Hot, easy & melted cheesy! I’m talking Million Dollar Shrimp & Crab Dip. This classic baked Louisiana seafood dip is loaded with shrimp, crab, bell pepper, onion, bacon, 4 cheeses and all the right seasoning and spices!
Don’t let the list of ingredients fool you. This hot crab & shrimp dip is simple to make. It is literally a matter of mixing everything together in the same bowl and then putting it in a dish to bake. It doesn’t really get any easier than that! Below I’ve got some tips + info so that your baked seafood dip will always be the best!
RELATED RECIPE: Louisiana Shrimp & Crab Deviled Eggs
What You Need To Make Million Dollar Shrimp & Crab Dip
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in this section along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- small salad shrimp
- lump crab meat
- bacon pieces
- cream cheese
- sour cream
- mayonnaise
- cheddar, Parmesan & pepper jack cheeses
- green onion
- red bell pepper
- lemon juice
- Worcestershire sauce
- salt, pepper, garlic powder & paprika
How to Make the Best Hot Crab Dip
- This dip is all about the seafood. Make sure you get the best quality, freshest seafood available to you.
- If your shrimp is frozen, thaw it before adding it to this dish. You will also want to pat it dry with a paper towel or two. You don’t want any extra water in your dip.
- As much as this dip is about the seafood, it’s also about some good melted cheese. As always, grating your own cheese will ensure that you get smoothly melted, deliciously creamy hot cheese.
- For a little extra kick (yes, please!), add ¼ -½ teaspoon red pepper flakes to your dip. Or if you prefer to let your guests add their own heat level, put out a shaker of pepper flakes that they can use to sprinkle red pepper flakes on top of their serving.
- This dip is traditionally served with saltine crackers, but it can also be enjoyed with Melba toast, baguette slices, even corn chips!
Baked Shrimp & Crab Dip Ahead of Time
This dip does not freeze well, but it can be put together ahead of time and baked the day you want to serve it. If you need to reheat the dip, simply put it in the microwave or in a 350 degree oven to warm. I wouldn’t, however, reheat it more than once.
Crock Pot Instructions
You can make this dip in your slow cooker, or crock pot, if you like. Follow steps 1-3, then spoon your dip into a small 1.5-3 quart crock pot. Cook on low for 2-3 hours. Garnish before serving.
For ideas and products to serve this Hot Shrimp & Crab Dip at a party or to family and friends, visit the Southern Discourse Amazon Store. There I share serving pieces, glassware, cookware and other items I use in my own home, along with many of my favorite products for hosting, cooking and everyday living!
More Shrimp & Crab Recipes You’ll Love
- Louisiana Shrimp & Crab Deviled Eggs
- Louisiana Pickled Shrimp in a Jar
- Easy Homemade Shrimp Cocktail Sauce & Shrimp Platter
- Best Louisiana Crab Cakes
- Spicy Creole Shrimp Foil Packets
Million Dollar Shrimp & Crab Dip
Ingredients
- 1 lb salad shrimp, patted dry
- 6 oz lump crab meat
- ½ C cooked bacon pieces
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ C sour cream
- ¼ C mayonnaise
- ½ C grated pepper Jack cheese
- ¼ C grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ C shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ C finely diced red bell pepper
- ¼ C finely sliced green onion +2 tablespoon for garnish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1.5 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to blend cream cheese, sour cream and mayo together. Add grated cheeses, bell pepper, onion, and blend. Mix in seasonings, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.
- Using a fork, stir in the lump crab and bacon. Fold in salad shrimp.
- When mixed well, spoon dip into 1.5 quart dish and bake in preheated oven for 30-35, until top of dip is golden brown and edges bubble. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Add extra diced green onion as garnish before serving.
I’m make the dip as I type. I will see how this goes and I will be eating it with tortilla chips…. Update this dip is the best thing that I could have put on a chip and in my mouth. 👍👍👌👌
Hi, Tymeshia!
Ha! Yesssss! I completely agree!
I tweeked a few things, added imitation crabmeat because I didn’t have lump crab on hand. I used about 3/4 bar of Cream Cheese, about 1/2 c sour cream, 8 oz pepperjack cheese, about 8-10 oz shredded cheddar cheese, 1 pkg yellow, green, & red bell peppers, several onions sliced, sauteed vegetables in about 1/2 stick butter, then added my cream cheese & sour cream, added about 2 pds peeled & deveined large shrimp, 1 pkg imitation crab meat chopped small, added Slap your Moma spice, pepper, salt, dash red pepper flakes, onion powder, minced garlic about 2-3 tbsp, stirred around a few times, put in a greased casserole dish, added 1/2 c real bacon bits, put in oven for about 10-15 minutes on 375″ be careful that it don’t burn or bubble over. Awesome good! you can slice french bread thin, butter & garlic, let brown in oven top w dip or w Ritz cracker or other crackers of choice. Sooo good! I also made catfish stew on side, w BLT & ranch pasta salad. Super good together!!! Try it you will enjoy!!!
You should have just published your own? This post wasn’t about your recipe. I feel it’s disrespectful.
Can’t we all just get along? Separate recipe ideas, additions and subtractions are all about a cooking community. Nobody is being forced to read other comments.
Best regards.
Thank you Don. Excellent point. Personally, I like readers comments that offer variations to the core recipe.
You seemed to have changed most ingredients, why bother to publish a review 🤔
Just wondering if the shrimp is uncooked before folding into the other ingredients??
Hi, Carol! Yes, the shrimp goes into the dip uncooked. They cook quickly while the dip bakes in the oven. They will become tough and very overcooked otherwise. I hope you enjoy this dip. It is a reader favorite!
I see bacon in the ingredients list, but I don’t see it in the instructions. Did I just overlook it?
Hi, Shonitra! No worries! Step number 3- Stir in the crab and bacon. Fold in the shrimp. Hope that helps! Enjoy!
is the bacon cooked prior to putting in the mix?
Hi, Kathy! It sure is! I hope you love this recipe. It’s absolutely delish!
Such a wonderful recipe for Christmas. Can I bake then put in a warming/serving dish over little candle flame? Or even keep in the crockpot on warm? Thank you
Hi, Crystal! Thank you! You sure can! However, because it’s seafood, I wouldn’t keep out in a warmer or crock pot more than an hour or so.
This was delicious we had as part of our NYE spread
Hi, Anne! Thank you so much! I am tickled you enjoyed it and honored you included in your celebration. Happy New Year!
My hometown recipes which I dearly love. Thank you.
Hi, Lynda! You are so welcome! I love them too!
Ge Superbowl Sunday 2024 only me & my Auntie &a friend we love no work seafood SO far so good I just complete making it and yummy so far!!!
Hi, Barbara! I’m with you! I hope y’all enjoyed the dip and the game!
Hello, I have a question can I mix all the ingredients in a bowl and stored in the fridge( un baked ) for the next day. Do I can toss everything in the oven the next day
Hi, Scotty! Absolutely! For more tips on making ahead and/or freezing, check out the section of the blog post headed “Baked Shrimp & Crab Dip Ahead of Time.”