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My hot crab dip is one of those recipes you have to try. It’s creamy, cheesy, and irresistible. Ready in about 30 minutes, it’s my go-to when I want something that feels fancy but takes zero effort.
A Reader’s Review
Made this for Christmas dinner today! This recipe turned out so great! And much more cost effective using the canned meat! Thank you!
Tried, Tested, Devoured
- I’ve tested this recipe to perfection. No watery dip, no overly salty flavor, just creamy, cheesy goodness that works every time.
- I use only high-quality ingredients. I always reach for real lump crab meat, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and freshly shredded cheese.
- I’ve thought through the details for you. From make-ahead directions to reheating tips, I’ve tested every step so it works every time!
Hot Crab Dip Ingredients
- Crab: Be sure to buy lump crab meat, and not imitation crab meat. Use high-quality lump crab meat, drain it well, and check for shells. Fresh crab gives the richest flavor.
- Cheese: Shred your own cheese for the smoothest melt; pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents. Try smoked Gouda or Gruyère instead of cheddar for a deeper flavor.
- Spice it Up! For a little kick, mix in 1–2 teaspoons hot sauce or ¼ teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes.
- Adjust the Salt: Crab can vary in saltiness, so taste before seasoning.
How to Make Hot Crab Dip
This couldn’t be any easier. Just throw everything into a bowl, stir, then bake. Hot crab dip is so good, but so easy it’s almost crazy. If you are looking for more incredible dips, try my 5 Minute Dip, Ranch Dip, or this easy Rotel Dip!
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F, and spray the inside of a 1- or 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then set aside. Combine the crab, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, cheddar, parmesan, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
- Bake: Spread the crab mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through and bubbling around the edges. Garnish with green onions or chives, and serve with a sliced baguette, tortilla chips, pita bread, vegetables, or crackers.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Small Crockpot Method: Use a 2-quart slow cooker on LOW for 1–2 hours, until hot and melted. Serve straight from the crockpot. Your dip will stay warm and melty for up to 2 hours.
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Hot Crab Dip
Equipment
- 1 1 or 2-quart baking dish
Ingredients
- 16 ounces high-quality, well-drained lump crab meat You can use fresh lump crab meat or canned
- 1 (8-ounce) package softened cream cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- salt to taste, after tasting the dip without it
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and spray the inside of a 1 to 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Combine 1 (8-ounce) package softened cream cheese, ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, ½ teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper in a medium bowl.
- Gently stir in 16 ounces high-quality, well-drained lump crab meat until fully combined.
- Spread the crab mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through and bubbling around the edges. Serve with a sliced baguette or tortilla chips.
Video
Notes
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.
- Reheating: Reheat in the microwave in 20-second increments or bake at 350°F for 5–10 minutes, until heated through. Do not freeze.
- Make Ahead: Prepare up to a day in advance by mixing the dip and adding it to a greased baking dish. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, add about 5 extra minutes to the baking time to account for the chilled dip.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Delicious Dips
If you love baked, warm, cozy dips, you have to try my Louisiana shrimp dip, Lobster Roll Dip, or my green chili dip next! Here are a few more baked favorites:
I have made crab dip for many years! Always use fresh crab, so lucky to live in the Pacific Northwest. This crab dip is my favorite! I’m so glad to have come across this recipe! Add more crab than called for, it all works!
Same as the other 100 recipes on this site
Is that scallion on top of the dip in the photo? Didn’t see it listed. Thanks for all the time and energy you put into the posted recipes.
Hi! I didn’t use scallion in this recipe. Although that sounds delicious to put on top!
Thanks so much for this great recipe! This was a major hit for my friend’s potluck!
Can you sub the Mayo? Want to use this for a birthday party and some of the guest don’t eat mayo
You can try using sour cream or greek yogurt instead!
Love this!!! we like a LOT of flavor. we use Tony Chachere’s, onion powder, McCormick’s Garlic herb and black pepper and sea salt, extra lemon, grated parm with the cheddar. also use quality lump crab meat, we used Publix. we also add a little cheddar and parm on the top until brown. so so GREAT!!! enjoy
Any tips on how to make this in the crockpot?
i work in commercial foodservice,and i use this recipe,multiplied the batch for this recipe times four,and added 2.5 lbs of NY creamy cheddar and 1.5lbs of provolone.I baked in the oven for an hour,and when i stirred it,the stretch and creaminess and cheese reminded me of macaroni and cheese…so i made a batch of vesuvio,and a batch of cavatappi…essentially lump crab mac &cheese..a little old bay,blackened redfish magic,a sprinkle of parmesan,and slivered scallions…voila!! Lump Crab Mac& Cheese..granted,im not a fan of mac and cheese,and i at a healthy portion forquality control..so this in my opinion,was a great recipe,and apparently my patrons at the bar i work in thought it google review worthy,so thats a win in my book!!!
Made this today exactly how the recipe stated and it came out perfect. For those of you saying it was “tasteless” make sure you grate your own cheddar (or cheese of choice) and don’t omit the garlic!! I used canned lump crab instead of the million dollar container type and you can’t even tell the difference…
I just made this dip, doubled the recipe and am so glad I did. It is delicious! I only had imitation crab meat this time, as lump crab is pricey right now, but it was still great. I also used Old Bay seasoning instead of normal salt, (deep south girl now living on the east coast…Old Bay is something we keep on hand ALWAYS) and added an extra splash of lemon juice, but everything else is cooked exactly as the recipe stated. Highly recommend this recipe!
I made this today (college football) and it was a big hit! Easy to make and extremely tasty; will definitely make this again!!
It’s the perfect appetizer or potluck dish for football season!
Hello, my sister shared with me a hot crab dip recipe that is a stripped-down version of this, lol, and she just love putting in the Worcestershire sauce … that’s her favorite part of it. But I might like to try this, too.
My question is … what would you think about my substituting soy sauce for Worcestershire sauce? Many thanks for any input.
That sounds delicious! Let me know how it turns out!
If you use Soy ,omit the salt.
We followed the recipe exactly and got a tasteless mix of meat and vegetables at the end… Definitely, something’s wrong with this recipe. We have been to Macedonia and the food there is great, nothing like this
This recipe is for hot crap dip with no vegetable listed. I think you commented on the wrong recipe
We love this recipe with a few changes. We use Old Bay (being from the east coast, crab and old bay go together like pb and j) instead of all the other spices and we top with a little more cheese. Sometimes we use a mixture of cheddar and guyere.
Was expecting it to be much better than it was. Needed more cheese and less crab in my opinion, but it was ok. I would also add red pepper flakes next time for a little kick.
How about cooking it in a sour dough bread bowel…. The guts of the bread save for dipping also…