Easy Crab Dip Recipe
An easy-to-make hot crab dip filled with creamy cheese, cooked lump crab meat, and a perfect blend of spices. All baked to golden brown and served warm. Simple yet elegant enough for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: appetizer
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
- 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3–4 dashes hot sauce
- 16 ounce crab meat cooked and finely chopped (see notes)
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Pepper Jack cheese, Old Bay Seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire Sauce, lemon juice, and hot sauce until smooth. Stir in crab meat and green onions.
- Spoon the mixture into a baking dish and top with remaining cheddar and Pepper Jack. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the dish is bubbly and heated through.
Notes
- You can use fresh crab, canned lump crabmeat, or even frozen crab but preferably not imitation crab meat. I like to use fresh king crab, which I purchase from Costco’s seafood department, but everyone has their own personal preference when it comes to crab meat. Jumbo lump crabmeat would be my second choice for this dip, and it would make it an authentic Maryland crab dip.
- Watch how much salt you add to this recipe since crab meat is naturally salty.
- This recipe can be made up to 2 days in advance; however, do not bake it. Instead, store it well-covered in the fridge. Remove it 30 minutes prior to baking to bring it to room temperature. Then bake it up fresh for optimal taste and maximum enjoyment.
- I like to add a few dashes of hot sauce or a little cayenne pepper, but if you have a sensitive palate, reduce the amount or skip it all together.
- Serve warm with crostini, Ritz crackers, celery sticks, carrot sticks, pretzel crisps, cucumber slices, tortilla chips, or bagel chips.
- Store leftover crab dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- I do not recommend freezing this dip. Because of the high amount of dairy, the texture will change in the freezing and thawing process.
Keywords: hot crab dip, crab dip with cream cheese, baked crab dip, crab meat dip
Find it online: https://www.smalltownwoman.com/crab-dip/