This decadent, delicious appetizer comes together in just 10 minutes.
For me, nothing says summer like seafood! I grew up in a seaside town on the East Coast, where family dinners almost always consisted of chowing down on some kind of fish or shellfish. Now, living in a bustling city, I eat less seafood and see family less often, but recipes like this crab dip always give me the warm, nostalgic feeling of home. It also helps that it’s absolutely delicious!
This past New Year’s Eve, I was invited to a gathering with the instructions to bring some kind of seafood-related appetizer and immediately knew what to bring. This dip, packed with the rich, melt-in-your-mouth flavors of cheese and crab, was the perfect addition to our party spread. Seriously, if you ever have guests to entertain, this recipe is sure to impress everyone, no matter the time of year. Not only does this dish make a great cozy addition to a winter soirée, it also encapsulates the spirit of summer indulgence. You can channel dog days gone by like me, or make new memories you’ll cherish with your loved ones!
The crab is definitely the star of the show in this dip, but the supporting ingredients also help to make it an amazing appetizer. Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream give it its delectable creamy texture, while Old Bay seasoning, ground mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce provide an extra punch of flavor. Plus, it’s super easy to prepare and will be done in a short 35 minutes.
Is Crab Dip Healthy?
Crab dip can be relatively healthy, depending on the ingredients you use and how you prepare it. You can always make adjustments to suit your own personal dietary needs like using low-fat cream cheese or low-fat mayo, for example.
Other than that, there isn’t too much room to make changes to the dip itself, but you can always aim for more balance in terms of what you serve it with. Bread and crackers are always a classic choice, but this dip also tastes great with veggies like carrot or celery sticks. If you’re entertaining, I recommend serving your crab dip with veggies and bread or crackers, so guests can decide for themselves what to eat according to their own dietary needs.
What’s The Best Crab Meat For Crab Dip?
For this crab dip recipe, I recommend using high-quality lump crab meat to achieve optimal flavor and texture. Lump crab meat comes from the crab’s body, consisting of broken pieces from the jumbo meat muscles. Therefore, it usually comes in bigger chunks than claw meat, which helps to make the crab the star of the show in your dip. Claw meat can be cheaper, so if you’re looking to save a few dollars, a mix of claw meat and lump crab meat could also work for this dip recipe.
Whatever kind of crab meat you get, the fresher the better. In case your local grocery store doesn’t have fresh crab meat, try your local fish market. If you live somewhere that’s really landlocked and fresh crab meat isn’t available at all, be diligent in your selection of frozen meat, opting for something sourced as locally as possible. Lastly, avoid imitation crab at all costs for this recipe!
FAQs & Tips
You can do all the prep for this dip ahead of time. It’ll store in the fridge for up to 2 days unbaked, covered with tin foil or plastic wrap. In fact, if you’re bringing this dip to someone else’s home, it may be a good idea to bring it completely prepared and bake it in their oven, so that it’s perfectly warm when it’s time to serve. If you have leftover crab dip, it’ll keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can eat it cold, or reheat it by putting it in the oven again at 350°F for 10 minutes. It can also be reheated in the microwave for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Unfortunately, leftovers don’t keep very well in the freezer.
If you want perfectly creamy crab dip, make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature when you add it to the rest of the ingredients to prevent lumps. Also, be sure to mix everything BUT the crab together first, and fold the crab meat in at the end.
Fresh crab meat—and especially frozen crab meat—can contain extra moisture. Make sure whatever kind of crab meat you’re using is completely drained of moisture before adding it to your dip to prevent a runny crab dip. You can do so by putting the meat in a strainer and leaving it in the sink for about 10-15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend serving this recipe with a mix of veggies like carrots and celery sticks, as well as bread and crackers. If you want to try making your own bread or crackers, check out these Almond-Flour Crackers or homemade Pita Bread.
Serving guests that don’t like or are allergic to seafood? If that’s the case, or you want to offer a variety of different dips for entertaining, you (and your guests) will love this Buffalo Chicken Dip or this Keto Tzatziki Dip!
Crab Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 1/3 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons minced white onion
- 1 dash preferred hot sauce
- 1 pound fresh lump crab meat
- Chopped green onions for garnish
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
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Mix in mayonnaise, sour cream, 1 cup cheddar cheese, ground mustard, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, minced onion, and hot sauce. Beat until combined. Adjust seasoning as needed.
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Gently fold in the lump crab meat to keep lumps intact.
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Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese.
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Bake for 25 minutes or until the dip is hot and bubbly around the edges. Garnish with chopped green onions.
Nutrition
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