Crab Dip in a Bread Bowl

We used to make this cold crab dip recipe during the summer and eat it poolside.  If you don’t know what to bring to a party – this dip comes together in 10 minutes and can be made ahead of time. The cream cheese and sour cream base is mixed with buttery crabmeat, Worcestershire, lemon and herbs. Don’t skimp on the crabmeat, it’s the star of the show; and get the good stuff it makes all the difference.

This crab dip works hot or cold. If you want to serve the dip hot, bake it at 350ºF (180ºC) until the bread is crisp and the dip is hot, about 20 to 25 minutes. It can also be turned into a passed appetizer by serving it in phyllo cups.

Crab Dip in a Bread Bowl

What Kind of Crab Should I Use?

There are several different grades of crab meat sold already out of the shell in stores or online for purchase.

1. Jumbo lump crab (also known as colossal lump) is the highest quality – the pearly white large chunks of crab come from where the crabs connect to the swimmer fins. They are the most expensive because there are only two of these per crab.
2. Lump crab meat comes from broken pieces of jumbo lump crab and large chunks of body meat. It’s slightly less expensive than the jumbo grade but still has great flavor and a bright color (should be white to slightly off-white). I prefer this for crab cakes because it is slightly less expensive, but you still get large chunks!
3. Backfin crab meat, consists of smaller pieces of broken lump crab meat mixed with smaller pieces of body meat. It is still textured and has good flavor though not my favorite for crab cakes.
4. Claw meat is small and looks more shredded and is a pinkish-tannish color. It is very flavorful but too shredded for crab cakes and is best in soups!

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Seasonings – While many crab dip recipes are made with Old Bay seasoning, I create my own seasoning blend to complement the crab. I season the dip with a combination of dried parsley, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried dill, cayenne (for a bit of spice) and dry mustard.
• Cream cheese – The base of this crab dip is cream cheese. I recommend using regular cream cheese rather than a low-fat version.
• Sour cream – Sour cream adds a great texture to this dip as well as a tangy flavor that works well with the cream cheese. It helps thin out the dip slightly while keeping it creamy.

How to Make Crab Dip in a Bread Bowl

For the seasoning mix:

1. Make the seasoning mixture. In a small bowl stir together all ingredients for the seasoning mix until fully incorporated.

For the crab dip:

1. Mix the base. In a large mixing bowl stir together the cream cheese and sour cream until completely combined.
2. Make the crab dip. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and seasoning mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently fold in crabmeat so that it stays in chunks.
3. Serve or refrigerate. Serve dip as is or cover and refrigerate dip overnight to let the flavors blend.

To serve:

1. Add dip to bread bowl. Let the dip sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Use a knife to cut a circle at the top of the loaf of bread. Use a knife to hollow out the loaf of bread then spoon the dip into the bread bowl. Top with chives and serve immediately with additional bread, crackers or veggies.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Baked Lobster Dip
• Crab & Yuzu Guacamole
• Hot and Spicy Creamy Spinach Dip

Crab Dip in a Bread Bowl

Print Pin

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Serves 8

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

For the seasoning mix:

• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried dill
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

For the crab dip:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat

To serve:

• 1 large loaf sourdough bread
• 1 teaspoon chopped chives for garnish

Instructions:

For the seasoning mix:

• In a small bowl stir together all ingredients for the seasoning mix until fully incorporated.

For the crab dip:

• In a large mixing bowl stir together the cream cheese and sour cream until completely combined.
• Stir in the Worcestershire, lemon juice, and seasoning mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently fold in crabmeat so that it stays in chunks.
• Serve dip as is or cover and refrigerate dip overnight to let the flavors blend.

To serve:

• Let the dip sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Use a knife to cut a circle at the top of the loaf of bread. Use a knife to hollow out the loaf of bread then spoon the dip into the bread bowl. Top with chives and serve immediately.

DID YOU MAKE THIS?

TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM TO BE FEATURED ON MY STORIES! @cookingwithcocktailrings