Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my crab dip recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
How To Make Crab Dip
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Backfin crab meat, which is a combination of small pieces of lump crab meat and flakes of white body meat, is a cheaper alternative that is okay to use, but the texture of the dip won’t be as good as using only lump crab. Claw meat is the cheapest kind and you won’t get any chunks, but it does have a hearty crab flavor. Personally, I’m not a fan. If you have leftover fresh crab meat (such as from making crab legs), this is an excellent choice and tastes even better than the kind from a can. It’s always such a treat when I have some fresh for this recipe! Imitation crab meat works from a recipe standpoint, but the flavor and texture is completely different. Not my favorite at all!
Garlic – Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. Worcestershire Sauce – I decided not to include this due to the sugar content, but many crab dip recipes add this sauce for flavor depth and light sweetness. Feel free to add 1-2 tablespoons if you like. Salt – I don’t usually find it necessary to add any salt, since the cream cheese, cheddar, and Old Bay seasoning are already salty, but feel free to adjust to your taste. Bacon – Make bacon in the oven (my favorite method to get it crispy), air fryer bacon, or microwave bacon. Crumble it and mix it into the dip. Spinach Artichoke – Stir in 1/2 cup drained frozen spinach and 1/2 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts, or simply add crab meat to my spinach artichoke dip. Jalapeños – Add 1-2 jalapeños, finely diced, for a spicy kick.
Raw Veggies – My fave! Mini bell peppers, celery sticks, cucumber slices, and carrots are all great for scooping up dips. When I make this dip for only my husband and kids, I just set it out with some veggies and call it a day. Crackers – Any kind will do, but flax seed crackers or almond flour crackers are delicious, real food options. Breads – Sliced baguette is a common choice with hot crab dip, but I don’t usually have it around at my house. When I want this with bread, I make my lighter almond flour bread. Chips – You can use my regular tortilla chips, almond flour tortilla chips, light and crispy zucchini chips, or any other kind you like. Mushrooms – You could even use this dip to stuff portobello or cremini mushroom caps! That’s exactly what I did in my recipe for crab stuffed mushrooms. Appetizer Spread – This dip pairs well with my crispy air fryer chicken wings, simple steak bites (for a surf and turf spread), or flaky salmon bites. Or try my chicken fritters for something different!
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