Make this Tex-Mex Crab Dip for your next party, holiday or happy hour! A creamy, cheesy warm crab dip recipe with a little bit of spice!
If you like to spice things up a bit, make sure to check out some of our popular appetizers like this Cheesy Taco Crostini or these super fun Buffalo Chicken Meatballs!
Warm Crab Dip Recipe
This Tex-Mex Crab Dip recipe is a warm crab dip loaded with cheese and spicy Tex-Mex flavors! Now, this isn’t a super spicy cheese dip, mind you. It’s a very mild spice that you can definitely kick up or tone down per your liking.
The spice comes from a fresh jalapeño pepper and a dash of cayenne, so you can add more or less to please everyone!
How Do You Make This Crab Dip Recipe?
This crab dip recipe is super easy to make! We’re making this crab dip on the stove top, but it can be easily transferred to a slow cooker to stay warm for the night. Start by cooking diced onion, jalapeño and garlic in a pot with olive oil.
The other secret ingredient we have in this crab dip is a little bit of beer. We’re using the beer to deglaze the pot and get all those yummy flavors into the dip. Any type of light beer will do, you don’t want a heavy flavor, just a nice light pilsner or lager.
Next add a sprinkle of flour to make a roux, then pour in heavy cream to make the sauce. Whisk the sauce to combine and let it come to a simmer to thicken. Once the sauce has thickened, add cream cheese and that beloved Velveeta cheese to make the sauce cheesy and super delicious.
Now it’s time for the crab! You don’t need to buy lump crab meat for this Tex-Mex Crab Dip, it will just break up in the cheese sauce and then you’ve wasted all that delicious lump crab. Just the claw meat or special crab meat will do.
Gently fold the crab meat into the dip along with chopped scallions and a few seasonings. This warm crab dip is done! Serve immediately or transfer to a slow cooker on the “warm” setting until you’re ready for your party.
Can I Make This Warm Crab Dip Recipe Ahead Of Time?
Definitely! There’s a couple of ways you can do it, too. You can make the whole recipe as we just described, then transfer to a crock pot or slow cooker and keep it on the warm setting until you’re ready. The dip will need to be stirred right before serving, and maybe a couple of times throughout the party just to keep it nice and smooth and cheesy.
The other way that you can make this crab dip ahead of time, even the day before, is to make the whole recipe and let it cool completely. Now transfer the dip to a container and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready. This crab dip can then be heated up in the microwave or again, transferred to a slow cooker a couple of hours before you’re ready to serve.
What Do I Do With Leftover Crab Dip?
Again, this dip reheats very well so if you have leftover dip, don’t throw it away! Store it in an air tight container and this dip will keep it in the refrigerator for 2 days. Since this is a seafood recipe, I don’t like to keep it any longer than that.
Portion out individual servings and reheat in the microwave for an easy appetizer or snack!
Looking For More Seafood Appetizers?
- Shrimp Puffs
- Crab Salad Appetizers
- Crab Salad Sliders
- Perfect Crab Cakes
- Hot Crab & Corn Dip
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Easy Clams Casino Tarts
Tex-Mex Crab Dip
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeMake this Tex-Mex Crab Dip for your next party, holiday or happy hour! A creamy, cheesy warm crab dip recipe with a little bit of spice!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 medium jalapeño, seeds removed and diced fine
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup light beer
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounces Velveeta cheese, diced
- 1 pound crab meat (not lump, use claw or special)
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute longer and then pour in the beer.
- Reduce the beer by half, so there’s barely any liquid left in the pot and then sprinkle in the flour, stirring to combine until all the flour is absorbed. Pour in the cream, whisking to prevent any lumps and then bring to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes until thickened, then add the cream cheese and Velveeta cheese to the sauce.
- Stir the cheese into the sauce until it’s completely melted, then fold in the crab and scallions. Season the dip with the cumin, salt, cayenne and chili powder, tasting to make sure the level of heat is right for you. If you want the dip spicier you can add a little more cayenne and/or diced jalapeño.
- Serve the dip immediately with tortilla chips and more chopped scallions and chili powder on top. You can also keep the dip warm in a slow cooker on the “warm” setting.
Recipe Notes
Leftover dip will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days. Reheat leftover dip in the microwave, stirring in between heating.
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
