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5 from 40 votes

Hot Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip

This rich and creamy Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip is the perfect appetizer for gatherings or snack time. It includes three types of cheese, bits of crackers for crunch, and chunks of crab meat, for a flavorful, addictive dish. Pair it with your favorite chips or crackers for a satisfying appetizer.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer/Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 people
Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 10 ounces fresh spinach
  • 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely minced
  • 1 cup roughly chopped canned artichoke hearts
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese (brick-style) room temperature
  • 6-8 ounces cooked lump crab meat*
  • 8 ounces (2 cups) mozzarella, shredded*
  • 1/3 cup crushed Ritz crackers*
  • 1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano, finely shredded cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet with a lid, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the spinach and cover. Allow the spinach to steam for about 2-3 minutes or until it is reduced in volume by half. Stir.
  • Increase the heat to medium. Add the salt, pepper, onion, artichokes, and garlic. Sauté for about 5-6 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  • Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the cream and add the cream cheese. Stir continuously until the cream cheese has melted.
  • Stir in the crab meat. Turn the heat off completely.
  • Stir in the mozzarella cheese.
  • Transfer the dip to a lightly greased 1.5-quart baking dish.
  • Sprinkle the crackers and parmesan cheese on top.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Loosely cover with foil if the top is browning too quickly. Broil if desired.

Notes

  • Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
  • Crab: Canned or plastic containers of crab at the seafood counter will work for this recipe, especially if you’re in a time crunch. If time and budget aren’t factors for you, buy whole crab legs, and you can crack and pick the fresh crab meat yourself.
  • Crackers: Instead of using crackers to add a crunchy texture to the dip, try panko crumbs for an equally tasty dish. Panko crumbs will help save you time, as you don’t need to crush them like the crackers. Use 1/3 crumbs as a replacement.
  •  Mozzarella: For a bolder flavor, swap the mozzarella for fontina or gruyere. You can also combine the two cheeses to get the best of both worlds.
  • Use fresh spinach. Frozen spinach can work in this artichoke crab dip with parmesan cheese if you're low on time. However, it does alter the texture, as frozen spinach has a stringy texture. It's best to use fresh spinach for this dish.
  • Avoid excess moisture. Drain the crab well and pat dry any veggies you use while making this recipe. Extra moisture can make the crab spinach artichoke dip runny instead of creamy.
  • Loosely over if needed. Cover this crab spinach artichoke dip with foil to avoid a burnt top and undercooked middle when baking this crab spinach artichoke dip.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 774mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g