This cheesy, gooey, rich, and succulent Dungeness crab spinach and artichoke dip is what dreams are made of. Loosen your belt, grab a bag of tortilla chips, and dive into this divine dip.

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Make sure to keep scrolling past the recipe card for a deep dive into this crab spinach and artichoke dip recipe. We cover topics like, ingredients and equipment you’ll need, step by step cooking instructions, what to do with leftovers, best crab meat options, and some common FAQ’s.

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Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

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WTF is Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip?

This crab spinach and artichoke dip is one of those nostalgic appetizers from my childhood, but jazz’d up a bit with better ingredients and of course, succulent Dungeness crab meat. When I eat this spinach dip I feel like I’m back in high school again, working at the old pizza parlor where I had my first spinach and artichoke dip.

That one didn’t have any crab meat, and I’m pretty sure it was mostly cream cheese and parmesan, but it came out of the oven hot AF and I would devour an order during almost every shift.

For this slightly grown up version, we use fresh spinach, a good mix of high quality cheeses, and plump crab meat seasoned with the taste of east coast blue crabs. The result is a super rich, succulent, gooey, cheese bomb that will teleport you back to your favorite dive bar or restaurant where you first fell in love with crab spinach and artichoke dip.

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Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip Ingredients

Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to make this crab spinach artichoke dip recipe. You shouldn’t have any trouble finding everything at your local supermarket. If you can’t find crab meat you can order some online. I’ve attached a link to a preferred online fish monger.

• Crab Meat: You could buy fresh crabs and work for the meat, or pay a little extra and just buy the meat. Or you could use canned crab meat, Bell Buoy is an Oregon company that ships canned, whole crab, and fresh crabmeat.
• Artichokes: One can of artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped.
• Sour Cream: If you want to go a healthier route you could use plain greek yogurt, but like…. healthily is kind of out of the window with this crab spinach and artichoke dip.
• Cheese: Cream cheese, Pecorino Romano, and mozzarella. You could play around with different cheese, just choose ones that melt gooey.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Along with sea salt and crushed black pepper, it’s just kind of a staple spice for us. Feel free to omit if you don’t like a little heat.
• Old Bay Seasoning: My wife is from Baltimore, so if we’re cooking crabs, we’re seasoning them with old bay. I don’t fight it, and I shouldn’t, because it tastes freaking great.
• Spinach: Try and use fresh spinach, but if you only have frozen, that will work too. Try to defrost it in time so you don’t add a bunch of ice chunks to the skillet.

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Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip Equipment

You won’t need anything too special to make this crab spinach artichoke dip recipe, you probably already have everything in your kitchen.

• Cast iron Skillet/Oven Safe Baking Dish: If you have a large cast iron skillet, go ahead and cook the entire dish in it so you can toss it in the broiler at the end. Otherwise, you’ll need to transfer to an oven safe baking dish to get that crispy top.
• Spatula: You’ll need a strong spatula to mix the thick and sticky ingredients together.

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How to Make Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip

Follow these step by step instructions to make this crab spinach and artichoke dip recipe. It should take you less than half an hour to complete.

Step 1: Prep

Wash and roughly chop your spinach. Drain the artichoke hearts and roughly chop them. Mince garlic, and grate cheeses.

Step 2: Saute’

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add minced garlic, red pepper flakes, sea salt, black pepper, and sauté’ for a minute or two before adding the spinach. Work in batches, adding more as soon as the spinach in the skillet has wilted. Add roughly chopped artichoke hearts and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes.

Step 3: Cheese it!

Add cream cheese, pecorino, mozzarella, and sour cream. Stir to combine, cover, and reduce heat to low. Wait a few minutes for all the cheeses to melt before removing the lid and stirring. Season the previously cooked crab meat with Old Bay and gently fold it into the spinach and artichoke dip. Taste and season accordingly with more sea salt and crush black pepper.

Step 4: Broil

Transfer the crab spinach artichoke dip to an oven safe baking dish. Or, if you’re already using a cast iron skillet or oven safe dish, transfer straight into the oven and broil for 3-5 minutes at 500F until a golden brown crispy top forms.

Sprinkle more Old Bay Seasoning over top the bubbling hot and gooey crab spinach and artichoke dip and serve with tortilla chips or pita bread. Enjoy!

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What to Serve with Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip?

I think the perfect way to eat this crab dip is with a greasy tortilla chip. It adds a much needed crunch to this super creamy appetizer. Crusty toasted bread works well too. And some folks enjoy it with pita bread. theres no wrong answer.

I’d serve this crab dip appetizer at a game day party or any casual gathering where libations are flowing. But I won’t judge you if you just make a bowl of this and eat it all to yourself on the couch, I’ve totally never done that….

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Best Crabs for Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip

When choosing the best kind of crab meat for Crab Spinach Artichoke dip, several factors come into play, including price, availability, flavor, and convenience. Here’s a breakdown:

Availability: Canned Crab Meat: Canned crab meat, both pasteurized and fresh, is widely available in grocery stores. It offers a good balance between availability and quality.

Flavor: Fresh Crab Meat: Fresh crab meat is the best in terms of flavor. It has a sweet and delicate taste that can enhance the overall quality of the dish. Depending on what side of the country you are on will probably dictate which crab you’re buying, Dungeness or Blue Crab.

Convenience: Canned or Frozen Crab Meat: For convenience, canned or frozen crab meat is preferable. It’s readily available, has a longer shelf life, and eliminates the need for cracking and picking crab shells.

Price: Imitation crab meat: Imitation crab meat is usually made from fish. It’s certainly the most budget-friendly option. While it mimics the texture and appearance of crab and is more affordable, is it really crab spinach artichoke dip if you use fake crab?

It’s up to you. If you have the means and preference for fresh crab meat, it will certainly elevate the flavor of your Crab Spinach Artichoke dip. But honestly, this dish is exploding with flavor and cheese and texture already, I would say go with canned crab meat. It’s like ordering well vodka in a Bloody Mary, you won’t be able to tell the difference.

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Crab Spinach Artichoke Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it will last up to a week. Reheat it in the oven or microwave before serving again.

I do not recommended freezing this dip. The texture of dairy-based dishes can change upon thawing. It’s best enjoyed fresh or reheated from the refrigerator. Don’t act like you aren’t gonna finish this delicious crab dip in one sitting.

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