This sizzling Crab Dip is the last word holiday-worthy appetizer that’s good for main holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New 12 months. It’s loaded with lump crab meat and tastes just like the filling for Crab Rangoon. It’s creamy, tacky, and irresistibly good. You’ll be able to even assemble it forward and bake it simply in time to your celebration or gathering.
We love creamy dips like Spinach Artichoke Dip and naturally our Sizzling Shrimp Dip. If you’re a fan of decadent mouthwatering dips, this Crab Dip Recipe is a must-try. Watch the video tutorial and see how simple it’s.

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The Greatest Sizzling Crab Dip Recipe
This creamy and tacky crab dip will steal the present at your vacation celebration. This crab dip recipe might be spendy when utilizing Recent King Crab meat, so preserve a watch out for gross sales on crab legs which utilizing occur simply earlier than the vacations.
Frankly, this crab dip is without doubt one of the finest methods to stretch king crab meat and serve a crowd with a few massive crab legs. I even have some scrumptious substitution choices if you would like a cheaper dish that can nonetheless impress everybody.
Crab Dip Recipe Video
Watch Natasha make this Sizzling Crab Dip. You’ll be shocked at how simple it’s to make this creamy dip. Make it to your subsequent celebration and everybody shall be so impressed.
Elements
The important thing to creating nice crab dip is to ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature. It will guarantee an excellent creamy base with out lumps. Discover actual measurements within the print-friendly recipe beneath.
- Cream Cheese, Bitter Cream and Mayo– Create a creamy, wealthy, and flavorful base for the dip. Use full fats (not lowered fats for the most effective outcomes).
- Mozzarella Cheese – creates an irresistible tacky dip once you put it contained in the dip and sprinkling extra on high creates an irresistible golden crust.
- Chives and Garlic – aromatics that add nice taste and aroma
- Lemon juice – cuts the richness and brightens the dip
- Sizzling Sauce – use your favourite sizzling sauce and add it to style.
- Previous Bay Seasoning – that is our go-to seasoning for seafood, however you’ll be able to substitute it (see Frequent questions part)
- Lump Crab Meat – contemporary is finest, particularly freshly cooked king crab legs (see substitution choices beneath). You’ll want 12-16 oz of crab meat for this recipe.

What’s the Greatest Crab Meat for Crab Dip?
We love king crab meat from cooked king crab legs. I bought it at Costco and was in a position to get 12 oz of meat from 1.6 lbs of shell-on crab legs. The crab on this dish is the star of the present, if you wish to substitute it with completely different seafood, see options beneath.
In the event you actually need to love this dip, keep away from any canned crab meat (each the tin jars on the shelf or the refrigerated lump crab meat selection). I’ve tried canned crab meat on this recipe a few completely different occasions, which incorporates lump crab meat bought within the refrigerated part of the grocery retailer, and each time it was barely fishy and never the most effective.

Professional Tip: To take away meat from king crab legs, begin by shaping the legs aside by breaking them on the knuckles then use sturdy kitchen shears to chop by means of the shells lengthwise. Pull the shells aside to disclose the meat.
Can I Substitute the Crab Meat?
There are cheaper choices for king crab meat on this recipe:
- Shrimp – Strive cooked shrimp meat as we utilized in our Shrimp Dip.
- Imitation Crab – this isn’t actual crab meat (therefore the title), however it’ll nonetheless prove a good crab dip. It’s additionally cheaper.
- Snow Crab Legs – snow crab meat will work right here, however it may be tough to pluck that a lot meat from the crab legs. Put on gloves otherwise you’ll find yourself with sore fingers.
Make Crab Dip
- Beat collectively – cream cheese, bitter cream, and mayo in a big mixing bowl till creamy.
- Stir in flavorings – add mozzarella cheese, chives, garlic, lemon juice, sizzling sauce, and outdated bay seasoning. Stir to mix.
- Add crab – fold in crab till mixed. Unfold the combination right into a 1.5 to 2 qt casserole dish (I used my 10.5×7.5) and sprinkle the highest with the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake at 400˚F for 25 minutes till sizzling and bubbly. Broil for the final minute for a golden brown cheese crust. Garnish with chives and serve with crackers, pita chips, or chips.

Frequent Questions
You’ll be able to substitute outdated bay with a easy seasoning mixture of 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and 1/8 tsp paprika. Watch out to not over-salt since crab meat is normally pretty salty.
This dip must be heated and served sizzling or heat. Since it’s dairy-based and perishable, it must be refrigerated after two hours at room temperature.
Crab meat mustn’t odor fishy. In case your crab smells unhealthy, you must return or discard it. If you’ll be able to odor your crab legs earlier than you buy them, they need to odor candy and never pungent. Don’t use crab meat that has a nasty odor.
We favor to rinse cooked crab legs in chilly water to assist eliminate the additional salt on the skin and on the uncovered meat.
A lot of the crab legs within the US are bought pre-cooked and there’s no have to re-cook it earlier than utilizing it within the dip, simply thaw if frozen. In the event you catch some contemporary raw crab legs, comply with our tutorial on learn how to cook dinner crab legs earlier than continuing with this recipe.

To Serve
We like to serve this heat whereas it’s gooey and tacky. We like to dip into this with:
- Crackers – Ritz or artisan crackers. I favor crackers that aren’t too salty because the dip already has a good quantity of salt.
- Tortilla chips – use your favourite corn or complete grain tortillas.
- Cucumber – contemporary slices of cucumber are an awesome gluten-free and contemporary possibility.
Make-Forward
Since this dip has dairy and seafood, to be protected, be sure it doesn’t sit out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours with out refrigeration. That mentioned, this dip does preserve and reheat effectively.
- To Refrigerate: So long as your crab could be very contemporary, you may make this 1 day forward then refrigerate and bake it simply earlier than serving.
- Leftovers: As soon as the dip has cooled to room temperature, cowl it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for as much as 2 days.
- Freezing: We don’t advocate freezing this dip since it’s dairy-based.
- To Reheat: Bake the uncovered casserole dish in a sizzling oven at 350˚F for about 12-Quarter-hour or till steamy sizzling, or warmth parts within the microwave in 30-second intervals till sizzling.

This sizzling Crab Dip Recipe is at all times a success at events. Any seafood lover will admire this. You’ll know who they’re when their eyes mild up understanding it’s King Crab Dip! You’ll positively discover me hovering over a superb crab dip. It’s an actual deal with and the most effective methods to deal with a crowd to crab meat.
Extra Appetizer Recipes
In the event you love this crab dip, then you definitely gained’t need to miss these part-favorite appetizer recipes:
Crab Dip Recipe (VIDEO)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook dinner Time: 25 minutes
Complete Time: 45 minutes

This sizzling Crab Dip is the last word holiday-worthy dip. This tastes just like the filling for Crab Rangoon. It’s creamy, tacky and irresistibly good. You’ll be able to even assemble it forward and bake simply in time to your celebration.
Talent Stage:
Simple
Value to Make:
$ varies by crab pricing
Key phrase:
crab dip, creamy crab dip, sizzling crab dip
Delicacies:
American
Course:
Appetizer
Energy: 306
Servings: 8 folks
-
8
oz
cream cheese, softened -
1/2
cup
bitter cream -
1/2
cup
actual mayonnaise -
1 1/2
cups
shredded mozzarella cheese, divided -
1/4
cup
chopped chives or inexperienced onion, divided, plus extra to garnish -
2
garlic cloves, pressed or grated -
1
Tbsp
lemon juice, from 1/2 lemon -
2
tsp
sizzling sauce, or added to style, we love Cholula -
1/2
tsp
Previous Bay seasoning -
12-16
oz
lump crab meat, *ideally contemporary meat from cooked king crab legs, patted dry with paper towels.
-
Preheat oven to 400˚F and butter a 1 1/2 to 2 quart casserole dish.
-
In a big bowl, mix cream cheese, bitter cream and mayonnaise. Use an electrical mixer to beat them collectively till easy.
-
Add 1 cup of the shredded cheese, chives, garlic, lemon juice, sizzling sauce, and outdated bay seasoning. Stir to mixed then fold in crab meat till mixed.
-
Unfold the combination into your ready casserole dish, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese and bake uncovered at 400˚F for 25 minutes or till sizzling, effervescent and browned in spots. If extra colour is desired on high, you’ll be able to broil for 1 minutes on the finish.
-
Garnish with remaining inexperienced onion and serve with tortilla chips, mini toasts, cucumber slices, pita chips or your favourite crackers.
Vitamin Info
Crab Dip Recipe (VIDEO)
Quantity Per Serving
Energy 306
Energy from Fats 225
% Each day Worth*
Fats 25g38%
Saturated Fats 11g69%
Trans Fats 0.03g
Polyunsaturated Fats 7g
Monounsaturated Fats 6g
Ldl cholesterol 71mg24%
Sodium 703mg31%
Potassium 186mg5%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 0.1g0%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 609IU12%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 238mg24%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* P.c Each day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight-reduction plan.