Hot Crab and Corn Dip
on Aug 30, 2019, Updated Dec 28, 2024
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This hot dip recipe is cheesy and studded with delicious corn and crab. A great start to a celebratory meal or for a game day gathering.
Is there anything (anything) better than a hot crab dip?
Don’t feel the need to answer that. I already know. (Yeah, yeah, babies and kittens and sunsets and all of that….but really up against a hot crab dip? My kids were pretty cute, but still….)
This one combines sweet, luxurious crabmeat with corn. I think I first made this in September when fresh corn was still available, but the evenings were getting cooler, so a hot dip for a gathering felt like the right thing. Though…there are few hot foods I want to eat on a truly hot evening, but I think I would be okay with a hot crab dip. Let’s just say I would give it a real chance.
But when you are making this later in the cooler months, absolutely positively reach for frozen or even canned corn. They will work just fine.
What to Serve with Crab Dip
Serve with chips or crackers or slices of baguette that have been toasted. Or carrots or other vegetables, if you want to try and work some vegetables into the equation. Speaking of vegetables, a sprinkle of minced parsley on the top would have been nice. Next time.
What Kind Of Crabmeat Should I Buy?
This Hot Crab and Corn Dip recipe works with whatever crab fits into your budget. When you are making a dish with crab, you’ll immediately find that there are quite a variety of types of crab to choose from and that prices range as well.
You can use pretty much any grade of crabmeat in this dip, depending on how much you want to spend and how indulgent you want this dip to feel. Skip the Colossal or Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, which would be a waste here, but go for any of the lower grades.
Colossal or Jumbo Lump Crabmeat
You can get colossal or jumbo lump crab, which comes in the largest chunks and is the rarest and, therefore, the most pricey. This is for the splurgey dishes, when you want to see and eat big fat pieces of crab in a dish.
Lump Crabmeat
Regular lump crabmeat is slightly smaller, sometimes just the broken version of the colossal or jumbo lump crabmeat. Still impressive, still pricey.
Backfin Crabmeat
Backfin meat is a combination of lump crabmeat and the less expensive special crabmeat. It’s great in soups and crab cakes and dips.
Special Crabmeat
This grade is made up of smallish flakes of white crabmeat. Great for dips and salads and soups and stuffings.
Claw Crabmeat
This is the dark meat of the crab, which is less expensive, darker in color, and quite pronounced in flavor. Use this for soups and to blend into seafood stuffings.
More Appetizer Recipes
- Radicchio and Endive Crostini with Aged Goat Cheese and Balsamic Glaze
- Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp with Smoked Paprika
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Hot Crab and Corn Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 scallions (trimmed and minced; white and green parts)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Coarse or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 16 ounces fresh crab meat (picked over for shells; excess liquid pressed out)
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475 F. Place the cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, scallions, cayenne, parsley, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a bowl and use a fork, spoon or an electric mixer to blend well. Add the crab and corn and fold to combine well.
- Turn the mixture into a shallow 1- or 2-quart baking dish, spread it evenly, and bake for about 12 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Give it a final minute under the broiler to really brown the top if desired.
