The Best Hot Crab Dip
Creamy, cheesy and perfect for parties, this is the BEST Hot Crab Dip recipe around. So easy to make with just a few simple ingredients, a hint of heat and big meaty chunks of crab. Your cracker may just not be enough, you’ll need a shovel for this one.
Hot Crab Dip
My mom used to have a lot of parties when I was little….at least that’s what I remember. Tupperware, Home Interiors, Princess House…..AVON. Who remembers Avon? And those little lipstick samples.
Those tiny little tubes of glamorous heaven, at least to me. I loved to steal the samples and stash them away in my room, then try everything on and attempt to sneak out of the house looking as if I was getting ready to go clubbing. But I was going to school. Elementary school.
Not quite the right environment for DIY makeup experiments when you’re 10 years old. But other than the Avon samples, I always loved the little appetizers my mom would serve….like melty cheesy dips and chips. She used to serve a crab dip quite often and I loved when she served it hot.
That ooey gooey, cheese with hunks of crab perched on a cracker was almost better than those little tubes of lipstick.
What is Crab Dip?
Crab Dip, or Maryland Crab Dip, is a rich, creamy dip made with cream cheese and crab meat. Sometimes Old Bay is used for seasoning and shredded cheese for added flavor. It can be served baked or cold.
I never got my hands on the exact crab dip recipe since my mom is no longer friends with the shellfish….so I came up with my own and I have to say…it is the BEST Hot Crab Dip in the world. Creamy, cheesy and slightly spicy from a bit of Tabasco sauce.
Ok, maybe a lot of Tabasco but it pairs perfectly with the whole deal. I added a bit of Pepper Jack cheese to the mix to up the heat just a bit but don’t worry, it’s not fire in your mouth spicy.
It’s just lends a bit of pep to the dip that is a welcome addition when you pop it in your mouth….making it the BEST Crab Dip…if you didn’t get that by the title.
How To Make Crab Dip
This Baked Crab Dip couldn’t be simpler to make, you’ll mix everything up in a bowl then spread it in a baking dish. Pop it in the oven for 20 minutes until melty and bubbling then serve hot.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Stir in the pepper jack, cheddar, onion, garlic, worcestershire, Tabasco, lemon juice, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.
- Fold in the crab and transfer to a small baking dish.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
What is Jumbo Lump Crab Meat?
Jumbo Lump Crab Meat is like a gift from the heavens. It comes from the Blue Crab and consists of whole lumps of white meat from the body of the crab with no cartilage or shell. This is a premium quality crabmeat with a premium price tag because of the labor involved in obtaining the meat.
It’s the only thing I’ll use for my homemade crab cakes and this crab cake sandwich.
What can you replace the Jumbo Lump Crab with in this recipe?
It’s my recommendation to not replace the Jumbo Lump Crab in this recipe BUT if you’re trying to keep costs in check you can certainly use Backfin Crab meat in this recipe without compromising the flavor too much. Backfin crabmeat consists of some lump crab and broken pieces of body meat.
What are the other ingredients in Hot Crab Dip?
There are so many recipes out there for Hot Crab Dip but I like to keep it pretty simple to let the flavors of the crab and cheese really shine. This easy crab dip recipe contains:
- jumbo lump crabmeat
- sour cream
- cream cheese
- onion
- mayonnaise
- pepper jack cheese
- cheddar cheese
- garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- hot sauce
- lemon
- cream cheese
- Old Bay, optional (lots of readers say they add it with great results!)
It’s almost the exact same dip as this Cold Crab Dip….but it’s baked into a cheesy bowl of heaven.
We like to serve our crab dip with crispy crostini but you can use crackers or vegetables.
How To Make In Advance
- Simply assemble all the ingredients and mix together.
- Spread in the baking dish you plan to serve it in.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake the crab dip right before serving.
Looking for even more easy dip recipes? Try these party favorites:
- The VERY BEST Buffalo Chicken Dip.…I’m not even kidding.
- This Hot Asiago Artichoke Dip is simple and amazing.
- Super easy Chili Cheese Dip makes use of leftover chili!
- Completely from scratch White Queso Dip is sooooo good!
- Want something sweet? Try this Fluffernutter Dip!
- Super easy Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe!
- WE LOVE this Swiss Cheese Fondue….and it’s ready in minutes!
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Get the Recipe: Hot Crab Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounce cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce, or other hot sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound jumbo lump crab, picked over for shells
Equipment
- 1 baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Stir in the pepper jack, cheddar, onion, garlic, worcestershire, Tabasco, lemon juice, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.
- Fold in the crab and transfer to a small baking dish.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
- Serve hot with crackers, crostini or vegetables.
89 Comments on “The Best Hot Crab Dip”
Can you use premium crab claw meat?
Yes, you can but the texture may be a bit different.
Hi Kellie. Can I use lump canned crab meat?
Yes.
What about imitation crab meat shredded?
I haven’t tried it but would recommend against it. That’s just my opinion. You could use less expensive backfin or claw meat if you’d like.
I just made this using imitation crab meat and it was delicious! I didn’t shred the crab meat but just cut it up in large chunks. I used my kitchen aid mixer to mix everything up and where it says to fold in the crab meat, I just added it into my mixer and gave it a quick mix, just enough to break up the crab meat a little more and have it combined thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.
I brought this dish to a pot luck and it was totally devoured to rave reviews! Delicious!
Thank you Kellie!
I’m so glad you tried it with the imitation crab meat. I’ve been getting a lot of emails asking if that would work. I appreciate you leaving a comment with your experience!
Yummie! Sounds so good. I must try it. Can Old Bay Seasoning be substituted for salt?
You could definitely add some old bay! That would be so good!!
This is one of the best hot crab dips I have ever had…LOVE it!!
Thank you! I’m so glad you loved it!
I’m thinking of making this the night before & keeping it heated in a crock pot the day of?
I think that would work really well!
Can you make ahead and bake later
Yes! You could assemble up to 24 hours in advance, cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake.
This crab meat dip looks amazing!!
Thanks, Jocelyn!
Great photos and video!
Thank you so much!
This is so good! I halved it which made plenty as an appetizer for I would say 4-6 people. My husband requested hit crab dip after getting an incredible batch of it at an oceanfront restaurant, so I really wanted to match or top that recipe and I think this definitely nailed it! For the onions I did a mix of yellow and green onions minced, and then I added old bay and maybe 1/2 tbsp butter. Thank you for this recipe!!
Love that you added Old Bay! I’m definitely doing that the next time I make it.
We made this tonight as the appetizer for our annual seafood boil. It was perfect! Non left over. loved the spice to it. We live in New Mexico and might add green chili next year, just because. But it is perfect per the recipe. Very cheesy creamy and great crab flavor. Thanks for sharing, we will make this again.
Oh – it was gluten free! Our friend and my sone with celiac ate it with gluten free crackers and did great.
Love the addition of green chili….I’m definitely going to try that!
Can you use canned crab meat?
You can, but the crab flavor will be stronger. 🙂
Great pictures. Drooling. I’m adding this post to my Cheesy Holiday Appetizers Round Up over at http://www.hampersandhiccups.com I’ll be sure to link back to the post when it goes out!
Katelynn, hampersandhiccups.com
Thank you!
Mouth-watering pictures! A must try for sure. I linked here on my recent post over and Hampers & Hiccups. Find the link below.
https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/brie-apple-and-honey-crostini/
Katelynn, hampersandhiccups.com
Can I substitute queso fresco for the sharp cheddar?
Yes, that would work well!
How far ahead can you mix ingredients?
I usually do it the night before.
What size baking dish?
I used a small shallow baking dish, it was about 10 inches in diameter.
This is crack plain n simple my family freaks for this recipe, I can’t stop eating it or making it ……. sonofabitch this stuff is off the freaking charts !!!!!!! B
Ha ha ha!!! It totally is addicting.
Can you freeze half?
Yes! I have frozen it and then baked it after it thawed. Success!
This is sure to be a party favorite! Love that it can be prepped ahead and then tossed in the oven before party time!
My kids and I LOVE crab dip. Cannot wait to surprise them with this for our next game day!
Absolutely divine ! Being a Maryland native , I had to add Old Bay seasoning . When using this , do not add additional salt . I took this to a pot luck , and people went crazy ! I made new friends because of this dip !! Lol !
New friends are the best! I love your tip….Old Bay never hurts anything. 🙂
I live in Lafayette, Louisiana, Cajun Country, not far from Avery Island, home of the Tabasco plant. Rather than Old Bay I am going to sprinkle in a little Tony’s Seasoning for a Cajun, Creole twist. I will let y’all know how it turns out. Thank you Kellie for sharing your recipe and Merry Christmas to all!
That sounds so good! I don’t add Old Bay either but love the addition of Tony’s seasoning!
This dip is fantastic! I have made it a few times and we love it! I mix everything but the crab in my food processor and then fold in the crab. Fast and easy! Our family has the tradition of eating fun and fancy snacks on Christmas day so this is one of those things that can be made in advance! Something else I have been doing is putting dip like this in a large ramekin so to cook in smaller batches. This way if we need another dish it heats up quickly, if we do not need another dish, it is available for another day. I do not like keeping dip after heating and sitting out for a while. This recipe fills three large ramekins! Enjoy and thank you for this recipe!!! 🙂
Such a great tip! I’m so glad you love the recipe as much as we do!
Made this tonight and it’s AMAZING!!!! The only thing I added was a dash of old bay cause I like spice. My husband can’t stop eating it! Thanks so much for a great recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s my favorite dip ever. 🙂
Making this for our Super Bowl party. I’m so excited to try it! I LOVE blue crab and have only had a few that were to die for, but didn’t get the recipes. I’m hoping this is it. It sure does sound like it! I’m torn on whether to add old bay…if so, how much? And would this replace the tabasco sauce?
I’m sorry I’m just seeing this now….in April! Some people added about a tsp old bay and you can still add the tabasco!
Can shrimp be used instead?
You can! But then it’s shrimp dip. LOL!
Love it, have made it myself when I lived in the states. Have now moved back to Sweden and miss it and all the other fantastic food I learned to cook when I lived there!! It’s also good to roll it into lettuce, long slices of European cucumber or celery. And some people are a bit hesitant to the mayonnaise, that you can substitute. Just add an egg but then you should probably cook it after adding all the ingredients together.
I love the spices you added in yours!! ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing..
Thank you so much for commenting! Yes, the egg would definitely need to be cooked but that’s what makes this dip even better…the fact that it’s hot, melty and cheesy! Enjoy Sweden!
Oh my gosh! This was the best crab dip ever! I didn’t add the tobasco because my little ones would be eating it, too. It was perfect, and still had spice from the pepper jack. Thank you for sharing your wonderful creation!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for your comment!
Do you use aluminum foil to cover the dish before baking or not?
Nope! You can just bake without covering. The top will get golden brown and bubbly. Enjoy!
i DON’T HAVE ANY PEPPER JACK. WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD?
Monterey Jack will work or just more cheddar.
Ever thought of using brie? Would you just swap out the other cheese?
Yes! I have used brie but it doesn’t blend as well as the other cheeses. Certainly you can give it a try but I prefer the ingredients used in the recipe here.
Old bay is 100% needed about 2 teaspoons to start. Add more if needed.
Old Bay isn’t necessary at all and I never add it to this dip because that makes it Maryland style Crab Dip, which this is not. It’s a great add if you like the flavor of Old Bay but it’s definitely not a necessity.
I wonder it there was an error in this recipe in regard to the Tabasco sauce. I feel that one tablespoon is entirely too much. It ruined my dip, which was costly with crab meat at $50 per pound.
It’s not an error but I do mention in the notes that you may want to use less if you like less heat.
Made this yesterday great we love it we live in fl no bars or restaurants have it it was awesome
Thank you so much! I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Made this today. I subbed old bay for the salt as mentioned in the comments. I also sprinkled old bay on the top after it was finished cooking. Loved it!
Thank you for your comment! The old bay does make it taste more like Maryland crab. We love it both ways.
Holy crap this is amazing!!! I haven’t even baked it yet. I added some diced shrimp and lots of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. Might wanna just keep this at home and say I forgot it. Thank you for this recipe. It is a keeper for sure!!
Looooove that you added shrimp and creole seasoning!!! Good call! Thank you for your comment and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!
Could this be microwaved instead of baked?
You can microwave it but it is definitely better baked in the oven.
I would like to serve this in a bread bowl. If I do, do I bake it in the bread bowl for the same amount of time as in the serving dish?
I haven’t test it in a bread bowl so I can’t say for sure.
Made this for Christmas. Delish!!
It was devoured.
Thank you!
This dip is easy to make as I had all ingredients on hand!!! Tastes delicious and I will be making it again!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I love this recipe. I did change it a little. I am from New Orleans. I add some zatarain’s seasoning and finely chopped bell peppers.
Love those additions! Thanks for sharing!
Can the dip be frozen after it’s made?
I don’t recommend freezing it.
Do you think you could serve this over rice for a dinner entree?
It’s delicious
I’ve never tried it over rice but we’ve made it with pasta! So good!
can I use imitation crab?
Yes, you can but it is much better with real crab.