Hot Maryland Crab Dip Recipe (2024)

ByKrista January 7, 2023May 10, 2024

This Maryland crab dip recipe is the perfect addition to any party or gathering. With a blend of creamy mayonnaise, sharp cheddar cheese, flavorful Old Bay seasoning, and succulent crab meat, this dip is the perfect combination of rich and savory and cheesy!

My husband and I grew up in Maryland so the taste of Maryland blue crab is something that both of us love. One of our favorite ways to enjoy it is in this delicious crab dip! This creamy crab dip is full of crab flavor and seasoned with everyone’s favorite seafood seasoning Old Bay! This is one of the best hot crab dip recipes out there and it is super easy and can be made with simple ingredients that can be found in your local grocery store.

This simple recipe only takes a few minutes of prep time which makes it perfect for parties, game day, or great to whip up for a weekend treat! We love to snack on it during a family movie night! Every time I’ve made this recipe for parties everyone loved it. I often double the recipe so that there is plenty to go around!

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FAQ & Tips for this Maryland Crab Dip Recipe

What to serve with this crab dip-

This versatile easy crab dip is great for dipping all kinds of things! We love to serve it with tortilla chips, soft pretzels, or soft pretzel bites, our favorite crackers, pita chips, pretzels, or chopped veggies like bell peppers, carrots or celery sticks. You can even serve it in a bread bowl with pieces of bread on the side for dipping!

What is the best kind of crab meat to use-

Buying crab meat can be a little confusing and it can be hard to know what is the best crab meat to use in this dip. For the best results you’ll want to use real crab meat. Imitation crab meat is usually much cheaper but lacks the authentic flavor of real crab. While my preference is blue crab this dip is also great with snow crab. It is a great way to use up leftovers from crab legs! The main kinds of crab meat you’ll find in the grocery store are usually canned crab meat in claw meat or fresh lump crab meat also called backfin crab meat. Either will work in this recipe but I prefer to use lump crab meat. Claw meat tends to shred more easily and breaks apart in the dip, I like the lump meat because you get those juicy bits of crab throughout the dip. For an extra treat you can get fresh jumbo lump crab meat for nice big chunks of meat! Make sure to gently fold in the crab so it doesn’t break apart.

Can I make this crab dip ahead of time?

Yes! This is the perfect appetizer to make ahead especially for parties or gatherings! Just follow the recipe but instead of baking wrap the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. You can make this dip up to 2 days ahead of time and keep it refrigerated! It makes it a great dip for entertaining and having ready to bake for events like New Year’s eve, tailgating parties during football season, or any other occasion.

How to store and reheat this crab dip-

Leftover crab dip refrigerated in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap. Reheat the dip by placing it in a microwave safe container and heating for 1 minute and then in 30 second increments stirring between each until it is heated through. Or place it in a baking pan and heat it in the oven on 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Ingredient Variations-

These dip ingredients are pretty basic and pair together beautifully but you can make a couple of additions or swaps if you’d like. This is a great recipe to switch up

Some traditional Maryland baked crab dip is seasoned with Worcestershire sauce. It adds a spicey peppery flavor to the dip that is very tasty. If you’d like to some you can use 1-2 tsp mixed in with the cream cheese mixture.

Use different cheese- The shredded cheese on top of this cheesy crab dip is also a place where you can play around with flavors. I usually use cheddar cheese on top but you can swap it out for Monterey jack cheese, pepper jack cheese or even parmesan cheese on top of the dip.

Add some spice-

If you like your creamy dip a little spicier you can add a little bit of your favorite hot sauce. For the best flavor without overwhelming the rest of the flavors add it a little at a time and taste the crab dip as you go so you get the perfect flavor.

Ingredients for this Maryland Hot Crab Dip Recipe

8 oz Brick of Cream Cheese softened to room temperature

1 lb Lump Crab Meat

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Here’s how to make hot Crab Dip

Preheat the oven to 375 and butter a 9 inch pie pan or 8×8 baking dish or spray with non stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, cream cheese, lemon juice, 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar and Old bay until they are well blended. You can use a wooden spoon or electric mixer to mix the ingredients thoroughly.

Gently fold the crab meat into the cream cheese mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula until it is evenly distributed.

Spread the crab mixture evenly across the bottom of your prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese across the top of the dip.

Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the dip is warm and bubbly.