Cheesy Hot Crab Dip is creamy and buttery and totally addicting! A make ahead hot dip that’s perfect for all your holidays and parties!
Love easy appetizers like this hot dip? Be sure and try our easy BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP or for an appetizer that eats like a meal try our LOADED BURRITO DIP!
Why We Love This Crab Dip Recipe!
There’s really not much not to love here…this Cheesy Hot Crab Dip is honestly the most perfect appetizer recipe! For one, it’s a total make ahead recipe, which makes party planning so much easier.
Another reason we love this dip is that even though it is a make ahead recipe, it’s so easy to make you hardly need to. But do, do make this hot dip ahead of time and save yourself the trouble of doing it at the last minute.
Also, this dip is such an affordable way to serve a crab dip you won’t have to wait for a special occasion to make it! You can, of course use lump crab meat, which we do sometimes when it goes on sale. But using claw meat or a combination of the two is perfectly fine for this dip recipe.
Once it’s mixed together with all the peppers and fresh corn in a creamy, bubbling filling no one is going to be able to tell the difference.
So let’s say your average can of lump crab meat is about 25 bucks, and that’s for a pound (16 ounces). This crab dip recipe only uses 8 ounces of crab meat, so that along with the other ingredients is only going to set you back about 15 dollars.
Should You Use Fresh Or Frozen Corn For This Hot Dip?
If you do have fresh corn, please use it. Fresh corn is just so damn tasty when it’s in season we think up reasons to use it in everything. But frozen corn is going to be delicious, too.
If you are using frozen corn, make sure and let it sit at room temperature to defrost before cooking it with the peppers.
Ritz crackers are pretty standard when making hot crab dip. Nothing beat their crispy, buttery flavor so I’m hard pressed to give you a substitution for those, but let me know if you have one!
Crush up your crackers and mix them together with melted butter then cover the top of the crab dip.
At this point you can refrigerate the dip until you’re ready to bake it or get it in the oven. This Cheesy Hot Crab Dip only takes about 20 minutes in the oven just to warm it though and get it nice and bubbly.
What Can I Serve Crab Dip With?
Definitely more Ritz crackers! But any crispy cracker that can stand up to this crab dip will do. Tortilla chips would be great, too, even cut up vegetables!
One of our new favorite things to dip in this recipe are those flat pretzel chips, you know the ones I mean? The salty pretzel chip goes so well with this rich, creamy crab dip you just have to try it!
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Looking For More Easy Appetizer Recipes?
- Tomato Basil Pizza
- Italian Sub Bruschetta
- BBQ Party Meatballs
- Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Everything Pigs In A Blanket
Cheesy Hot Crab Dip
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThis creamy, cheesy hot crab dip recipe is perfect for serving at parties! Use fresh corn, canned corn or frozen – whatever you have on hand!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups frozen or fresh corn
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/2 cup red bell peppers, diced fine
- 1/2 cup yellow bell peppers, diced fine
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry wine
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounces canned crab meat, (claw meat or lump meat or a combination) drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers mixed with 2 tablespoons of melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the corn, shallot, peppers, salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the sherry and cook until the wine has evaporated.
- Pour the corn and peppers into a large bowl, then add the cream cheese and stir to combine.
- Add the crabmeat, Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce and 1 cup of the cheese into the filling, folding gently to combine.
- Transfer the crab dip into a 8″ x 8″ baking dish. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of Monterey Jack cheese and the crushed crackers that have been mixed with butter.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the filling is hot and bubbling.
- Serve hot with more crackers for dipping.
Recipe Notes
You can make this crab dip ahead of time, refrigerate and then bake it right before serving!
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
