Hot Imitation Crab Dip makes a hearty and satisfying appetizer for any occasion. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare and tastes delicious with any assortment of crackers, breads, or veggies.
Recently one of The Littles asked me in his inquisitive manner this age-old question:
How do they make string cheese so stringy?
Huh. Good one. Back in the day, we would have flexed our biceps to ruffle through some heavy duty Encylopedia Brittanicas. Today, I tapped a few fingers and found this answer on the Huffington Post.
Which brings me to the wonders of imitation crab meat. As a kid, I loved eating those crab sticks, pulling them apart like string cheese. Now my boys have a party doing the same.
I hope nobody asks me how they make crab sticks stringy because
…well, because Google doesn’t turn up much of an answer for that one. Thankfully, the ingredients listed in the making of the imitation crab we buy are natural and non-chemy.
And that means we get to keep eating it. We typically toss chunks of imi crab into Asian soups or stir fries. But this time, I decided to make it into an app worthy of any casual or special occasion.
This Hot Imitation Crab Dip is chock full of protein, spices, and made creamy with the addition of cream cheese. You can amp up the heat with cayenne pepper if you like. And definitely serve this dip warm. If you make it ahead of time and chill it, just be sure to warm it through before serving.
This hot dip goes well with an assortment of breads, crackers, or veggie sticks.
Leftovers can be used in sandwiches the next day, which make a tasty twist for lunch.
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PinDescription
This Hot Imitation Crab Dip is affordable and delicious. It’s hearty, creamy, and satisfying. Be sure to serve it warm. Breads, crackers, and veggies are excellent dippers for this dip!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tsp whole mayo
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 TB lemon juice
- 1 TB water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce or cayenne, optional
- 1 (8 oz) pkg. whole cream cheese, cubed and softened
- 1 lb imitation crab meat, chopped
Instructions
- In a microwavable bowl, combine all ingredients except for imitation crab meat. Microwave in 30-60 second increments, stirring in between, until warmed through. Stir to combine well. Stir in crab meat. Mix well. Microwave 2 minutes or until hot. Add kosher salt or cayenne pepper to taste. Serve hot with crackers, breads, or veggies.
Source: Chew Out Loud, adapted from Taste of Home
Here are a few of our tried and true apps we love to share:
1. Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip. This one’s a sure crowd pleaser everywhere you go. Serve it at home or bring it to a party.
2. Savory Pumpkin and Bacon Dip. Yes, savory is the word. This is creamy, perfectly salty, and awesome for holiday parties.
3. This ever-popular 7-Layer Mexican Dip always results in an empty platter. This one’s a fabulous dip for any occasion, all year round. I could eat a heaping plateful of this for dinner. With chips, of course.
4. Sriracha Buffalo Chicken Dip is perfect when you’re looking for a twist from normal. It’s got a bit of kick and a lot of YUM. Creamy, hearty, and delicious on crackers, breads, or with corn chips.
Love crab dips! Never made one myself before though – this is definitely something I need to make, it looks seriously delicious.
Thanks, and so glad you stopped by today 🙂
Not sure if you intended to put down 2 TB or tsp for the above crab dip recipe, but I tried it and it is way to salty and too much garlic. would not recommend this recipe as it was a total waste of a pound of crab meat.
I’m sorry it didn’t work for you, Debbie. There’s only 1 tsp salt, not 2 TB, so I’m not sure what you may be referring to…? This is for imitation crab, which is much less salty than real crab can be. It’s generally on the “lighter” side when we make it as written. There are lots of really yummy apps on COL, so hopefully you will be able to find something you love. Thank you for trying this, and hope to see you back, Debbie 🙂
Omit the salt altogether. The mayonnaise has all you need.
Seems possibly the mayo should be 2 1/2 TB and 2 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic. Mine was very strong and I love garlic!
This was amazing! I made a half portion for my dinner(shh) I added some stilon to it too. And replaced the Cayenne with lemon pepper, result was a very fresh homely price of nosh. Delicious!
Sounds awesome; great job! Thanks for coming over to let us know you liked it 🙂 🙂 Hope you continue finding recipes you love here at COL!
Used old bay and it was perfect!
Yay, great to hear it, Nadine! 🙂
Put in less onion powder and garlic powder. I thought 2 TB and 1 TB seemed way too much. Used 1 tsp each instead. One TB lemon made it taste really strong. I didn’t think it was edible but my husband and mom ate it.
Thanks for sharing your ideas, Kari! Glad you came over today; Merry Christmas 🙂
Totally tried it and love it! Eating it right now with Saltines! #Deliciousness
Yay, so glad you liked it, Elizabeth