Baked Hot Crab Dip with Bacon
Hot Crab Dip is a fantastic party appetizer with crab, cheese, spices and bacon! It’s easy to make ahead and a total crowd pleaser, just bake and serve!
What is a party without dip? It’s such a mainstay, and with so many options for party dips, you can really never go wrong! One of my summer favorites is this Hot Crab Dip. It’s super cheesy, full of crab and Old Bay seasoning (a very unique Southern spice blend).
Crab and bacon go really well together, so I cranked this dip up a notch with crumbled bacon and a diced jalapeno. However, traditional hot crab dip does not contain either. If you’re looking for a more traditional approach, just omit the two. I personally think they are great additions and only add to the flavor!
It’s a party food favorite, and super easy to make ahead if needed. Just mix everything, load it into your casserole dish and cover tightly. When it’s time to party, pop it in the oven for 30-35 minutes (you’ll need to give it a little more time since the dip will be cold).
Don’t worry, the full ingredients and directions are below!
Hot Crab Dip Tips
Opt for a higher quality crab, if possible. Look for the containers sold in the fresh seafood department, or frozen. The cans of crab sold near the tuna have a slightly different taste and texture.
The container you plan to serve this in must be oven safe. I used a 1.5 qt Corningware casserole dish, but cast iron works as well!
Technically, you can add the bacon to the dip raw and it will cook in the oven. However, when I tried that it wound up being soft and making the dip a little more watery and greasy. Avoid this by adding pre-cooked bacon instead.
Save some extra onions and bacon for garnish. Because this dip can look a little plain straight out of the oven, feel free to jazz it up with a little bit of green onion and/or crumbled bacon!
This is best served with a sliced baguette, tortilla chips, crackers, petite toasts (pictured), or if you’re low carb, celery!
And possibly the most important tip of all, don’t forget the Old Bay! It brings so much flavor to this dish, it would be a crime to omit it. If you don’t have access to Old Bay seasoning, This Old Gal has a recipe that looks pretty solid!
Do you love hot crab dip? Try this and let me know what you think!
Until next time. X
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Baked Hot Crab Dip with Bacon
Hot Crab Dip is a fantastic party appetizer with crab, cheese, spices and bacon! It’s easy to make ahead and a total crowd pleaser, just bake and serve!
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb lump crab meat
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 3 Tbsp chopped green onions
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Worcestershire
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped or crumbled
- crumbled bacon or chopped green onions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and spread evenly in a small casserole dish or cast iron pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove and garnish with extra green onions or bacon, if desired. Serve warm with crostini, chips, crackers or petite toasts.
Notes
tools
- mixing bowl
- small casserole dish or cast iron pan
I garnished with extra green onions, but it isn’t necessary. Crumbled bacon also makes a great garnish.
If making ahead and baking straight from the fridge, add about 5 minutes to the cook time.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Southern American
