Whether it is New Years Day or game day, I break out this classic, easy crab dip recipe when it’s time to treat my favorite people and it never, ever fails. You can make and serve this recipe cold, or, in the chilly months (AKA fresh crab season here in the Pacific Northwest!),I love to serve hot crab dip, all bubbly and cheesy and ready for us to dip big hunks of crusty bread into. Just a few ingredients, like cream cheese and fresh lump crab meat, and you’re in appetizer heaven! For more creamy, warm dip recipes, try classic Spinach Artichoke Dip, or cozy hot corn dip, too.
Crab Dip Ingredients
- Crab meat: Look for fresh lump crab meat at the seafood counter of your grocery store. It’s usually sold in 1-pound tubs. If you really can’t find it, you can use canned crab (though our crab dip recipe is best with fresh crab meat).
- Cream cheese: Just two ingredients, and you’re almost done: Crab meat and cream cheese are the foundation of crab dip!
- Old Bay seasoning: Crab dip is sometimes called Maryland crab dip, because of its (likely) Chesapeake Bay origin. Therefore, you’ve got to include Old Bay seasoning, which is made in Baltimore! Buy it, or make homemade Old Bay seasoning.
- Mayo + sour cream: Creamy crab dip doesn’t just feel luxurious because of the crab (though that’s a big part of it). It’s got to be ultra-creamy, too, and so we double down on the creaminess factor by including mayo AND sour cream.
- Worcestershire sauce: Don’t worry, you don’t have to be able to pronounce it in order to cook with it. (For the record, it’s pronounced “wooster” sauce).
- Lemon: Use both the zest and juice.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves and granulated, too. Flavor, flavor, flavor!
- Fresh chives: For a little color and flavor.
- Hot sauce: Add hot sauce to taste, and if your taste is such that you want nothing to do with spicy crab dip, it’s fine to skip it! Or, if you’re like “give me all spicy crab dip!” then you may want to add more hot sauce.
- Cheese: I like to top hot crab dip with white cheddar, but if you only have yellow cheddar, it’ll work fine.
How To Make Crab Dip
Buy good crab. Crab meat is often expensive, but that’s part of what makes crab dip such a special appetizer to serve. People know that you’ve gone all out for them! We love to serve it at the holidays, when we want everything to feel a little sparkly — even the party snacks.
If you’re making hot crab dip, preheat the oven. If you’re option for cold crab dip, obviously don’t.
Combine the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, garlic, chives, Old Bay, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, lemon zest and juice, hot sauce, and cheeses. This can take some elbow grease, so you may opt to use your stand mixer. Or a sturdy spoon and big bowl work, too. Gently stir in the lump crab meat (don’t use a stand mixer for this part!)
If you’re going to serve it cold, you’re done!
If it’s hot crab dip you’re after, move the dip to an oven-safe dish (like a pie pan or cast iron skillet), top with cheese and bake until the dip is super bubbly.
How To Make It Ahead
One of the best things about this crab dip is how well it works for entertaining because it can be made ahead of time. You can prepare it up to 48 Hours Ahead. Mix crab dip ingredients together except for the final cheese topping. Cover the dip and store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours. When you’re ready to serve it, you can either serve it cold straight out of the fridge or top it with cheese and bake it.
Variations + Storage Tips
- Leftover crab dip will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge, but it is best fresh.
- Unfortunately, you cannot freeze crab dip.
- Make it spicy: Add diced jalapeños and extra hot sauce for heat.
- Make it even richer: Fold in crispy crumbled bacon.
- Use a different cheese: Gruyére, all mozzarella, all white cheddar, maybe a nice dusting of Parmesan. You can experiment a bit with different cheeses for the hot version of this crab dip, just be sure to use a cheese that melts well.
More Cozy, Warm Dip Recipes
When You Dip, We Dip!
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