Get ready to experience the most mouthwatering fondue of your life. This copycat Red Lobster Ultimate Fondue recreates the restaurant’s beloved discontinued appetizer that had customers coming back for more. With its silky melted cheese, savory seasonings, and succulent lobster and shrimp served in a warm sourdough bread bowl, just one bite will transport you straight to Red Lobster’s dining room.
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What makes the Red Lobster Ultimate Seafood Fondue so good?
Served in a delicious sourdough bread bowl, the Ultimate Fondue from Red Lobster is the epitome of comfort food. The bread bowl itself presents nicely, and you can enjoy the dish with the bread pieces that you used to carve the bowl.
Dip the bread into the cheesy seafood fondue and savor the savory, satisfying flavor. The fondue features hints of cayenne pepper, paprika, and bell peppers, and the spices perfectly complement the cooked lobster and shrimp.
One of the secret ingredients in this delectable fondue is Campbell’s Cream of Shrimp soup, which makes it extra creamy and rich, and also helps to season the dish.
Why you’ll love this recipe
This recipe is simple and easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions that any home cook can understand. All you need are a few basic ingredients, such as milk, cheese, seasonings, and, of course, lobster and shrimp.
Other copycat recipes for this fondue might suggest using Velveeta cheese. However, I found that using a mix of both Swiss and American cheese produces the best result. It tastes identical to how the true Red Lobster fondue used to taste! And it has such a more authentic cheesy flavor that Velveeta can’t achieve here.
Ingredients
For the Fondue:
- Swiss cheese – Provides a nutty flavor and smooth melting properties
- American cheese – Creates a creamy texture and helps bind the mixture
- Campbell’s Cream of Shrimp soup – Adds seafood flavor and creamy base
- Milk – Thins the mix to a perfect dipping consistency
- Cayenne pepper – Brings subtle heat to complement the seafood
- Paprika – Adds mild smokiness and beautiful color
- Red bell pepper – Provides sweet crunch and vibrant color
- Cooked lobster meat – The star protein that makes this fondue special
- Cooked shrimp meat – Adds additional seafood flavor and texture
- Round loaf of sourdough bread – Serves as both bowl and dippers
- Green onions – Fresh garnish that adds color and mild onion flavor
How to make Red Lobster dip
- Cut the lobster and shrimp into small pieces.
- Combine all ingredients except seafood in a medium saucepan.
- Heat ingredients on low heat until melted, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the seafood after the cheese melts and heat through until the seafood is warm.
- Meanwhile, hull out the bread into a bowl, keeping the center.
- Cut the hulled-out portions of the bread into bite-sized pieces.
- Place the bread bowl on a plate and place the pieces of bread around it.
- Pour fondue into the hollow bread bowl and garnish with green onions.
- Serve with the bite-sized bread pieces. Enjoy!
Recipe variations
- Seafood: If you want to switch it up, consider using crab meat, shrimp, scallops, or other types of seafood! Any of these options taste phenomenal with the seasonings, peppers, and cream of shrimp soup.
- Bread Bowl: Any crusty bread bowl will do, such as sourdough, French, or Italian bread.
- Garnishes: You can use different garnishes for the fondue, such as chives, parsley, or other herbs, when serving it.
- Slow Cook: Use a crockpot or other slow cooker to make this recipe! The exact directions apply, except it will take at least 1-2 hours. Occasionally stir it and ensure that everything is thoroughly warm before enjoying it.
What to serve with Red Lobster Ultimate Fondue
Serve this with the bread from the center of the bread bowl. For a nice, crispy texture, toast the pieces in the oven for a few minutes. If you do not have a bread bowl, you can serve this in a fondue pot and dip bread into it, and it tastes equally spectacular.
You can also enjoy this lobster fondue with assorted crisp vegetables, such as carrot sticks, celery, broccoli, or cauliflower. Or, try it with crackers, pretzels, or chips.
What else can you serve with this?
This is a great hit at any party, and it pairs well with other dishes. Consider serving it alongside other favorites like Red Lobster Cajun Shrimp, Red Lobster Crispy Brussels Sprouts, or their delicious Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Please note that cheese-based fondues may separate slightly when refrigerated.
- Reheating Method: Reheat gently over low heat, whisking frequently. Add a splash of milk if needed to restore consistency. Never microwave, as this can cause separation.
- Freezing: Not recommended, as dairy-based fondues with cheese typically don’t freeze well.
Love Fondue? Check out these recipes!
- Bacon Cheddar Cheese Fondue
- Melting Pot Cheddar Cheese Fondue
- Melting Pot Chocolate Fondue
- Melting Pot Traditional Swiss Fondue
- Melting Pot Wisconsin Trio Fondue
- Wendy’s Fondue Fries
Favorite cheesy dips and appetizers
- Baked Goat Cheese
- Dried Beef Cheese Ball
- Hamburger Cheese Dip
- Jarlsberg Cheese Dip
- Smoked Cream Cheese
- Smoked Gouda Dip
Check out my easy appetizer recipes and the best copycat Red Lobster recipes on CopyKat!
Red Lobster Ultimate Fondue Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese hand-grated
- 8 ounces American cheese cubed
- 10.5 ounces Campbell’s Cream of Shrimp Condensed Soup (1 can)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 4 ounces cooked lobster or langostino meat
- 4 ounces small cooked shrimp
- 1 round bread bowl
- 1 1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- In a saucepan over low heat, combine the Swiss cheese, American cheese, cream of shrimp soup, milk, cayenne pepper, paprika, and red bell pepper, stirring occasionally until melted. Add the lobster and shrimp and stir. Heat through until the seafood is warm.
- Hull out a bread bowl. Reserve the hulled-out bread and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Place the bread bowl in the center of a plate surrounded by the bite-sized pieces of bread. Pour the fondue into the bread bowl and garnish with green onions.
This was one of my favorites at Red Lobster. I could have made a meal of this alone. Made this for my husband and I using sourdough bread, REALLY liked it!! We did decide that it needed some granulated garlic. That was the only thing missing. Will definitely be making again.
This would be amazing with their Cheddar Bay Biscuits!
You can never go wrong with a perfect recipe… Thank you for posting this perfect recipe.
What is the best bread to use for this recipe? Thank you!!
This was always 1 of my favorite dishes from Red Lobster and I love the way they served it in the hollowed out bread with the fondue inside and then the toasted bread slices on the side. I love getting these wonderful recipes from all my favorite places to eat and then trying them at home for my family and friends…
We had a Fondue party and this was one of the favorites that night.
You know that would go really well with the Fondue recipe from the melting pot!