Classic Maryland Style Hot Crab Dip

Crab cakes seem to be on almost every menu. One of the recent trends is small, crispy, shareable crab cake bites. We took that idea with our classic crab cake recipe and add a crunchy crust of crushed pretzel crumbs and paired it with a warm beer-cheese dipping sauce.
Hot Crab! Hot Crab! Hot crab dip anyone?
This delicious, creamy hot crab dip is a staple in New Orleans and will be a welcome addition to your table. With the start of Lent, seafood dishes are added to many menus and home meals. This included at my favorite and oldest steakhouse in NOLA, Charlie’s, which was owned by friend, Matt, for years following Katrina. This dip was the only addition or change in their menu in 50 years and became a customer favorite almost overnight. The combination of jumbo lump crab meat, melted cheese and Creole spices take this crab dip to new levels. Served with butter toasted crostini of a good French baguette.
This simple to make hot crab dip is the perfect go to for your next party. It can be simply heated and served as a hot dip with chips or vegetables or it also makes a great stuffing for everything from proteins like fish or chicken or vegetables like peppers or mushrooms.
Crab Imperial is a classic dish first appearing on menus in Baltimore in the later part of the 19th century and was first published in a cookbook in 1939. There are many versions, some with breadcrumbs, some with a roux, some with peppers and onions. I went very classic and very simple, however, used our best of the best Jumbo Lump crabmeat and boy does it shine. In the end this Crab Imperial is basically a baked crab cake mix without and breadcrumbs and can easily be an excellent gluten free or Keto option. It is paired with a very bright, beautiful and refreshing salad of beets, shaved fennel, clementine segments and pickled red onions.
Some things are meant to go together, like peanut butter and jelly or in this case crab meat and artichokes. For this recipe I recommend our crab claw meat, or as it we call it, the dark meat of the crab. Our most affordable crab is also the most flavorful and can standup to the creamy blend of cheeses and artichoke hearts in this recipe. I grilled some premade naan bread to serve with the hot cheesy dip, but you can serve with your favorite crackers, crostini or even crudite. Perfect for Holiday entertaining!
I was born in Madison, allot of beer, allot of cheese (and Cheeseheads). Add a little of our crab meat, heat is up and you got a killer dip. Super Bowl can’t come soon enough for this recipe!
Always one of our most popular “just add crab” recipes and it couldn’t be much easier to make, and then make some more as it will go fast!
The classic flavor of a crab dipped into spicy cocktail sauce, but turned into a creamy dip that your guests will be craving long after the party has ended.