Devilishly Delicious Deviled Crab

Incredibly simple, and utterly delectable, this recipe for Deviled Crab has it all. Loaded with fresh, sweet blue crab meat, and just a bit of filling, it’s devilishly delicious and the best Deviled Crab recipe I have tried!

Other than the name, this easy recipe doesn’t bear any resemblance to its predecessor often found frozen or premade stuffed in crab shells, with little more than a heavy bread crumb or cracker filling and just the faintest hint of crab. I spent much of my life thinking that this was what deviled crab was supposed to taste like, and no surprise, as much as I love all things seafood, I wasn’t a fan.

That is until I started making my own and loading it up with fresh lump crab meat, flavoring it with a tasty blend of spices, and only adding enough filling to help bind everything together—no heavy breadcrumbs for me.

Just a few buttery, crushed crackers hold everything together and let the delicate taste of the sweet crab meat shine through. 

What’s the difference between crab cakes and deviled crab? 

While my Southern Blue Crab Cake recipe is similar, it doesn’t have the same amount of deviling spices and Creole seasonings. It also has far less Worcestershire sauce, a primary deviling ingredient, and includes Dijon mustard instead of dry mustard.

I also use sturdy saltine crackers instead of Ritz crackers to hold the cakes together.  And, finally, deviled crab includes a small amount of celery, scallions, bell pepper, and sour cream to round the flavor out and a crunchy topping. 

Here’s what you will need to make this recipe:

• Lump crab meat – is the star of this show and I always use fresh. I’ve never tried canned. 
• Butter – unsalted butter is used to saute the vegetables. 
• Scallions – also called green or spring onions, provide a very mild onion flavor. 
• Celery – provides just a bit of crunch and an herby flavor to the dish. 
• Green bell pepper – another veggie that provides great flavor and color. 
• Mayonnaise – is the glue that along with the egg holds everything together. 
• Egg – along with mayonnaise, brings everything together and provides a bit of structure when cooked. 
• Sour cream – adds a nice creamy tang. 
• Round buttery crackers – the most common brand is Ritz. 
• Dry mustard – adds a nice tangy flavor. If you don’t have dry mustard, you can substitute 1/2 tablespoon of dijon mustard. 
• Worcestershire sauce – a common condiment that contains anchovies, is what gives this dish the “deviled” flavor. 
• Old Bay Seasoning – a seasoning blend specially designed to enhance the flavor of seafood. 
• Lemon pepper – is lemon zest combined with regular ground black pepper. It is typically used to season seafood and adds a bit of citrus flavor. 
• Creole Seasoning – is a blend of dried peppers, herbs, and spices that adds wonderful flavor to this dish. 

How to make deviled crab:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt butter in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, celery, and bell pepper.
3. Cook and stir for about four minutes or until the veggies are tender and translucent. Remove from the heat and set aside. 
4. Crush the crackers using a food processor or by placing them in a plastic bag and crushing them with your hand or a rolling pin. 
5. Carefully pick through the crab meat to remove any bits of shell or cartilage. Set aside. 
6. To a large bowl, add the cooled veggies, mayonnaise, beaten egg, sour cream, dry mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay seasonings, lemon pepper, and Creole Seasoning. Mix well.
7. Add the crushed crackers and crab meat and toss gently to prevent the lumps from breaking up.
8. Spoon the mixture into six, six-ounce oven-proof ramekins.
9. For the topping, crush the crackers using a food processor and add the melted butter. Process until the butter and crumbs are thoroughly combined. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the mixture in the ramekins.
10. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes, or until the topping is browned and crispy. 
11. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. 

Frequently asked questions:

What to serve with it?

Deviled crab is relatively rich, and I like to keep things simple and serve it with my Southern Potato Salad, and Purple Hull or Field Peas, or Southern Sweet and Sour Green Beans. Another option is to serve it with a slice of Southern Tomato Pie or Southern Cucumber and Tomato Salad. 

What about leftovers and storage?

Leftovers, if you have them, should be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for two to three days. Fresh crab meat is extremely perishable and shouldn’t be kept any longer. I usually reheat mine in the microwave for a minute or so, or you can reheat in the oven until the filling is hot. 

I have never tried freezing the mixture, so I can’t comment on whether you will be happy with the results. 

How to make it ahead?

Make up the mixture as directed up to 24-hours ahead, but do not add the topping and do not bake.  Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. Before serving, make the topping, add it to the top, and bake as directed. 

Sharon’s Tips:

• I usually use green bell pepper, but you can also use either yellow or red. 
• This mixture can also be made into deviled crab cakes and pan-fried, but the cakes will be fragile. For the best results, be sure to let the mixture chill for an hour or so before forming them into patties and then chill for another hour or so after forming them and before cooking.
• Instead of the ramekins, you could also put all of the crab mixture in a small casserole dish to make a casserole.  
• I prefer my deviled crab without any sauce, but some folks, including my husband, like it with cocktail sauce. Remoulade and tartar sauce are also condiments that go well with seafood. 
• You can purchase aluminum deviled crab baking shells at specialty kitchen stores or online to use instead of the ramekins. Or, if you are fortunate, you might be able to find real crab shells at your local seafood store. If you use real crab shells, be sure to wash them thoroughly before stuffing. 
• For the topping, you can substitute panko for the crushed crackers. 
• Lump crab meat is expensive, but, you can substitute claw meat to keep the cost of this dish down. I have never tried canned or imitation crab in this recipe. 
• If you don’t have any sour cream, you can make your own. Combine 1/4 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice with three tablespoons of heavy cream. Let this mixture sit for at least 20 minutes to thicken. 

Related recipes:

If you like this recipe, you might also like my Avocado Stuffed with Blue Crab, Easy Creamy Crab Mornay Dip, and Fresh Corn and Blue Crab Bisque.  

And, if you are a shrimp lover like me, here are just a few of my favorite recipes: Crispy Pan-Fried Shrimp, Buffalo Shrimp, Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, and Shrimp and Blue Cheese Pasta. 

If you still need more menu inspiration, here is a link to all of my seafood recipes, including my newest grouper recipe, Pecan Crusted Fish Fillets. 

★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

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5 from 4 votes

Deviled Crab Recipe

Incredibly simple, and utterly delectable, this recipe for Deviled Crab has it all. Loaded with fresh, sweet blue crab meat, and just a bit of filling, it's devilishly delicious and the best Deviled Crab recipe I have tried! 

Course Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Total Time 24 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 416kcal

Author Sharon Rigsby

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound lump blue crab meat
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 4 scallions white part only, finely chopped
• ▢ 1 rib of celery finely chopped
• ▢ 1/2 green bell pepper seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 egg beaten, can use extra-large or large
• ▢ 3 tablespoons sour cream
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasonings
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
• ▢ 24 round buttery crackers I used Ritz

Topping:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• ▢ 14 round buttery crackers

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt butter in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, celery, and bell pepper. Cook and stir for about four minutes or until the veggies are tender and translucent. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Crush the crackers using a food processor or by placing them in a plastic bag and crushing them with your hand or a rolling pin.
• Carefully pick through the crab meat to remove any bits of shell or cartilage. Set aside.
• To a large bowl, add the cooled veggies, mayonnaise, beaten egg, sour cream, dry mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay seasonings, lemon pepper, and Creole Seasoning. Mix well.
• Add the crushed crackers and crab meat and toss gently to prevent the lumps from breaking up. Spoon the mixture into six, six-ounce oven-proof ramekins.
• For the topping, crush the crackers using a food processor and add the melted butter. Process until the butter and crumbs are thoroughly combined. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the mixture in the ramekins.
• Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes, or until the topping is browned and crispy.
• Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

I usually use green bell pepper, but you can also use either yellow or red.

This mixture can also be made into deviled crab cakes and pan-fried, but the cakes will be fragile. For the best results, be sure to let the mixture chill for an hour or so before forming them into patties and then chill for another hour or so after forming them and before cooking.

Instead of the ramekins, you could also put all of the deviled crab mixture in a small casserole dish to make a casserole. 

I prefer my deviled crab without any sauce, but some folks, including my husband, like it with cocktail sauce. Remoulade and tartar sauce are also condiments that go well with seafood.

You can purchase aluminum deviled crab baking shells at specialty kitchen stores or online to use instead of the ramekins, or if you are fortunate, you might be able to find real crab shells at your local seafood store. If you use real crab shells, be sure to wash them thoroughly before stuffing.

For the topping, you can substitute panko for the crushed crackers.

Lump meat is expensive, but, you can substitute claw meat to keep the cost of this dish down. I have never tried canned or imitation crab in this recipe.

If you don't have any sour cream, you can make your own. Combine 1/4 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice with three tablespoons of heavy cream. Let this mixture sit for at least 20 minutes to thicken. 

Nutrition

Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 965mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 712IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg

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