Hot Crab and Shrimp Dip
My hot crab and shrimp dip is creamy, cheesy, and full of sweet crab and tender shrimp. This easy recipe disappears in minutes at parties!
I am known for making a variety of dips anytime I have a party. We love Philly Cheesesteak Dip, bacon cheeseburger dip, and Jalapeno popper dip. Another family favorite is this hot shrimp and crab dip. We love it with pretzel thins, pita chips, bread, and crackers.
Why Our Recipe Is the Best: A Sprinkle of Food Science
- We Use Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, AND Mayo: Cream cheese provides a thick base, sour cream adds tang, and the mayo's emulsions helps prevent it all from separating.
- We Drain Our Seafood: Seafood is 80%+ water. If it's not pressed dry the dip can turn out watery.
- We Add a Pop of Acid: Lemon zest in the dip and lemon juice on top helps prevent things from feeling too heavy.
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
- Shrimp: I used extra small sometimes called salad shrimp as they're budget friendly and don't require much chopping. They are usually 51/60 count.
- Crab: I used refrigerated pasteurized lump crab for the best flavor. Be sure you pick through it to remove any possible shell fragments.
- You can also use canned but it won't taste quite as good.
- Avoid imitation crab at all costs here as it doesn't have the right texture and is too sweet.
- Cream Cheese: Use full fat brick style cream cheese. Be sure to soften it on the counter for 30-60 minutes to help it mix up evenly and to avoid avoid lumps.
- Sour Cream: Use full fat sour cream. Low fat versions have too much water which can cause the dip to separate.
- Mayonnaise: Hate mayo? You can substitute it with more sour cream just be aware the texture will be different.
- Cheese: Shred your own cheese if at all possible. Pre-shredded varieties contain starch which can interfere with smooth melting.
- Cajun Seasoning: We like Tony Chachere's. Prefer less spice? Use Old Bay instead!
If using frozen shrimp I would thaw it first and be sure to pay it very fry Frozen shrimp contains a lot of water that can release into the dip and turn it soupy.
Yes! Cook on low for 1-2 hours.
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📖 Recipe
Cheesy Hot Crab and Shrimp Dip
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Ingredients
- 1 Pound Extra Small Shrimp Peeled, Deveined, and Tail Removed
- 6 Ounces Lump Crab Meat Preferable Refrigerated Not Canned
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese Softened
- ¼ Cup Sour Cream Full Fat
- ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
- 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese Freshly Shredded
- ½ Cup Colby Cheese Freshly Shredded
- ¼ Cup Red Bell Pepper Finely Chopped (Around ¼ of a large pepper)
- 2 Teaspoons Cajun Seasoning Or Old Bay
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
- ¼ Cup Green Onion Sliced, Garnish With Extra If Desired
- Lemon Slices If Desired, For Squeezing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Spray an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Chop the shrimp into small piece. Blot shrimp dry with paper towels and squeeze excess moisture from the crab and shrimp.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, bell pepper, green onion, Cajun seasoning, and lemon zest,
- Fold in shrimp and crab.
- Pour into baking dish and top with Colby jack cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubby.
- Garnish with extra green onions and lemon slices if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
