Baked Crab Dip

This Baked Crab Dip with Shrimp features tender crab meat and succulent shrimp, perfectly seasoned with Old Bay and a hint of lemon. Ideal for parties and gatherings, it’s a crowd-pleaser that’s bursting with seafood flavor and cheesy goodness. Ready in just 30 minutes and no mayonnaise needed!

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😍 You Will Love This Baked Crab Dip

If you enjoy crab rangoon, you are going to LOVE this dip! It has all the same delicious flavors but is much easier to make. Skip the extra work of the deep-fried appetizer and opt for this simple, tasty snack that everyone will love!

If you love crabs, be sure to check out our Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Salmon or Jaiba Ceviche Recipe (Crab Salad)!

✅ You’ll Need

• Unsalted Butter: It helps to control the saltiness of the dish more precisely. Since Old Bay seasoning is already quite salty, using unsalted butter ensures that you don’t accidentally over-salt the dip.
• Cream Cheese: Ensure it’s at room temperature for easy mixing.
• Sour Cream: Should also be at room temperature for smooth blending.
• Lemon Juice: Use freshly squeezed for the best taste.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Adds depth to the dip.
• Old Bay Seasoning: It is a key ingredient here as it adds a distinctive, flavorful blend of spices that perfectly complements the crab meat. It enhances the dish’s overall taste and gives it a classic, authentic seafood flavor. Be cautious with additional salt, as this seasoning is already salty.
• Fresh Cracked Pepper: Adjust to taste.
• Lump or Jumbo Lump Crab Meat: Use high-quality crab meat and pick through for any shells.
• Green Onions: Finely chop and reserve some for garnish.
• Celery Sticks: Optional, but adds a nice crunch. Finely chop for best texture.
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: We prefer to buy a block of mozzarella cheese and shred it ourselves because it’s cheaper and melts better than pre-shredded cheese. You can also add some Parmesan or cheddar cheese for extra flavor.
• Medium Shrimp: Peel and devein. Use fresh or properly thawed frozen shrimp.
• Garlic: Mince the garlic finely or grate it using a microplane.
• Paprika: Measure carefully to avoid overpowering the shrimp.

🔪How to Make Baked Crab Dip

Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a shallow, 3-cup baking dish or ovenproof skillet with butter.

Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, and pepper using an electric mixer or food processor. Transfer to a bowl.

Gently stir in the crab, green onions and celery.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish, spread evenly, and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for about 22 minutes, until bubbling.

While the crab dip bakes, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook minced garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season shrimp with paprika and Old Bay, then add to skillet. Cook until pink, about 3-4 minutes.

Remove crab dip from oven and top with cooked shrimp.

Broil the dish for 1-2 minutes. Lightly dust with Old Bay, sprinkle with minced green onions, and serve hot with sliced cucumbers, crostini, and crackers.

Fresh Crab vs. Canned or Imitation

Fresh crab meat is best for this creamy baked crab dip. Look for fresh lump or picked crab meat at your seafood counter or grocery store. It’s more expensive, making it a special treat.

If you can’t find lump crab meat, you can use snow or king crab legs. Cook, crack, and remove the meat for the dip. It’s more work, but the flavor is worth it.

🗄️ Make Ahead, Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: Prepare this creamy dip up to 3 days in advance. Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.
• Storage: Keep leftover crab dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezing: Due to its creamy texture and seafood content, freezing is not recommended.
• Reheating: Reheat leftover dip in an oven-safe dish covered with foil at 300°F until warmed through.

👨‍🍳 Tips

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure that cream cheese and sour cream are at room temperature for easy blending and a smooth texture.
• Best Texture: Using a food processor will give you the smoothest texture. If you don’t have one, an electric mixer or stand mixer works too.
• Don’t Overcook Shrimp: Cook shrimp just until they turn pink, about 3-4 minutes. Overcooked shrimp can become tough and rubbery.

If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! I will be happy to hear from you!

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5 from 1 vote

Baked Crab Dip

By: chefjar

This Baked Crab Dip with Shrimp features tender crab meat and succulent shrimp, perfectly seasoned with Old Bay and a hint of lemon. Ideal for parties and gatherings, it’s a crowd-pleaser that’s bursting with seafood flavor and cheesy goodness.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 8

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ Unsalted butter, for greasing the baking dish
• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• ▢ 8 ounces sour cream, room temperature
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• ▢ Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• ▢ ½ pound lump or jumbo lump crab meat
• ▢ 4 green onions, trimmed, plus more for serving
• ▢ 1/3 cup finely chopped celery sticks, for extra crunch, optional
• ▢ 4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Shrimp Topping

• ▢ 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• ▢ 1 clove garlic, minced
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

Serving

• ▢ Crostini
• ▢ Ritz crackers

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a shallow, 3-cup baking dish or ovenproof skillet with butter.
• Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, and pepper. Use an electric mixer or a food processor to blend everything together. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
• Gently stir in the crab, green onions and celery.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
• Bake for about 22 minutes, or until bubbling.
• While the crab dip is baking, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season the the shrimp with paprika and Old Bay seasoning, and add to the skillet. Cook until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Don’t overcook!
• Remove the crab dip from the oven and top with the cooked shrimp.
• Return the dish to the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes.  Lightly dust with Old Bay, sprinkle with minced green onions, and serve hot with sliced cucumbers, crostini and crackers.

Notes

Make-Ahead: Prepare this creamy dip up to 3 days in advance. Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Storage: Keep leftover crab dip in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezing: Due to its creamy texture and seafood content, freezing is not recommended.

Reheating: Reheat leftover dip in an oven-safe dish covered with foil at 300°F until warmed through.

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 608mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 2g

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

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