Crab Dip

The Best Crab Dip

This Crab Dip is great to serve at home, parties or barbecues and it can easily be made, in advance, and kept refrigerated until needed. One of the best things about this dip is that it can be served hot or cold and either way is absolutely delicious. I show you how to prepare both and there’s only a few ingredients so, don’t worry about breaking the bank with grocery shopping.

Crab Meat for Crab Dip

For this Crab Dip recipe, I’m using real crab meat and I get it from a refrigerated can. If you want to save money, this is one way to do it. I bought this 16 oz. can for $13 bucks, which may sound expensive but consider the alternative. A pound of Crab legs is going to cost more for practically half the meat weight because of the shells. This can is solid meat. Savings can be taken a step further, however, if you’re willing to use imitation crab but, in all honesty, it won’t even be close to the same recipe and it absolutely won’t taste the same. If that’s all you have available, though, just make my Seafood and Crab recipe, instead. It’s really good and it’s great served as a dip with crackers.

Hot Baked Crab Dip with Parmesan and a sliced toasted French Baguette.

Cold or Hot Baked Crab Dip

To serve this Crab Dip cold, all you half to do is mix the ingredients and serve. Marinating the ingredients in your refrigerator for a half an hour or over night will improve the flavor but it isn’t necessary. Plus the ingredients are already cold so, it’s really something you can just play by ear.

For a hot baked dip, I just top it off, in an oven safe baking dish, with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and bake in the oven until it’s warm. If I’m serving the dip with a sliced baguette, I usually just toasted the pieces along with the baking of the dip.

If you you’re looking for other dip recipes, check out my Clam Dip, Broccoli and Cheese Dip, Spinach and Artichoke Dip and my Jalapeno Popper Dip recipes. FYI, if you drop the sour cream out of this Crab Dip recipe and add a package of wonton wrappers, it makes an excellent filling for fried Crab Rangoon’s.

Crab Dip video tutorial by poormansgourmet.

Crab Dip Ingredients:

1 8oz pkg Cream Cheese
1/4 cup Sour Cream
8 oz Crab Meat, canned claw
1 Jalapeno, diced
1 Green Onion, diced
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tsp Sugar
1 pinch of Salt
1 pinch Blackened Seasoning
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Be sure to follow the instructions in the Crab Dip video tutorial and I’ll show exactly how to make it. This dish can be served cold immediately or marinated in the refrigerator for more flavor. If you’d like to serve this recipe warm, bake it in the oven at 350° Fahrenheit for 8 minutes, then serve.

Fried Crab – Jonah, Dungeness or Blue Crabs

The Best Fried Crab

Fried Crab can be found all over the world. Traditionally, it’s usually soft shell crab, like blue crabs, that are fried but the truth is, you can fry just about anything. Most of my experience with Fried Crabs have been at buffets and Cajun restaurants in the south. It’s real popular to put the majority of the breading over the meat from the body of the crab. I think mostly because the meat is already exposed, once the cavity shell has been removed, and you just sink your teeth right in and get a bight.

Jonah Fried Crab Recipe

Normally, for this Fried Crab recipe, I would use soft shell crabs but they aren’t available to me right now, unfortunately. I did find some Jonah crabs, however, which are the East coasts answer to the West’s Dungeness Crab. They’re typically a little bit smaller than the Dungeness and therefore a little cheaper as well. I picked up these two bad boys for just under $7 bucks. So you really can’t go wrong picking up a half dozen or so for frying.

Also, if you’re interested, be sure to check out a few relatable recipes I think you’ll enjoy. My King Crab Legs tutorial is phenomenal because I teach you how to peal the legs so quickly that your mouth never stops chewing between bites. My Stuffed Lobster recipe is one of the most amazing dish’s you’ll ever lay your eyes on; also incredible. And my Thai Red Curry Shrimp Recipe is easy and it’s to die for.

Fried Crab Ingredients:

6 to 8 Whole Crabs
1 stick Melted Butter
1 Garlic Clove, chopped

Egg Wash
1 egg
2 tbs milk
2 tbs Hot Sauce

Dry Mix
1/2 cup Plain Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Potato or Corn Starch
1 1/2 tsp Crab Boil Seasoning

Oil for frying

Cook at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for only 2 to 3 minutes and enjoy your Fried Crab.

Lobster Tail with Claws

Lobster Tail with Claws Ingredients:

1 Lobster Tail, thawed
2 Claws
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Paprika, a few shakes
1 tbsp Butter, softened
1 sprig Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced or chopped
1/4 cup Hot Water

Cut the Lobster Tail down the center of the top center towards the fan of the tail. Pull the meat out and prop over the top of the shell, leave the meat attached at the very end of the fan tail. Fully coat the meat with Olive Oil, then shake Paprika over the top. Place in an Oven safe dish and bake at 375 degrees 1 1/2 minutes per oz. For example, 10 oz Lobster Tail bakes for 15 minutes. If the claws weren’t previously cooked, add them to the baking, otherwise wait for the broil. After baking, mix the Butter, Garlic and Parsley together and smear over the top of the Lobster meat. Place the Claws inside the dish and add the water. Then place the Lobster back in the oven under a High Broil, approximately 6 to 8 inches away from the heat and cook for another 3 to 5 Minutes. Watch it carefully so it’s not to burn, but allow a nice crisp golden color over the top.