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These cucumber shrimp bites make a light and refreshing dish. You can make them in minutes, so they’re perfect for last-minute get-togethers or when you need to whip up something quick. You may even have all of the ingredients on hand already!
If you’re looking for an alternative to chips and dip, these bite-sized shrimp appetizers are perfect!
Crunchy, cool cucumber slices get topped with a mixture of cheese, herbs, and some tang from the lemon. A tender, savory shrimp crowns the bite-sized appetizers and they make easy finger food.
Shrimp make perfect party food. They are fast and easy to cook and everyone seems to love them. We have a variety of cold shrimp appetizers as well as hot appetizers like our crab-stuffed shrimp. These quick and easy cucumber shrimp bites are a great addition to the collection.
If you are looking for more quick shrimp recipes, try our butternut shrimp appetizers, creamy coconut shrimp, or our blackened shrimp tacos.
Ingredients:
These cucumber shrimp bites only take a few ingredients and they are easy to make. Here’s what you need.
- Lemon. We used half of a lemon to cook with the shrimp for added flavor. Then we used the juice of the other half to flavor the cream cheese mixture.
- Salt and pepper. Add plenty of salt to the water when you boil the shrimp, then use more salt in the cheese mixture.
- Shrimp. Purchase medium sized shrimp that are small enough to fit on slices of cucumber.
- Cucumber. We used English cucumbers because they have a sweet, mild flavor and fewer seeds than regular cucumbers. You can use a regular cucumber if you would like.
- Cream cheese. Let the cream cheese come to room temperature, so it is easy to mix and spread.
- Goat cheese. Choose a soft, spreadable goat cheese and let it come to room temperature.
- Fresh dill. We like fresh dill in this recipe but it certainly works if you want to use dried dill. Keep in mind that dried herbs can lose their potency if stored too long.
How to Make It:
Here is a quick overview for these quick cucumber cream cheese appetizers. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details and read the tips below.
- Cook the shrimp.
- Make the spread. Combine the cheeses, lemon, dill, and seasonings.
- Assemble the shrimp bites. Spread the cheese mixture on thin slices of cucumbers and top with each round with a shrimp.
Tips for Success:
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. Medium shrimp only take about 2 to 3 minutes to cook in boiling water.
- Submerge the shrimp in ice water as soon as they finish cooking. That will stop the cooking process, so they don’t get tough and rubbery.
- Prep ahead. Cook the shrimp 2 days in advance and make the cheese mixture up to 3 days in advance and store it in the fridge. You can assemble the cucumber shrimp bites up to 3 hours in advance. If you assemble the cucumber rounds sooner, they will not stay crisp.
- Chill. Keep the cucumber shrimp bites in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:
This simple recipe for Roasted Apples with Aged Goat Cheese is a light alternative to high-calorie desserts and also works well as an appetizer.
Labneh is a Middle East cheese made with yogurt. It is creamy and smooth and makes a fantastic dip for appetizers.
This light and delicious Japanese cucumber salad is a delicious side dish and it is simple to make. It has the perfect blend of flavors and goes great with almost any meal!.
This cucumber lemon water is delicious way to quench your thirst. It just might become your new favorite way to stay hydrated.
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Pin ItCucumber-Shrimp Bites
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 24 medium, fresh or frozen shrimp, cleaned and deveined but with tails on
- 1 long English cucumber, also known as a seedless cucumber
- 4 ounces soft goat cheese, room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2-3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- Juice of half a lemon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the lemon in half and add it and the salt to a large pot of boiling water. Add the shrimp and cook, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through.
- Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain the shrimp and refrigerate until ready to assemble the appetizers.
- Slice the cucumber into 24 rounds of 1/4” each and set aside. Combine the goat cheese and cream cheese together. Add the fresh dill, lemon and seasoning and mix well.
- Put ½ teaspoon of the cheese mixture on each cucumber slice and place on a serving plate. Put a shrimp on top of each cucumber-cheese slice and gently press the shrimp into the cheese, spreading the mixture to the edge of the cucumber slice.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Transfer the shrimp to a bowl of ice water as soon as they finish cooking. The ice water will stop them from cooking due to residual heat. If you don’t plunge them in ice water, they may overcook and get rubbery.
- You can make the cream cheese mixture 3 days ahead of time. You can also cook the shrimp 2 days in advance and store in the fridge until it is time to assemble the appetizers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Yummy I took tails off that way people are not putting food in mouths then pulling out tail pieces
Hi, Michelle…that is a great idea! Thanks for the tip 🙂