The BEST Hot Crab Dip
Hot & cheesy Hot Crab Dip is the ultimate party appetizer. Sweet crab meat, baked with cheese, lemon, and spices, makes a cheesy, bubbling hot dip for any gathering.
This Hot Crab Dip recipe is perfect for 2-4 people, and is easily doubled or tripled to feed a crowd! By using canned crab meat, it’s budget-friendly, but still tastes like a million bucks.
Serve this Hot Crab Dip with toasted crostini, sturdy crackers, tortilla chips, celery sticks or other crisp veggies, or even soft pretzels.
How long does Hot Crab Dip take to make?
It takes only minutes to mix the dip, and about 20 minutes total to bake and brown the cheese on top. If you’re toasting crostini, that takes 5-10 minutes to slice and toast the bread.
Let’s talk about the ingredients for Hot Crab Dip
Crab – For my budget-friendly version, I used canned crab meat. You can absolutely use fresh lump crab meat, if it’s available in your area, and within your budget.
Cream cheese – The cheesy base of the dip!
Sour cream – Smooths out the dip and adds a touch of tanginess.
Italian blend cheese – Usually a blend of mozzarella, parmesan, and other Italian cheeses, this shredded cheese mix gives that stretchy cheese-pull, plus the other cheese add to that delicious browning on the top of the dip.
Chives — Chives add a pop of colour and a mild, oniony flavour.
Lemon juice — Freshly-squeezed lemon juice adds a touch of acidity and brightness to this rich, cheesy dip.
Spices — I used the old stand-by spice for anything seafood — Old Bay. I also added some cayenne pepper for a little heat!
Crostini — I sliced mini baguette, brushed both sides with olive oil and garlic, and toasted under the broiler. It only takes a couple of minutes and it makes the PERFECT vehicle to get that crab dip straight to your face!
Can I Make Substitutions?
Canned crab – You can substitute fresh lump crab meat
The BEST Hot Crab Dip
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- parchment paper
- skillet oven-safe
- hand mixer
- bowl
Ingredients
- Small baguette cut into slices
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 can crab meat 170g or 6 oz
- 1 pkg cream cheese 250g or 8 oz
- ¼ cup sour cream
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend divided
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 Tablespoons chives finely chopped, divided
Other serving options
- Crackers, tortilla chips, vegetable crudité, soft pretzels
Instructions
Make Crostini
- Turn the oven on to Broil. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Brush baguette slices with olive oil, and then rub the bread with the sliced garlic. Repeat on the other side.
- Toast under the broiler for about a minute on each side. Remove and set aside.
Make the Hot Crab Dip
- Set oven temperature to 350°F.
- In a bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, Old Bay seasoning, cayenne pepper, the juice from ½ lemon using a hand mixer or sturdy spoon until well blended. Optional: if you used garlic for the crostini, you can mince any leftover garlic and add that as well.
- Gently mix in 1 tablespoon of the chives, ¼ cup of the shredded cheese, and the drained crab meat until blended.
- Add crab mixture into a cast iron skillet or small baking dish and smooth out. Sprinkle over the remaining ¼ cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Turn on the broiler, and broil until the cheese on top is melted, beginning to brown, and bubbly, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the remaining 1 Tablespoon of chives.
- Serve Hot Crab Dip with the toasted crostini or one of the options listed above.