This cheesy, melty hot crab dip requires less than 10 minutes of hands-on prep and is a crowd pleaser every time. It’s simple, but oh so good!
In This Post
Hot Crab Dip Appetizer
Sometimes you just can’t escape the cravings for classic appetizer recipes laced with memories of family get togethers and thoughts of good and hearty party food. Wintery hot dips made with low-brow ingredients that carry an upscale reputation—think lumps of sweet crab and melty Swiss cheese—certainly fall into the favorite party dips category.
Mayonnaise mixed with the cream cheese makes this baked crab dip creamy with Swiss cheese adding the melty, cheese-pull everyone looks for in a hot cheese dip. The toasty topping comes in crisped with panko bread crumbs, adding some texture to each bite.
What’s in This Hot Crab Dip?
Baked crab dip is as simple as mixing everything together with some sautéed shallots and garlic, sprinkling with bread crumbs, and baking until golden brown. Here’s what I use to make this hot crab dip:
- Lump crab meat—choose a great quality canned from the seafood department or from leftover crab legs
- Butter
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Cream cheese
- Lemon juice
- Green onions
- Worcestershire sauce
- Hot sauce
- Old Bay seasoning
- Mayonnaise
- Swiss cheese or other mild, melty white cheese such as provolone
- Panko bread crumbs
- Fresh parsley
How to Make Crab Dip
Use high-quality crab meat. Skip the tins of crab found in the tuna fish aisle and use either quality tinned or crab leg meat from the seafood counter. Planning using on leftover crab for this dip is the perfect excuse to cook crab legs for dinner the night before.
For the best flavor and texture, buy a block of Swiss cheese and shred it yourself. Bagged cheeses can contain cornstarch or something similar to prevent the shredded cheese from forming clumps. This can make your crab dip grainy.
Buy the type of cream cheese that comes in bricks and not the whipped stuff in a tub. Brick-style cream cheese is thicker and makes for a heartier dip.
The Best Baking Dish for Crab Dip
Bake this crab dip in a shallow dish. Spreading the dip in a shallow layer means more dippable area for the toasted panko crumbs to cover. I use a 9-inch round dish or a pie dish works too.
Can I Make Crab Dip in a Slow Cooker?
I’m sure you could, although I’ve never tried it myself. If you made this hot crab dip in a slow cooker, I’d imagine you’d want to omit the breadcrumbs since they wouldn’t crisp up in the slow cooker.
How to Serve Hot Crab Dip
Serve this crab meat dip with baguette slices, bagel chips, pita chips, or your favorite cracker.
More Cheesy Dips to Try
- Cheesy Texas Trash Dip
- Bacon Beer Cheese Dip
- Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip
- Chorizo Queso Dip
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Hot Crab Dip
Ingredients
- 12 ounces lump crabmeat , about 2 ½ cups
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup minced shallots , from 2 medium shallots
- 2 cloves garlic , pressed or minced
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese , at room temperature
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ lemon , juiced
- 4 green onions , chopped
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay® seasoning
- 6 ounces shredded Swiss cheese , about 2 cups
- 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Drain the crabmeat if necessary and pick through for any shells or cartilage. Set aside.
- In a small sauté pan, melt the butter with the shallots and garlic and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until shallots are softened. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer or a fork to blend the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and lemon juice until smooth. Mix in the shallot mixture, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and Old Bay. Fold in Swiss cheese and lump crab meat. Spread evenly in a shallow 10-inch baking dish and spinkle with panko bread crumbs.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Serve hot with baguette slices, bagel crisps, or crackers.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Appetizers to Master
- Shrimp Cocktail
- Slow Cooker Sriracha Meatballs
- Garlic Butter Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
- Stuffed Jalapeños with Gorgonzola and Bacon
- Cheesy Sausage Pizza Bread
- Slow Cooker Little Smokies
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julie
Oh my goodness! Great post. I just had to comment when I saw the stump cooler. We have a stump cooler. It was a gift. I cannot tell you how many camping trips we have taken said stump cooler on … or how many times I have tripped over the damn stump cooler in the dark. It’s just like a real tree stump (when full of beer) and I swear it gets moved around on purpose just to trip me up.
heidi
Julie, that is the funniest comment I’ve seen this week. It must be the camping trolls who are you to get you and want your stump!
Kristina
I already have the tab open to move to Feedly. I am dragging my feet. I need to get on this and not be scrambling in July…
this dip. THIS DIP. looks so so very good!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
Drooling over your crab dip! Thanks for the Feedly recommendation – I’ll have to check it out!
Brian @ A Thought For Food
And where are my manners!?!??!?! Thanks for sharing!!! Mwah!
Brian @ A Thought For Food
My suggestion… wait until after St. Patrick’s Day to clean the toilet. Well, actually, I take that back. Who wants their head in a dirty toilet? Gross. ;-)
Oh… and hello crab dip! Come to daddy!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl
What a beautiful and happy list!!!
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel
Your dog is stylin’ ;) And glad to hear some more happy pitches for feedly. I’ll likely end up going that route.
carrian
So, feedly? Shoot, I better look into it.
Jenna
Oh that crab dip!! Sounds amazing! Glad im not the inly one to see JT back! Meow!
Bev @ Bev Cooks
AH KNOW. Bout had a meltdown at the reader thing.
I guess crab dip will help ease the pain.
Maria
I’ve never used Google Reader, too much pressure to keep up, but I am sad for our readers. I gotta figure something else out! Have a fun weekend! I can send Josh over to do those toilets:)
heidi
How do you keep up with your blogs that you love? Bookmarks? Tell Josh I’ll give him a cookie in trade for toilets.
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
Also so sad about Reader, what a pain!!
Nancy in NJ
How cool — I live in Princeton NJ where Agricola just opened this week. Haven’t had a chance to try it out yet but will very soon.
Also, the link to your Amazon store doesn’t work – at least not for me.
heidi
Oh, you’ll have to let me know what you think of the Agricola! How cool you live there. And the store link is fixed, thanks for the heads up!
Cassie | Bake Your Day
I am loving Feedly already and I’m not sure why I never switched. GR was waaaaay behind the times.
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
Love the recipe and the puppy is so cite dressed up!! As for Google Reader??? I don’t know what to do yet!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
Ugh Google Reader… yeah, I still need to figure out who I’m going to go with now! On another note, which Pinterest plugin do you use? Is it the Pinterest Pin It Button For Images by Canha? I had that one but only just realized that rather than bringing up the pin window when clicked, it only just goes to the image attachment page (so really, the Pin It button that was appearing over each image wasn’t doing anything!) I’m wondering if it’s just not compatible with my theme, or if it’s just not a great plugin to begin with! Any ideas? Thanks Heidi!
heidi
Hi Angela, I use Pinterest Pin It Button For Images, I think by Canha? There are preferences you can customize, perhaps that’s the problem? If you can’t figure it out, contact erin at woodenspoonskitchen dot com and she can help you out. She’s customizing mine if I ever get her the files :)
Nur Ain
Nice post! Yeah, I think Bloglovin’ and Feedly are not my taste. Google Reader is way more systematic and easier. Agree with Averie,why did Google Reader have to be closed
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Because of the whole drama with Reader, I tried out Feedly and I don’t love it. I paid a whopping 4.99 for Reeder, a Mac app, and just signed up for it today, and so far, LOVE It! Way slicker than Feedly IMO. But yea, why couldnt Reader just stay around!
heidi
Very cool tip Averie. I’ll check that one out too. I’m a sucker for apps.
Carolyn
Can the hot crab bake be baked earlier then microwave to heat it
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I prefer it fresh but you definitely could!