Crab Dip

Awesome Cheesy Crab Dip

Learn how to make a delicious and easy crab dip that will surely be a hit at your next party or gathering. With simple ingredients and step-by-step instructions, this crowd-pleaser appetizer will become a staple in your recipe collection. This hot dip is always a favorite at our parties. Are you always in a hurry? Just prepare the uncooked dip a day in advance, remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking, and bake it up fresh for you and your friends or family to enjoy!

Crab Dip Ingredients

• Cream cheese – full-fat
• Mayonnaise – I like Duke’s
• Sour cream – full-fat
• Cheese – cheddar cheese and Pepper Jack cheese
• Seasonings – Old Bay Seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Lemon juice – fresh is best
• Hot sauce – like Frank’s
• Crab meat – You can use any cooked crab, such as 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 preference for crab meat. Jumbo lump crabmeat would be my second choice for this dip, making it an authentic Maryland crab dip.   
• Green onions

How to Make Hot Crab Dip

I like to use freshly cooked king crab, but any lump crab meat will work. Ensure it is chopped fairly fine so there is a bit of crab in every bite. In a medium bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, half of the cheddar cheese, half of the Pepper Jack cheese, Old Bay Seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire Sauce, lemon juice, and a few dashes of hot sauce until smooth. Next, fold in the crab meat and green onions.

Spoon the mixture into a baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar and Pepper Jack. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and the dish heats through. Serve promptly with crostini, crackers, pretzel crisps, or assorted vegetables.

Recipe Tips

• You can make this recipe up to 2 days in advance; do not bake it. Instead, store it well-covered in the fridge. Remove it 30 minutes before baking to bring it to room temperature. Then, bake it fresh for optimal taste and maximum enjoyment.
• I like adding a few dashes of hot sauce or a little cayenne pepper, but if you have a sensitive palate, reduce or skip it altogether.
• Serve warm with crostini, Ritz crackers, celery sticks, carrot sticks, pretzel crisps, cucumber slices, tortilla chips, or bagel chips.

Recipe Variations

• Crab and Artichoke Dip: Add a 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts packed in water, drained, and chopped.
• Cold Crab Dip: Omit the cheese, chill, and serve cold. It’s just as delicious, albeit a little different.
• Crab Rangoon Dip: Omit the Old Bay seasoning,  pepper jack cheese, and hot sauce. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and serve with crispy homemade baked wonton chips.
• Hot Shrimp Dip: Substitute cooked chopped shrimp for the crab meat and add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Storage and Reheat

Store leftover crab dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave at reduced power.

I do not recommend freezing this dip. Because of the high amount of dairy, the texture will change in the freezing and thawing process. 

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