Cheesy Hot Crab Dip

Name: Hot Crab Dip
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 8 oz Cream Cheese (Softened); 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise; 1/4 Cup Sour Cream; 1/2 Lemon freshly squeezed (Add more as needed.); 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce; 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder; 1/2 teaspoon Paprika; 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt; 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper; 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives Chopped (See Notes); 1/2 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Grated); 1/2 Cup Pepper Jack Cheese (Grated); 8 Oz Crab Meat See Notes (Can use up to a pound of meat. ); Add in your favorite hot sauce

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This Hot and Cheesy Crab Dip will elevate your appetizer game. Dive into a creamy mix of lump crab meat and gooey cheese that'll have you coming back for seconds (and thirds). Perfect for parties, game nights, or just when you're craving some serious indulgence. Grab a chip, scoop it up, and let the cheesy goodness take you to seafood heaven. It's easy to make, and impossible to resist!

A wooden board with baking dish and a hot crab dip with a bowl of sourdough bread and bell peppers.

Do you love crab? If you do, I'm sure you are just as obsessed with a fresh hot crab dip as I am!

This dip is really simple to make and is always a hit. Takes only a few minutes to mix together and bakes for about 20 minutes in the oven until hot and bubbly. It really is that simple.

Is a cold dip more your style? Be sure to check out this cold Dungeness crab dip.

Since you are a crab lover be sure to check out my other crab recipes such as a crab risotto, crab bisque, crab deviled eggs and all my other fresh Dungeness crab recipes.

Are you a dip fan? You may also enjoy this creamy baked clam dip or a smoked salmon spread.

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🧀Ingredients
🦀How to Make
🍽Ways to Serve
❓Recipe FAQs
🐟Other Seafood Recipes
📋Recipe

🧀Ingredients

Crab: This recipe calls for fresh crab meat, but a variety of options can also be used. Imitation and canned crab turn out great as well. Use what you have access to and enjoy!

If you are using fresh crab that you either caught yourself or purchased from a market or grocery store, learn how to cook, clean and process fresh crab.

This recipe calls for 8oz of fresh crab but you can use up to a pound. The amount used depends on how much of that delicious crab you want in each bite.

Cheese: This is a three cheese dip. The base is a cream cheese and then a combination of cheddar and pepper jack. The pepper jack adds a nice little kick to this dip.

If you prefer to use all cheddar that is perfectly fine as well.

Chives: Fresh Chives go really well with this crab dip. If you do not have fresh chives, dried chives or green onions work just as well.

Fresh Lemon Juice: This is a must. This dip can be really heavy with all the cheese, so adding a nice hint of fresh lemon juice really balances it out.

I use this handy lemon press to get the most juices out of the lemon.

See full information on ingredients and quantities in the recipe card.

🦀How to Make

This hot crab dip is really easy to make and only takes a few minutes to mix together.

💡Pro Tip: It's important that your cream cheese is soft. Remove from the refrigerator about an hour before you want to make the dip.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Four images of crab dip being prepreaed. Mixing the cream cheese, adding the herbs and cheeses, then the crab and being baked.

Step 2: In a medium sized bowl, whip the cream cheese with a hand mixer. The cream cheese must be smooth and creamy with no lumps. (Image 1).

Step 3: Add in the mayo, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, sea salt, chives and spices. Mix with the mixer until it's all combined. (Image 2).

Step 4: Mix in the cheeses.

Step 5: Next, gently fold in the crab with a spatula. This will give you large chucks of crab. If you use the hand mixer it will break it up into smaller pieces. (Image 3).

Step 6: In a small baking dish, spread the dip in an even layer.

Step 7: Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until it's hot and bubbly. (Image 4).