Warm and indulgent but easy to make and serve, this Delicious Crab and Shrimp Dip combines all the flavors of a special seafood appetizer but without any stress. Creamy cheese, tender lump crab, sweet baby shrimp and tangy artichokes blend into a cozy, baked dip that's ready in about 30 minutes.
It's the perfect first course before serving Creamy Seafood Chowder!
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⭐ Why Melinda Loves Crab and Shrimp Dip
It reminds me of a fancy seafood dip appetizer from a favorite restaurant!
There are options for what type of crabmeat you can use: fresh or canned. (Hint: Fresh is best! Canned is quick and easy to keep on hand.)
Parmesan cheese adds a distinct cheesy flavor without overpowering the delicate flavor of the seafood.
Note: Some of the links in this recipe post are Amazon affiliate links, which means I make a small commission from Amazon if you link to and purchase the item. The affiliate process never affects your cost and I only link to products that I use and highly recommend.
🦀 Ingredients to Have on Hand
Crab: You have options when choosing what type of crabmeat to use. I've made this seafood dip appetizer with both canned and fresh crab. Using fresh crab is delicious and I highly recommend it, the flavor and texture simply can't be beat. But canned crab makes the dip faster to prepare. (Affiliate link.) Canned crabmeat is available both on the shelf and in the refrigerated seafood section of most grocery stores. Lump meat is best!
Shrimp: Use cooked, fresh baby (or bay) shrimp. Their slight sweetness is delicious with the creamy, savory cream cheese mixture. If you buy extra, make Shrimp Cocktail Cups, which are delicious and refreshing.
Cream Cheese: Be sure to use a block of cream cheese, not whipped cream cheese from a tub. Grab a few blocks of it and make Savory Cheesecake for your next charcuterie board.
(Affiliate Link)Artichoke Hearts: Use canned artichoke hearts or quartered hearts that are packed in water, not marinated in olive oil. We want artichoke flavor, not the oil.
(Affiliate Link)Old Bay Seasoning: This is such a classic seasoning for seafood! I keep a can of this on hand in my spice cabinet for quite a few of my recipes, including Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, Old Fashioned Salmon Patties and Homemade Tartar Sauce. It adds a nice savory boost to this rich, creamy seafood dip.
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
⭐ Pro Tip
Will you be using fresh crab to make this seafood dip? (Good call!) Approximately one pound of fresh crab legs - snow crab or king crab - will yield enough fresh crabmeat to equal one cup, possibly a little more for snacking as you make the dip.
This crab leg weighed about ½ pound. Depending on their size, you'll need two crab legs for this recipe or roughly one pound of crab legs.
Each crab leg provides about a half cup of fresh crabmeat.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Chop the artichoke hearts into very small pieces. Then pat them dry using the same method, between two paper towels.
Step 2: Soften the block of cream cheese then combine it with all of the ingredients except for the crab and shrimp.
Step 3: Place the seafood between two paper towels and pat to remove all of the excess water. Set aside.
Step 4: Blend the ingredients in the bowl.
Step 5: Add the seafood and stir gently to blend with the dip mixture in the bowl.
Step 6: Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until heated in the center and slightly bubbling around the edges. Garnish with additional shrimp, green onions, Parmesan cheese and a few sprinkles of Old Bay Seasoning.
⭐ Pro Tip
I used canned crabmeat while photographing Crab and Shrimp Dip but I tested both canned and fresh crabmeat as I developed this recipe.
(Affiliate link.) Canned crabmeat is easy; just open the cans and drain the liquid.
Fresh crabmeat is more expensive and involves removing it from the crab legs, and that takes extra time.
Be assured, both options are delicious, although fresh is best; use whichever one works best for your budget and schedule.
Lump crabmeat, either canned or fresh, offers the best chunky texture.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Excess water around the crab, shrimp or artichoke hearts is usually the reason why this dip loosens up and gets watery. Be sure to pat the seafood and diced artichoke dry with paper towels before baking.
Yes, be sure to thoroughly defrost both, then pat them dry using paper towels.
To make this a lighter version, I recommend using reduced-fat cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese and reducing the amount of Parmesan cheese to half what the recipe calls for, or about ½ cup plus a tablespoon of cheese for the garnish.
Yes, it's delicious hot or cold. I prefer to serve it warm since the heat from the oven melts the Parmesan cheese, but serving it cold, especially with the leftovers, is a great option.
Yes, you can assemble the seafood dip up to 24 hours in advance of serving. Add an extra 5-10 minutes of baking time since the ingredients will be chilled.
📖 Substitutions
Cream Cheese: If you'd prefer to use a lighter version of cream cheese to cut down on calories and the fat content, swap the block of regular cream cheese for the reduced-fat version or use Neufchâtel cheese. I like keeping cream cheese of different varieties on hand because I use it for my Homemade Creamed Corn and of course it's an essential ingredient for Baked Vanilla Cheesecake.
Mayonnaise: Swap the sour cream for the same amount of mayonnaise for an extra creamy dip and a subtle mayo flavor boost.
Chives and Green Onions: Replace the diced green onions with finely chopped, fresh chives. The flavor of the chives is milder than green onions. Or reduce the amount of green onions to just half for less oniony flavor.
🥘 What to Serve with Crab and Shrimp Dip
Serve seafood dip with a bowl of Spiced Walnuts on the side for a delicious balance of flavors and texture.
Use your favorite, crunchy crackers or sturdy potato chips as the perfect sidekick for the creamy dip.
Fresh veggies are great as well, especially those that are easy to use as "scoopers" like cucumber slices or carrot sticks.
Toasted baguette slices or wedges of crusty sourdough bread are wonderful too. For an impressive seafood starter, also serve a plate of Smoked Salmon from the Pellet Grill!
👩🏻🍳 Leftovers and Storage
Refrigerator: In the unlikely event that you have leftover shrimp and crab dip, store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave on low power until warm, or serve the dip cold.
Freezer: You can freeze this dip either before or after baking (after cooling), but in my experience, the cream cheese and sour cream have a slightly different texture after defrosting. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If unbaked, thaw overnight in the fridge before baking as directed in the recipe. If previously baked, thaw then bake at 325°F until heated through, about 20 minutes.
🍽 Other Tasty Appetizer Recipes
Shrimp and Crab Dip is a delicious and indulgent appetizer for the holidays or any time you are entertaining. Here are more appetizer recipes to include in your spread!
If you make Delicious Crab and Shrimp Dip I'd love to hear how it turned out and if you enjoyed it. Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and a comment below. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
Recipe
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
(From Melinda) This is one of my favorite dip recipes, and I love that it combines both crab and shrimp! I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of it, too.