How to Make Crab Appetizer Recipes 

Learn how to make crab appetizer recipes with crab meat or crab sticks. Crab sticks are an imitation crab meat made with finely pulverized white seafood. Many people tell me that they like this imitation just as well as they like real crab. I personally am not one who likes anything fake and this is how I feel about imitation crab meat; besides that I have found imitation crab meat to be very expensive. Several of the recipes below can be included in the make ahead appetizer recipes. Also consider if you are serving crab appetizer recipes include a variety of seafood such as a shrimp appetizer and a ceviche recipe.

How to Make Crab Appetizer RecipesHow to Make Crab Appetizer Recipes

When you learn how to make crab appetizer recipes, you will need to learn how to select the live crab if you choice to use them. Live crab should feel heavy for their size. They should also be spunky and full of life and anxious to pinch you if given a chance. Sometimes crabs might seem quite watery. This is because after crabs shed their shells they will suck in water to fill its new living quarters so this is quite normal. You can also test crabs by pinching the third leg from the front of the crab to see if it is full of meat; if it is not the leg will give when pinched.


Crabs deteriorate quickly after death so they should be kept alive and handled carefully until processing is ready. Crab is marketed fresh in several forms; live, whole cooked; cooked sections and cooked picked meat. If you visit an area where the crabs are brought in on the boats, you may see long tables where people sit (mostly women) and they pick out the meat from cooked crabs. Using a small sharp knife they cut the crab and pick the meat faster than the eyes can see. They will then divide this meat into three categories according to quality. The first will be large lumps coming from the body of the crab which is the most expensive. The next is from the body shell which are smaller pieces or flakes; also very good but mostly used in recipes like crab cakes which are very popular crab appetizer recipes. The last category is meat coming from the legs where the quality is very stringy; also very tasty but used is recipes like casseroles.


When you learn how to cook fresh crab, the body meat from a crab should be bright white and full; somewhat translucent and not too dry or cottony looking. The leg and claw meat has brown and reddish coloring on it; this type is the least expensive and it fine for most crab appetizer recipes. The first of my recipes starts with the pastry puffs that are often filled with luscious dessert creams. These puffs are filled with a delicious crab filling and heated in the oven. While making these puffs, it would not hurt to make extras for dessert recipes.

HOW TO COOK HOT CRABMEAT PUFFS Miniature cream puffs recipe

  • 1 Cup water
  • ½ Cup butter
  • 1 Cup flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 Eggs

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.

Bring water and butter to a boil; add flour and salt, stirring vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball. Add eggs one at a time beating until smooth. Drop teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for30 to 35 minutes or until puffs have turned a golden brown. Remove from oven and remove puffs from baking sheet. These unfilled cream puffs can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the freezer.

Crabmeat filling:

  • 8 Ounces soft cream cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon milk
  • ½ Teaspoon horseradish sauce
  • ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 Can (6 1/2 ounces) crabmeat drained
  • ½ Cup toasted slivered almonds
  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Combine the cream cheese, milk, horseradish sauce, and pepper; mix until well blended.

Stir in the crabmeat, onion and almonds.

To assemble cut the tops off the cream puffs and fill with the crab mixture.

Replace tops and bake for 10 minutes and serve.

MINIATURE CRAB CAKE RECIPE

Next of the crab appetizer recipes is a miniature of the ever popular crab cakes recipe. Added bonus comes with this crab cake recipe in the Chipotle sauce recipe which is full of flavor and delicious.

  • 1 Pound crabmeat
  • ¼ Cup finely chopped onion
  • ¼ Cup finely chopped red bell pepper
  • 3 Cups fresh bread crumbs
  • ½ Cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ Cup soft cream cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/8 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 Teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Spray baking sheet lightly with vegetable oil.

In a medium bowl combine the crabmeat, onion, bell pepper, 1 cup of the breadcrumbs. Mayonnaise, cream cheese, mustard, egg, cayenne, paprika, salt and parsley; mix until well blended.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Place remaining bread crumbs in a bowl.

Form crab cakes about 1 inch in diameter.

Coat both sides with breadcrumbs and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes and serve warm with a dollop of the Chipotle sauce recipe on top of each.

Makes 24 small crab cakes or 12 large crab cakes.

Chipotle Sauce recipe:
  • 2 Whole chipotle chilies (canned smoked jalapeno peppers)
  • 1 Cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • ½ Cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ Teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. (Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated)

CREAM CHEESE CRAB DIP RECIPE a crab appetizer recipe

Cream Cheese Crab Dip RecipeCream Cheese Crab Dip Recipe
  • 1 Can (6 ounces) lump crab meat
  • 1 Package (8 ounces) softened cream cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon onion juice
  • ¼ Teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 Teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ Cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2/3 Cup chopped pecans

Drain crab meat reserving 3 tablespoons liquid; with fork separate crab meat into flakes.

Combine crab meat, reserved liquid, cream cheese, onion juice and curry powder; mix until smooth.

Spread crab mixture in oven safe (about 4 cups) baking dish.

Sprinkle top with paprika, parsley and pecans; bake in oven at 350F degrees for about 20 minutes.

Serve hot with Melba toast or crackers.

JALAPENO DIP RECIPE

This is a favorite crab appetizer recipe to serve at a party with other appetizers. The spiciness usually limits the amount one person consumes. But the flavor of this particular crab appetizer recipe makes it very popular.

  • ½ Red bell pepper chopped
  • 1 ½ Teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 Can (14 ounces) drained and chopped artichokes
  • 1 Cup mayonnaise
  • ½ Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ Cup thinly sliced green onion
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Minced jalapeno peppers
  • 1 Teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ Teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 Can (8 ounces) drained lump crab meat
  • Salt/ pepper

Sauté bell pepper in skillet with oil over high heat about 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine in mixing bowl bell pepper, artichokes, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, green onion, Worcestershire sauce, jalapeno peppers, lemon juice and celery salt.

Blend in crab meat and season with salt and pepper; spread mixture in 8 inch pie plate.

Bake at 350F degrees for 20 to 25 minutes; serve with thin slices of French bread toast.