last night and we had a great time! We only had 3 people (out of a total of 12 or so), which just goes to show you how busy this time of year is. But sometimes a smaller, more intimate group is nice because we got to really chat and catch up! ❤️

I've got some extra work projects going on so I'm hoping for a productive next few days. And hopefully some fun this weekend to balance it off too!

Speaking of things to look forward to... we've got the holidays coming up and I'm really feeling ready for it! And ready for ALL the food too!

My mom made today's recipe, this shrimp martini appetizer, for me for the first time last Thanksgiving. We snacked on it while we were cooking the big meal and it was the perfect light bite!

Shrimp martini appetizer served up in martini glasses with a bowl of tortilla chips

I’ve been making this recipe since then as an easy — but fancy-seeming — appetizer to share with friends.

In fact, I had some of my neighbor buddies over last week and served this up in some martini glasses.

We’re all moms of little ones and it’s nice to do something a little special like this when we get together!

And of course I had some wine to go with it! (Did I mention we are moms of little ones? )

It’s great to kick back sometimes and get in some adult conversation while the kids entertain themselves. And I’m lucky to have some seriously fabulous women just across the street.

We’re always saying we need to do it more often - make it a regular thing to just drop by each other’s houses and share a glass of wine and a chat.

Easy shrimp martini appetizer ingredients laid out on calendar with a wine bottle Easy shrimp martini salsa appetizer served up in glasses with lettuce underneath

And if you want to have a lovely evening of entertaining, without all the stress that can go with it, here are my easy ABC's:

  1. Allow enough time. Shop ahead, pick up some great on-hand ingredients like several nice cheeses and a selection of crackers, pair with some nuts or olives and my easy shrimp cocktail recipe and bam - you are set!
  2. Be prepared. Keep your house stocked with a variety of wines, have some cute cocktail napkins and a couple of go-to recipes that are easy to whip up. You'll be party-ready anytime!
  3. Chill out! The hostess sets the tone and you want to be at ease so your guests are at ease. Don't stress about the house not being perfect - I promise you are the only one that notices! So kick back, pick up your wine glass and just enjoy the moment!

A trio of martini glasses lined with lettuce leaves and filled with a shrimp mixture as an appetizer with chips scattered about for dipping.

Notes on this easy shrimp martini appetizer:

  • I use the ALDI pre-cooked Sea Queen Shrimp Ring to make life easy, but you could also roast your own shrimp in the oven. I've included directions in the recipe card if you want to do it that way.
  • The crushed tomatoes help keep this the right consistency. Tomato juice would be too much liquid, but you could try substituting the same amount of canned petite diced tomatoes (well drained) or maybe even some salsa in a pinch. That could certainly kick it up a notch!
  • You can control the heat of this recipe by removing the membranes and seeds of the jalapeño for less heat, or leaving some in for more heat. The horseradish and hot sauce are optional but give it a great kick!
  • I like to add red onion to mine but you can leave it out if you prefer.
  • These are fun served individually in martini glasses but you can also serve it up in a bowl with some chips for a group dip.

A trio of martini glasses lined with lettuce leaves and filled with a shrimp mixture as an appetizer.

I hope you have some fun holiday parties coming up and I hope you give this easy shrimp martini appetizer a try - and make your own party anytime!

Have a great weekend!

XO,

Kathryn

P.S. Love easy appetizers for entertaining? Yeah, me too. Check out my easy microwave baked brie, holiday hummus and baked southwestern egg rolls.

Also, I'll be posting just on Tuesday next week, due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Easy shrimp martini salsa appetizer served up in glasses with lettuce underneath
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4 from 16 votes

Shrimp martini appetizer

This shrimp martini appetizer is an easy shrimp salsa dip that’s perfect for a fun and fancy appetizer!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Total Time10 minutes mins
Yield: 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. cooked shrimp, tails removed and roughly chopped
  • ⅔ cup canned crushed tomatoes (see notes)
  • 1 jalapeno, minced (remove membranes and seeds for less heat)
  • ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely diced (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish (optional)
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Hot sauce, to taste (optional)

For serving:

  • Tortilla chips, pita chips and/or lettuce spears

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients and season well with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This is best in the first 24 hours but will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Notes

I use pre-cooked cocktail shrimp to make life easy, but you could also roast your own shrimp in the oven. Just season raw shrimp with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 for 6-8 minutes, until almost cooked through. Let cool, remove tails and coarsely chop the shrimp. Then proceed with the recipe.
The crushed tomatoes help keep this the right consistency. Tomato juice would be too much liquid but you could try substituting the same amount of canned petite diced tomatoes (well drained) or maybe even some salsa in a pinch. You can use a slotted spoon to strain out any extra liquid when you go to serve this.
You can control the heat of this recipe but removing the membranes and seeds of the jalapeño for less heat, or leaving some in for more heat. The horseradish and hot sauce are optional but give it a great kick!
I like to add red onion to mine but you can leave it out if you prefer.
These are fun served individual style in martini glasses but you can also serve it up in a bowl with some chips for a group dip at a party.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 668mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram @familyfoodonthetable and tag me in your photo!
A collage of martini glasses lined with lettuce leaves and filled with a shrimp mixture as an appetizer.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kelli McGrane

    November 16, 2017 at 8:58 am

    Love how colorful these are! Such a perfect appetizer for entertaining this holiday season 🙂

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      November 16, 2017 at 4:05 pm

      Thanks so much Kelli! They really are great for parties and entertaining! 😊

      Reply
  2. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary

    November 16, 2017 at 1:14 pm

    I like intimate dinner parties more than crowded ones, so it sounds like yours was just lovely! 😉 This shrimp martini is seriously the cutest thing ever!!! We are having a couple people over next week for my husbands birthday (it's the big 4-0) and I really wanted to serve shrimp as an appetizer, so as soon as I saw this I almost died! SO YUM! Unfortunately I just found out 2 people are allergic to shellfish... womp womp. Honestly, I'm making this anyways for ME to much on! Because YUM!! (plus, more for me!) Pinned! Cheers!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      November 16, 2017 at 4:06 pm

      I'm with you Cheyanne! I love being able to really talk with everyone and have it be more meaningful. Bummer about the shellfish allergies but yup, that just means more for you - and you won't be sorry! 😉 XO

      Reply
  3. Luci's Morsels

    November 16, 2017 at 10:20 pm

    These are so perfect for a dinner party! Love the presentation of this appetizer, such a fun way to serve up a tasty shrimp salad!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      November 17, 2017 at 10:08 am

      Thanks Luci! They are fun + tasty for sure!

      Reply
  4. Bonnie

    December 20, 2022 at 2:40 pm

    Can you please let me know, won’t the shrimp cook in the lime juice like a ceviche?

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      December 20, 2022 at 3:33 pm

      Hi Bonnie, the recipe calls for cooked shrimp. So they are already fully cooked, not raw. The lime juice therefore doesn't have quite the same effect, but this is definitely best in the first day after it's made. Hope that helps!

      Reply
4 from 16 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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Hi there! I’m Kathryn Doherty, a cookbook author, mom of two, and devoted food and home cooking nut. I’ve got lots of easy recipes to help you get delicious food on the table for your family!

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