Description
Creamy hot crab dip delights seafood enthusiasts with its rich, tangy flavors. Guests will savor each bite of this classic appetizer that brings coastal charm to any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz (340 g) lump crab meat
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream
- 1 tbsp (15 g) grated white onion
- 1 tsp (5 g) Old Bay seasoning
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsps (8 g) finely chopped fresh parsley
- A few dashes of hot sauce (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Calibrate the oven to 350F (175C), establishing a precise thermal environment for the dip’s culinary transformation.
- Cream Base Creation: Whip cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream into a luxuriously smooth foundation, ensuring complete integration and velvety consistency.
- Flavor Infusion: Blend cheddar, onion, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, parsley, hot sauce, and black pepper into the creamy mixture, orchestrating a complex and vibrant flavor symphony.
- Crab Integration: Gently fold lump crab meat into the seasoned mixture, preserving the delicate texture while achieving uniform distribution.
- Baking Process: Spread the prepared dip evenly in a baking dish and nestle into the preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the surface bubbles and the interior reaches a perfect heated state.
- Serving Presentation: Remove from oven and allow a brief cooling interval. Serve alongside crisp crackers, toasted baguette slices, or an assortment of fresh vegetable crudités, transforming the dip into an inviting appetizer experience.
Notes
- Preserve Crab Texture: Fold crab meat gently to maintain delicate chunks, avoiding aggressive mixing that breaks down the succulent meat.
- Adjust Spice Level: Customize heat by adding hot sauce incrementally, tasting between additions to control the final flavor intensity.
- Select Quality Crab: Choose fresh lump or jumbo lump crab meat for superior taste and premium texture, avoiding canned alternatives when possible.
- Prevent Overheating: Monitor baking time closely to prevent dip from becoming dry or developing an undesirable rubbery consistency, checking at 20-minute mark.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 610 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg