Ingredients (~6-8 servings)
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- 1/3 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ~1/2 lb fresh lump crab meat, picked over for shells
- Crackers, tortilla chips, or cut vegetables for serving
Mix the Base and Fold in the Crab
Preheat your oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream until smooth.
The cream cheese should be soft enough that you’re not fighting lumps – if it’s still cold, just microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Add the garlic, chives, Old Bay, granulated garlic, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, lemon zest, lemon juice, hot sauce, white cheddar, and about half the mozzarella. Mix until combined.
Gently fold in the crab meat – you want to keep the chunks intact, so don’t stir aggressively.
Bake Until Bubbly and Golden
Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch pie dish or cast-iron skillet.
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top.
Bake for ~25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden and the dip is bubbling around the edges.
You’ll know it’s ready when the top has some color and you can see it bubbling at the sides.
For Cold Crab Dip
Skip the baking entirely and just cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors come together.
This version is more like a crab salad spread and works great on crackers.
Serve with Whatever You Have
Garnish with fresh chives and serve immediately while hot.
Crackers, tortilla chips, celery sticks, or bell pepper strips all work fine for dipping.
Hot Crab Dip
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6-8 servings)
- 1 package cream cheese 8 oz, softened
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives plus more for garnish
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- 1/3 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ~1/2 lb fresh lump crab meat picked over for shells
- Crackers tortilla chips, or cut vegetables for serving
Instructions
- Combine cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and mix until smooth.
- Add garlic, chives, Old Bay, seasonings, Worcestershire, lemon zest and juice, hot sauce, and cheeses.
- Gently fold in crab meat, keeping chunks intact.
- Transfer to baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella.
- Bake at 350F for 25 minutes until cheese is golden and edges are bubbly.
- Garnish with fresh chives and serve hot with crackers or vegetables.
