This easy Crab Dip recipe is meant to impress, made with fresh lump crab meat in a creamy dip that can be served hot or cold. It's the perfect appetizer or side dish for parties, game-day or holidays.

Hot crab dip baked in a round baking dish with cheese on top, and bread slices on the side for dipping.

I'll take advantage of any opportunity to make crab for my family, including Baked Crab Legs, incredible Crabs Cakes, or this easy and delicious Crab dip. For a similar recipe, check out my clam dip.

The ingredients are so simple, hopefully the only thing you need to grab from the store is fresh lump crab meat.

Individual bowls with the ingredients needed to make Crab Dip, labeled.

How to make Crab Dip:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Stir in mayo, sour cream, garlic, green onion, Old Bay seasoning, salt, Worcestershire, and lemon juice.
  2. Stir in ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese and hot sauce and mix until smooth.
  3. Stir in crab meat.
  4. Spread into a 9″ pie dish or similar size baking pan and sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly.
Four process photos for making Crab Dip.

Serve warm, with slices of sourdough bread, crackers, tortilla chips or chopped cold veggies.

Variations:

Cold Crab Dip: prepare dip as instructed, but don't bake (serve it cold).

Crockpot Crab Dip: Add dip to the slow cooker and cook on low for 1-2 hours, until heated through.

Crab Dip in a Bread Bowl: For an extra fun appetizer, bake the crab dip right inside a bread bowl (homemade or a large round store-bought loaf). Hollow out the bread, leaving about an inch around the inside edges. Fill with crab dip and bake as directed in recipe. Save the removed bread pieces for dipping.

Fresh Crab Meat substitution: Since the crab is the star of the show here, I only recommend using fresh jumbo lump crab meat. You can use canned crab meat if really necessary.

Make Ahead and Storing Instructions:

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.

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Recipe

Hot crab dip baked in a round baking dish with cheese on top, and bread slices on the side for dipping.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 35 minutes
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Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounce package cream cheese , room temperature
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • ¼ cup chopped green onion
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt*
  • 1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ of a lemon , juiced
  • 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese , divided
  • ½ teaspoon hot sauce , or more, to taste
  • 1 pound fresh jumbo lump crab meat

Dipping ideas:

  • sourdough bread
  • crackers
  • tortilla chips
  • chopped cold veggies

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Stir in mayo, sour cream, garlic, green onion, Old Bay seasoning, salt, Worcestershire, and lemon juice.
  • Add ¾ cup cheddar cheese and hot sauce and mix until smooth. Stir in crab meat.
  • Spread into a 9″ pie dish or similar size baking pan and sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly.
  • 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 3 days. Rewarm in the microwave.

Notes

Crab: Fresh lump crab meat is best for this recipe since it's broken pieces of jumbo lump crab meat. You can find it at the grocery store in a container on ice, in the fresh/refrigerated seafood section. Costco has the best price I've found. Since the crab is the star of the show here, I only recommend using fresh jumbo lump crab meat. You can use canned crab meat if absolutely necessary.
Salt: Taste a little of the crab. If it tastes salty, you can omit the added salt.
Make Ahead Instructions: Crab dip can be prepared 1- days ahead of time, stored covered in the fridge, then baked according to instructions.
Variations:
  • Cold Crab Dip: prepare dip as instructed, but don't bake (serve it cold).
  • Crockpot Crab Dip: Add dip to the slow cooker and cook on low for 1-2 hours, until heated through.
  • Crab Dip in a Bread Bowl: For an extra fun appetizer, bake the crab dip right inside a bread bowl (homemade or a large round store-bought loaf). Hollow out the bread, leaving about an inch around the inside edges. Fill with crab dip and bake as directed in recipe. Save the removed bread pieces for dipping.

Nutrition

Calories: 304kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 22gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 1156mgPotassium: 269mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 769IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 229mgIron: 1mg

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

4.2 24 votes
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4.97 from 1704 votes (1,635 ratings without comment)
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Karen Parker
1 year ago

5 stars
We live in Maryland and tried more crab dips than we can count. This is our fav!

Debbie
1 year ago

Love the crab dip! It’s a keeper!

Duane
2 years ago

5 stars
Best crab dip I have ever made. Excellent recipe.

rocky_local502@hotmail.com
2 years ago

5 stars
This crab dip was a huge hit with my family. The recipe easily made enough for a sitting plus a couple more however it was so well received, it was demolished in one. 2 huge thumbs up.
Thank you so much.

Shauna
3 years ago

5 stars
Awesome! Everyone loved it. I didn’t add hot sauce or worchestershire sauce .

Judy Minaudo
3 years ago

5 stars
This was a huge hit at my cocktail party last night, eating some cold leftovers right now and it’s even better today!

Amanda
3 years ago

5 stars
The ingredient list calls for jumbo lump crab meat but the notes say lump crab meat is best. It matters because jumbo lump is more expensive and that’s what I bought based on the ingredient list. 5 star recipe but please be more clear!

Ashley
3 years ago

1 star
Terrible! No one could eat it. It was okay cold but it was so fishy when heated. Got crab from Whole Foods so quality was good.

Raynetta
3 years ago

5 stars
I’ve made this countless times & it a great for any occasion. You can always modify it & make it to your liking, but this is my favorite recipe of all time.

Susan
4 years ago

5 stars
This was delicious. Will make again. I added a diced, seeded jalapeño pepper and made with half cheddar & half gruyere cheeses. I imagine one could substitute plain Greek yogurt for the mayo & sour cream to lighten the calories but made per the recipe, it was very satisfying spread on a home made sourdough bagette accompanied by a green salad & a bottle of white pinot gris. Enjoy!

Julie P
4 years ago

Can you use claw meat instead of lump meat?

Alexis
4 years ago

5 stars
This was absolutely delicious, didn’t last very long in my house lol. I will be making it again this weekend in a bread bowl. I also got some bagel chips since we couldn’t find any Bruschettini. Tortilla chips were also good with it. Thanks for the recipe!

Kim
4 years ago

5 stars
This recipe rocks! Always requested for any gathering.

janet
4 years ago

Just wondered if I could sub shrimp for the crab? Thanks!

rocky_local502@hotmail.com
2 years ago
Reply to  janet

I tried it with 1/2 crab and 1/2 shrimp meat. Worked very well. 👍

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