Hot Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip is a decadent baked dip loaded with spinach, artichoke hearts, lump crab meat, and cheese, and topped with buttery Ritz crackers. Easy to make and perfect for holiday parties and game day.
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Hot dips are always a crowd pleaser -- and this cheesy crab, artichoke, and spinach dip is sure to win everyone over.
It's luscious and decadent, loaded with nutty artichokes, earthy spinach, and juicy lumps of crab meat.
The extra creamy dip base is made with cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and two kinds of cheese, then seasoned to perfection with bright fresh flavors.
The buttery Ritz cracker topping adds crunchy texture and gives this hot crab dip an elegant look.
If you love traditional spinach artichoke dip and you love crab, you'll go crazy for this!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Delicious dip recipe for holidays and game day
Rich, creamy, cheesy, and full of flavor
Easy recipe with simple ingredients
Ingredients
Cream cheese. For the best texture, use block cream cheese. Soften it to room temperature so it will easily combine with the rest of the creamy ingredients.
Mayonnaise. Mayo adds rich tang to this cheesy crab dip recipe.
Sour cream. Sour cream adds another level of creaminess to the cream cheese base.
Garlic powder. You can also mince a couple of fresh garlic cloves, if you prefer.
Paprika. Paprika is a great pairing with seafood and adds mellow spice and a hint of color.
Lemon juice. Use fresh lemon juice, if possible. Not the kind in the bottle.
Worcestershire sauce. Worcestershire adds rich, savory flavor to this artichoke spinach crab dip.
Spinach. One 10 oz. box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed (in the fridge overnight or in the microwave), and squeezed dry in paper towels.
Artichokes. Canned artichoke hearts, drained, and chopped into small pieces.
Crab. Fresh or canned lump crabmeat or jumbo lump crab meat will give you the chunkiest pieces of crab. Any kind of crab will work, use what you can find and afford.
Green onions. Sliced green onions add mild, fresh onion flavor. Save a few to sprinkle on top for color.
Monterey Jack cheese. Monterey Jack cheese has a mild flavor and melts well into the creamy dip. You can also use mozzarella cheese or white cheddar cheese.
Parmesan cheese. Parmesan adds flavor to the creamy dip and the buttery cracker topping. Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor and texture.
Melted butter. Let the melted butter cool slightly before adding to the cracker crumbs so it doesn't melt the cheese.
Ritz crackers. Buttery crackers add a rich crunchy topping. Crush them in a food processor or in a ziptop bag with a rolling pin or your hands.
Recipe Variations
Fresh spinach. If you prefer using fresh baby spinach over frozen, you can make that swap. Here's how.
Seasonings. Add your favorite spices like cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, onion powder, or Old Bay seasoning.
Dijon mustard. A little bit of Dijon adds rich flavor.
Toppings. Instead of buttery crackers, try Fritos, bread crumbs, or panko.
Step-by-step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 and spray your baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
1. Make the cream cheese base.
With a hand or stand mixer, mix the softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, paprika, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce together until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the rest of the dip ingredients.
Add the spinach, artichokes, crab, green onions, Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper.
Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
4. Make the buttery cracker topping.
Stir the cracker crumbs, cooled melted butter, and paprika together. Add the cheese and stir.
Sprinkle over the spinach-artichoke dip.
5. Bake, serve, and enjoy!
Bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Serve with crostini, pita chips, tortilla chips, crackers, and sliced veggies.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheat in a 350 degree oven covered in foil until heated through, 20-25 minutes. If desired, remove foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes to crisp up the topping again.
Microwave individual servings for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
Make Ahead
Refrigerated. Assemble the spinach artichoke crab dip without the topping. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the cracker topping and bake as directed. You may need to add a few extra minutes of baking time if it was still cold going into the oven.
Frozen. Tightly wrap unbaked dip without breadcrumbs in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of foil for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator. Before baking, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the cracker topping and bake as directed. You may need to add a few extra minutes of baking time.
FAQS
If you are using quartered artichoke hearts, cut each quarter into slices.
For whole artichoke hearts, cut them into quarters by cutting them in half lengthwise and cutting each half in half lengthwise. Cut each quarter into slices of your desired size. I like to cut them pretty small so the pieces are easy to get on a cracker.
First, thaw the frozen spinach. You can let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator or thaw it in the microwave.
Next, wrap the spinach in a couple of layers of paper towels and wring the water out of it. The spinach will be pretty tightly packed now, so be sure to separate it so it can easily stir into the dip mixture.
No, canned crab is fully cooked so you can technically eat it straight from the can, if you like.
Expert Tips
Use softened cream cheese so it will easily mix together with the rest of the creamy dip ingredients.
Dry the thawed spinach by placing it in paper towels and wringing the water out of it. Separate it with your hands or two forks before adding it to the dip.
Use freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese and freshly grated Parmesan cheese if at all possible. I know it's a pain to do, but it really only takes a couple of minutes, it's less expensive than buying pre-shredded cheese, and the flavor and texture is so much better.
Get the Stuff I Use
This cheese grater is awesome becomes it comes apart and stores flat in your utensil drawer.
My little KitchenAid hand mixer is a workhorse. Perfect for everything from mixing up this cream cheese crab dip to whipping egg whites and whipped cream.
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Hot Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 14 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 6 ounces lump crab fresh or canned
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup green onions, sliced
Ritz Breadcrumb Topping
- 1 cup Ritz cracker crumbs about 28 crackers
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a 2.5 quart baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, paprika, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce together until smooth and creamy.
- Add the spinach, artichokes, crab, green onions, Monterey Jack cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Stir until combined. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Combine the crushed Ritz crackers, butter, Parmesan cheese, and paprika together. Sprinkle over the top of the dip.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until heated through and bubbling.
- Serve warm with crostini, pita chips, crackers, and sliced veggies.
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