Best Hot Crab Dip (5-star recipe!) | Valerie's Kitchen (2024)

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This Cheesy Hot Crab Dip is the ultimate party snack! Lump crab meat is baked into this luxurious dip with cream cheese, sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese and few dashes of hot sauce.

Looking for more warm party dips? Artichoke Dip and Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Dip are excellent choices!

Best Hot Crab Dip (5-star recipe!) | Valerie's Kitchen (1)

Just as we are recovering from the food coma that is Christmas, it’s time to plan what we’ll be consuming as the ball drops on New Year’s Eve and when I think New Year’s Eve I think crab dip.

Table of contents

  • Best Hot Crab Dip Recipe
  • Ingredients for Hot Crab Dip
  • What is Lump Crab Meat
  • How to Make Hot Crab Dip
  • How to Serve Cheesy Hot Crab Dip
  • Tips and Variations
  • More Party Appetizers You’ll Love

Best Hot Crab Dip Recipe

This Hot Crab Dip is decadent, cheesy, but at the same time a bit elegant. It pairs perfectly with champagne, co*cktails, or whatever you happen to be imbibing at your celebration. For me that may be iced tea so I won’t fall to sleep before the countdown. Sad but true.

It’s exceptionally easy to make and can be made up to a day in advance.

Best Hot Crab Dip (5-star recipe!) | Valerie's Kitchen (2)

Ingredients for Hot Crab Dip

Best Hot Crab Dip (5-star recipe!) | Valerie's Kitchen (3)
  • Lump crab meat – My local store carries Chicken of the Sea Lump Crabmeat but there are many other brands available. If using canned crab meat, be sure to drain the cans well before adding them to the rest of the dip ingredients.
  • Cream cheese – You can use regular or Neufchatel less fat cream cheese for a lighter result.
  • Mayonnaise
  • Sour cream – Regular or light sour cream both work well.
  • Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • White onion
  • All-purpose seasoning salt – My favorite is Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Fresh lemon juice – A natural choice with any seafood dish.
  • Italian parsley
  • Tabasco sauce – Just a few shakes of hot sauce to add a little zip. You can alter the amount added to suit your taste or leave it out altogether if you’d like.
  • Freshly ground black pepper

What is Lump Crab Meat

Lump crab meat consists of chunks of jumbo lump and crab body meat and it is perfect for dips, crab cakes, and salads. Don’t confuse it with imitation crab products. Lump crab meat is the real deal, 100% real crab. And, you want the real deal for this dip.

Lump crab meat comes canned and you also may find it at the butcher counter in some grocery stores. The bonus to buying it canned is you can pick it while it’s on sale and stash it away until you need it.

Best Hot Crab Dip (5-star recipe!) | Valerie's Kitchen (4)

How to Make Hot Crab Dip

This recipe could not be any easier. It’s just a matter of combining all of the ingredients and transferring the mixture to a small baking dish. You can cover the dish and refrigerate it overnight or bake it right away.

Use a cheese grater to grate onion when you want to add onion flavor to a recipe without adding too much texture. A great choice when making dips, spreads, and meatballs.

Best Hot Crab Dip (5-star recipe!) | Valerie's Kitchen (5)

How to Serve Cheesy Hot Crab Dip

You can bake this dip in a small serving dish like I did here or in a small bread bowl withthe added bonus that the serving dish will be edible! Once most of the dip has been consumed you can tear off chunks of dip soaked bread and eat the whole gosh darn thing. Most grocery store bakery departments carry small bread bowls over the holidays.

I like to serve this dip with Ritz crackers but it is also delicious with sliced baguette or tortilla chips for dipping.

Tips and Variations

The “Hot” in the recipe title refers to the fact that this dip is served warm from the oven. Although it calls for a few shakes of hot sauce, it’s not a spicy dip. However, if you want to spice it up, feel free to add as much hot sauce as you’d like. You could even throw in a diced jalapeno for good measure.

I like to keep things on the mild side when serving a crowd but if you know your group likes it hot, go for it!

Best Hot Crab Dip (5-star recipe!) | Valerie's Kitchen (6)

I hope you add this one to your party menu this New Year’s Eve or tuck it away for Super Bowl Sunday. It’s just around the corner.

Enjoy and Happy New Year, friends!

More Party Appetizers You’ll Love

  • Shrimp Dip
  • Antipasto Skewers
  • French Onion Dip from Scratch
  • Buffalo Chicken Dip
  • Check out my entire collection of tasty appetizer recipes!

Best Hot Crab Dip (5-star recipe!) | Valerie's Kitchen (7)

Cheesy Hot Crab Dip

4.99 from 517 votes

This Cheesy Hot Crab Dip is the ultimate party snack! Lump crab meat is baked into this luxurious dip with cream cheese, sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese and few dashes of hot sauce.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Keyword: cheesy crab dip, crab dip, hot crab dip

Print RecipePin RecipeRate Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes minutes

Cook Time:30 minutes minutes

Total Time:40 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 8 ounce package cream cheese or Neufchatel (light cream cheese), softened
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup light or regular sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 tablespoon grated white onion
  • 12 ounces lump crab meat , from 2 6-ounce cans
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning salt, I use Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
  • a few shakes of Tabasco, to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • crackers, baguette slices, or tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

Oven Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Place cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a medium mixing bowl and stir until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and stir again until well combined. Transfer to a small baking dish and transfer to oven.

  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until browned and bubbly.

  • Serve with crackers, baguette slices, or tortilla chips.

Slow Cooker Instructions

  • Add the ingredients to a small (3- to 4-quart) slow cooker, stir to combine, and set it on LOW for 2 hours. It needs to cook until the cream cheese melts completely. Stir the dip and then let it cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

  • It should keep well for up to an hour on the KEEP WARM or LOW setting. Be sure to stir it occasionally to prevent it from burning or separating.

Video

Notes

If you want add some spice to this dip, add a diced jalapeno and/or increase the amount of hot sauce, as desired.

Make-Ahead Instructions:

Once you transfer the mixture to a serving dish, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and allow to sit out for 15 or 20 minutes before baking. You may need to increase the baking time a bit to compensate if the dip is very cold when going into the oven.

Nutrition

Calories: 213 kcal · Carbohydrates: 3 g · Protein: 11 g · Fat: 17 g · Saturated Fat: 6 g · Cholesterol: 47 mg · Sodium: 776 mg · Potassium: 168 mg · Sugar: 1 g · Vitamin A: 290 IU · Vitamin C: 5.4 mg · Calcium: 148 mg · Iron: 0.4 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.

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Best Hot Crab Dip (5-star recipe!) | Valerie's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Why is my crab dip runny? ›

If your crab dip is too runny it likely means you didn't drain the crab meat properly. Make sure to remove as much liquid as possible before adding it to the dip.

What pairs well with crab dip? ›

Serve warm, with slices of sourdough bread, crackers, tortilla chips or chopped cold veggies. Leftover crab dip will keep, stored covered in the fridge, for up to 5 days.

How long is crab dip good for in the fridge? ›

Leftover crab dip will keep, stored covered in the fridge, for up to 5 days. Rewarm in the microwave. To Make Ahead: Crab dip can be prepared 1- days ahead of time, stored covered in the fridge, then baked according to instructions.

Why does my crab dip taste fishy? ›

Unless your seafood is literally catch of the day, chances are it will taste and smell a bit fishy, thanks to a compound found in nearly all seafood called trimethylamine oxide, or TMAO.

What gives imitation crab its flavor? ›

What Is Imitation Crab? The key to that flavor is surimi, a seafood paste made from white fish, artificial and natural flavors, starch, sugar, and sodium. And the preferred white fish in this amalgam is Alaskan Pollock—the same variety most commonly utilized in frozen fish sticks and fast-food seafood sandwiches.

How do you thicken creamy dip? ›

For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.

What is imitation crab dip made of? ›

The main ingredient in this dip is surimi crab, otherwise known as imitation crab. It's typically made from dense white fish such as pollock, and shaped into the form of crab meat. It's mixed with mayonnaise, green onion, celery, and shredded cheese. That's it!

What can't eat with crab? ›

Another set of cold food groupings to avoid include having crab with tea or persimmon. Xie explained: “Crab meat is a very cold type of food in TCM theory, and persimmon fruit is also cold in nature. Most people should avoid eating this food combination, as it can be hard on the digestive system.”

What is the perfect match for crab? ›

  • Roasted Vegetables. Crab has a sweet, buttery taste, so it is important to choose a side that won't overshadow the light meat. ...
  • Creamy Potatoes.
  • Lemon Garlic Dipping Sauce. ...
  • French Fries. ...
  • Raw or Steamed Vegetables.
  • Flavored Dips and Sauces. ...
  • Fresh Artichokes.
  • Crisp Green Salad.
Sep 8, 2022

What is the best side dish for crab? ›

Crabs go nicely with vegetables, typically broccoli, asparagus, carrots, brussels sprouts, and corn. A well-balanced dinner combines crabs with raw, grilled, boiled, steamed, and roasted vegetables.

Why is my crab dip watery? ›

If your crab dip has turned out too thin and runny, it's because you didn't drain the crab well before adding it to the mixture. However, all is not lost! You can fix it by adding more cream cheese. Keep in mind that additional cream cheese will lessen the flavor of the crab, but at least you'll save your dip.

Is it safe to reheat crab dip? ›

TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days. TO REHEAT: Reheat dip in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave. This dip also tastes good at room temperature.

Can I eat crab dip if I left it out for a night? ›

In a word, no. Food starts to build up bacteria, and the toxins they produce, within 90-120 minutes when left out at room temperature. Toss it. You don't want to be a food poisoning victim.

What is crab sauce made of? ›

Saute shellfish in butter. Stir in tomato paste, dry white wine and evaporate liquid. Add white sauce, bring to a boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in cucumbers and chives and serve over ink pasta.

What are the ingredients in crab sticks? ›

The main ingredient of crab sticks is surimi – finely pulverised white fish – most commonly Alaska pollock. They also include fillers such as wheat and potato starch, and egg white, along with crab flavouring and food dyes to give them their crab-like red and white colour.

What is the ingredient list for imitation crab? ›

The main ingredient in imitation crab is surimi, which is typically mixed with water, starch, sugar, egg whites, vegetable oil, salt, and additives.

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