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This Cajun crab dip recipe is made with fresh lump crab meat with a Cajun kick in a creamy dip and can be served hot or cold. It is an easy appetizer that is perfect for game day, parties or holidays.
When it comes to a good party, you can never go wrong with some appetizers - from pepperoni bread to honey BBQ wings to pesto hummus to taco egg rolls to chorizo al vino to fried halloumi.
And one app you can never go wrong with is a good dip. With being here in Maryland, aka crab country, I figured it was time to introduce some good crab dip.
But instead of the usual Old Bay seasoning, I wanted to put a little twist on it and use some good Cajun seasoning. While similar, Cajun seasoning adds a little more heat, which I'm a fan of.
With some staple pantry ingredients and lump crab meat instead of the more expensive jumbo lump, this Cajun crab dip is a crowd pleasing appetizer for everyone. And if you're craving cheese, smoked queso is a great option.
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Ingredient Notes
- Cream cheese - the base for the dip. Make sure you have it at room temperature so it mixes easy.
- Mayonnaise - adds more creaminess and flavor. Plus you can't have crab without it.
- Sour cream - gives the dip a little tang.
- Cajun seasoning - use your favorite store-bought seasoning. I'm partial to Emerald's Essence but you can also make your own.
- Lump crab meat - either buy the canned stuff or fresh. I'm partial to fresh but it is more expensive.
- Cheddar cheese - more flavor and adds some texture on top when baked.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While not traditional, you can replace the cream cheese with mascarpone.
- If you don't have sour cream, Greek yogurt is a good substitute.
- I'm partial to green onions, but chives can be used as well.
- You can replace the fresh garlic with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- While this recipe is called Cajun crab dip for a reason, Old Bay seasoning can be used instead of Cajun seasoning.
- I like lump crab meat because it is a little cheaper, but if you want big chunks of meat, go with the jumbo lump.
Step-by-Step Photos
Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth before adding in the rest of the ingredients, except for ½ cup of cheese
Spread into a pie dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Top with some parsley.
FAQs
Old Bay is usually more mild in flavor as the hottest ingredient is paprika while Cajun seasoning is spicier because of larger quantities of red pepper.
It comes from the body of the crab and is smaller than Jumbo. It is usually in a can but also can be found at the butcher. You can mix it without turning it into mush, making it perfect for a dip.
I'm partial to toasted baguettes, but chips, crackers, crostini, celery, carrots and cucumbers all work great.
Yes. You can prepare it 1 day ahead of time and store covered in the fridge. When ready, bake according to the instructions.
You can keep covered in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Variations
- Serve cold - just prepare the dip as instructed but omit topping with the extra cheese and don't bake.
- Crockpot - add the dip without the extra ½ cup of cheese and cook on low for 1-2 hours or until heated through.
- Bread bowl - bake the dip inside a bread bowl and then use the extra bread for dipping.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Since crab is the star, use fresh if possible. However canned can be used if necessary.
- If you want some extra heat, add a diced jalapeño pepper.
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn't taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don't need.
- If you need the dip to stay hot for some time, transfer it to a slow cooker and keep it own low.
Other Appetizer Recipes
If you’ve tried this Cajun crab dip recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. And if you just love crab, you can never go wrong with Maryland crab soup. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Cajun Crab Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup green onions, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (I use Emerald's Essence)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lb lump crab meat
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 2 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- sliced and toasted baguette for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Add the cream cheese to a large bowl and beat until smooth. Stir in the mayonnaise, sour cream, green onions, garlic, Cajun seasoning, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt.
- Fold in the crab meat, 1 ½ cups of cheese and hot sauce, mixing until smooth.
- Spread into a pie dish or similar size baking pan. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly. Top with parsley.
Notes
- Since crab is the star, use fresh if possible. However canned can be used if necessary.
- If you want some extra heat, add a diced jalapeño pepper.
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn't taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don't need.
- If you need the dip to stay hot for some time, transfer it to a slow cooker and keep it own low.
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