Crab dip is always a classy choice for an appetizer spread. Takes only 5 minutes to prep and it can be prepared in the air fryer!! Serve with crackers or a toasted baguette slices for dipping. Just don't double dip.
On Christmas Eve night, one of the dips my family always has is crab dip along with a variety of other appetizers. I've been meaning to add this crab dip recipe to my blog since Christmas, and now I'm finally getting around to it. It's not Christmas anymore but next week is Valentine's Day and I'm not really sure if people usually eat crab dip on this holiday. Heh. If you're cooking for a loved one on Thursday, this would be a fun appetizer to serve.
Since I live in North Dakota, it is kind of hard to find real fresh crab meat, especially in the Winter time and using canned crab meat is a better option. We have plenty of butcher places in town but not a lot of seafood places which is kind of sad. If you live where fresh crab meat is easy to access then by all means, go ahead and use that! Canned crab meat, is usually found next to the cans of tuna in your grocery store.
If you like easy appetizer recipes try Chicken Tortilla Rollups or Cheesy Garlic Ciabatta Bread.
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Ingredients Needed
- Cans of crab meat such as Bubble Bee’s, drained
- Neufchâtel cheese, softened - is a soft, mild-tasting cheese with a high fat content. It is made from a mixture of milk and cream, and is typically used as a spread on bagels, toast, or crackers.
- Monterey Jack Cheese - or any type of shredded cheese you have on hand in your fridge.
- Onion Powder - is dehydrated, ground onion that is commonly used as a seasoning. Some people do not like the taste of freshly chopped onion so onion powder is a great substitute if you have a picky eater like that in your house.
- Garlic Powder -Is made from dehydrated garlic cloves and like the chili powder above it gets pulverized into a powder or flour consistency.
- Old Bay Seasoning + plus more for garnish
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Air Fryer Crab Dip
Recipe Tip: Let your cream cheese sit out until it comes to room temperature or until it is soft enough to mix well. If you are in a hurry to make this follow my tips above in the post to soften cream cheese in a hurry.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For air fryer settings use 375 degrees.
Step 2: In a bowl stir together crab meat, Neufchatel cheese, Monterey jack cheese, and the spices.
Step 3: Add the ingredients to an 8X8 in a baking dish and top with more Monterey Jack cheese. Use a small enough air fryer safe dish to place the crab dip in such as the one below. Then set it in the air fryer basket.
Step 4: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crab dip is bubbly and hot. Air Fry for 5 to 7 minutes. Then take it out and top it with cheese. Place the crab dip back in the air fryer for another 2 minutes.
Recipe FAQS
This crab dip only takes 5 minutes to prepare. If the cream cheese is really hard to mix with all the ingredients, I always like to soften the cream cheese up a bit in the microwave. I never used to think you could soften cream cheese in the microwave, but when I worked at the hotel that is something they always did.
The package was even left on and those cream cheese packages came in these huge blocks. An 8oz package of cream cheese shouldn't take that long to soften in the microwave, 30 to 40 seconds at most. Just throw it on a microwave-safe plate or in a bowl if you want to be safe. Mix the crab meat together with the other ingredients listed in the recipe. Stir it well and add the ingredients to a dish you can heat in the oven. The crab dip will become hot and bubbly and cheesy. Mmm. Make sure to serve this dip warm!
Store your leftover crab dip in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days.
Before your guests arrive toast up some baguette slices. Find some good crackers that won't break when you dip them such as Triscuits or I like buttery Toasted crackers. Pita chips are a very sturdy cracker so those won't break when you dip.
There are ways to make Crab dip lower in points. Use Fat- Free cream cheese or a combo of equal parts ⅓ less-fat cream cheese and nonfat Greek yogurt. Crab meat is zero points. Find a low point cheese to mix in this. I'm not really sure if there is a part-skim version of Monterey Jack cheese before, I've never looked for one!
More Great Recipes to Try:
- Air Fryer Onion Rings
- Grinder Salad Sandwich - Tiktok Recipe
- Zero Point Cabbage Soup
- Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
- French Fries in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Pickle Chips
If you tried this Air Fryer Crab Dip orany other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Crab Dip - Using Canned Crab Meat
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 - 15 minutes
- Total Time: 59 minute
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Crab dip is always a classy choice for an appetizer spread. Takes only 5 minutes to prep! Serve with crackers or a toasted baguette slices for dipping. Just don't double dip.
Ingredients
- 2 6 oz cans of crab meat such as Bubble Bee’s, drained
- 8 oz of ⅓ less fat neufchâtel cheese, softened
- 1 cup of Monterey Jack Cheese
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning + plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Let your cream cheese sit out until it comes to room temperature or until it is soft enough to mix well. If you are in a hurry to make this follow my tips above in the post to soften cream cheese in a hurry.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl stir together crab meat, Neufchatel cheese, Monterey jack cheese, and the spices. Add the ingredients to an 8X8 in a baking dish and top with more Monterey Jack cheese. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crab dip is bubbly and hot.
Notes
myWW points:
Blue Points: 4; Green Points: 4; Purple Points: 4
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 207
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 9.4
- Unsaturated Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 15.8
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