The Easy “Fancy” Appetizer I Make Every Single New Year’s Eve

Around the holidays, I always like to have a semi-fancy dip to serve as an appetizer during a party. My hot crab dip is a holiday favorite, but if you are looking to change it up, this baked lobster dip is another great option. Rich, cheesy, and packed with real lobster, this is a fantastic showstopper to share with guests.

The key to this dip is to use fresh lobster and to cook it in a skillet with some shallot and garlic to really infuse it with flavor. Then, chop it up and bake into a bubbling, cheesy dip that goes well with crusty bread or crackers! 

Key Ingredients in This Lobster Dip

You don’t need a ton of ingredients for this dip, but these are some of the essentials: 

• Lobster: Use fresh lobster for this dish to make it special. I prefer using lobster tails since they are readily available at most seafood counters, but you can substitute an equal weight of claws, if you prefer. 
• Cream cheese: Cream cheese forms the base of this dip, offering creamy richness that can withstand the heat of the oven.
• Aromatics: A mix of minced shallots and garlic amp up the flavor.
• Old Bay Seasoning: A classic pairing for seafood, this seasoning blend goes well with the lobster flavors.
• Ketchup: Just a little bit of ketchup adds a touch of color and sweetness to the dip.
• Lemon: Fresh lemon juice brightens up the rich flavors. 

How to Prepare the Lobster for This Dip

Normally, I would steam lobster to cook it, but for this dip, I prefer to cook the lobster in butter with some shallot and garlic to infuse the flavors. To do this, slice your lobster tail down the center, exposing the flesh inside. Add the halves to a skillet along with melted butter and cook for a minute or two until the lobster shell starts to turn red.

Add the shallot and garlic to the skillet and stir to start cooking the aromatics. Cover the pan with a lid and turn heat down to low to finish cooking the lobster. Finish with some lemon juice, and when it’s cool enough to handle, you can remove the lobster flesh from the shell and chop it up for the dip.

Easy Tweaks

• If you don’t like lobster or can’t find it, use canned crab meat, which works well in this dip. 
• If you want to make the dip even cheesier, stir in a few ounces of grated cheddar cheese. Cheddar and lobster go quite well together. 
• If you want to make this dip spicy, add some diced jalapeños to your aromatic mix. 

Making This Dip Ahead

You can absolutely make this dip a day or so in advance. Assemble it as directed, then store in the refrigerator and bake it right before serving. I wouldn’t make it any farther in advance, though, as the lobster loses its freshness quickly. 

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