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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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4.96 from 1712 votes

Crab Dip

Author: Lauren Allen
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.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 6

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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: 304kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 95mg, Sodium: 1156mg, Potassium: 269mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 769IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 229mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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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.

4.96 from 1712 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
2 years 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
3 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.

Hannah
2 years ago

2 stars
Made this last night and it just tastes like cream cheese. All the other flavours including the crab get lost as the cream cheese is so overpowering. Waste of crab meat 🙁

Dan Phillips
2 years ago

5 stars
I whipped up this recipe for the first time on Thanksgiving Day. It was a hit with the entire family. The problem is I ate so much there was no room for the ham and all the fixin dinner afterwards. I think next time I might scale it back to 1/2.

Roger
2 years ago
Reply to  Dan Phillips

1 star
Skip the mayonnaise and go with extra cream cheese or sour cream if you’re having this warm. Also, if going all out for crab, might as well spring for some gruyere rather than cheddar.

Julia
2 years ago

5 stars
This was delicious. I did not add any additional salt since I used canned lump crab (and I rinsed that before adding). I think the salt depends on what kind of crab you’re using. Taste before adding. I didn’t find this too garlicky at all by the way.

John Gates
2 years ago

Màde this recipe for the first time.
I have some to my friends to try he is a chef ..Loved it ..Making it again for the holidays .. Used to by various Seafood Dips from Swiss Colony but ya have to put a 2nd mortgage on the house to pay for there shipping..Then I also read artificial ingredients ..Had seen enough ..Going to find a recipe that used Lobster in the Dip next. Thanks again !

Karl S
2 years ago

With the use of Old Bay and Worcestershire, make sure you use Atlantic Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) and not Swimmer Crab. Most crab meat I find is swimmer crab and the flavor difference is worth the search. I would also suggest making half the meat Claw as it adds a sweetness.

Sheila
2 years ago

I just made this for a party tonight! Could I microwave it instead of baking it before serving?

rmduggins@yahoo.com
2 years ago

5 stars
I made this crab dip (as written) to take with us on a camping trip in our RV. We were meeting friends sharing dinners and boat rides. I made it the day before and wrapped it up. It was perfect, I served it with tortilla chips and wheat thins. It was easy to heat up in the microwave and serve for quick snacks. I read other people’s comments and was afraid to add salt but in the end I did and was happy about my decision. It was delicious and we all enjoyed it thoroughly. Thank you for sharing this dip recipe as I will be making it again.

Cindy
2 years ago

5 stars
Excellent taste and easy to make

Craig
2 years ago

5 stars
Great recipe. Came out “light” and delicious! Can’t wait to make it again. I substituted garlic powder for fresh garlic as I didn’t have any on hand and just adjusted seasoning to taste prior to baking. Thanks for sharing!

Corinn
2 years ago

5 stars
I’ve made this for several parties and always get asked for the recipe by friends and family. It’s definitely a hit!

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