Crab dip is Maryland on a cracker, and Old Bay is the seasoning every Ravens fan grew up with. In Baltimore it's served cold at a summer party and hot on game day, and at M&T Bank Stadium that choice gets made for you: you can only cook in the hot lots, A, B/C, G, H, N, NN and O. Check the letter on your permit, then pick the hot or cold version.
At the lot: In a hot lot, bake it in a foil pan on the grill. In a cold lot, serve it straight from the ice. Homegating: Bake it in the oven and set it out with crackers and toasted baguette.
Home gear: a mixing bowl, a rubber spatula and a half-size foil pan with a lid (or a 2-quart lidded container for the cold version)
1 HR 20 MIN
At home, mostly chilling
25 MIN
At the lot
12
Serves
Ingredients
Dip
- 1 lb lump crab meat, picked over for shell
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp Old Bay, plus more for the top
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- 4 dashes hot sauce
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
Hot version only
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided
Serve
- 2 sleeves buttery crackers
- 1 baguette, sliced and toasted
- 1 bunch celery, cut into sticks
Steps
At home
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then mix in the sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, 2 tsp Old Bay, Worcestershire, dry mustard and hot sauce.
- Stir in most of the green onions, saving a few for the top. Fold in the crab gently with a spatula so the lumps stay whole.
- Cold version: spread it in the lidded container, dust the top with Old Bay and the rest of the green onions, and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Hot version: fold in ½ cup of the cheddar, spread it in the foil pan and top with the rest of the cheddar and a dusting of Old Bay. Lid it and chill. Pack the extra green onions on the side.
- Either way, it rides to the lot in the cooler on ice, at 40°F or below.
At the lot
- Cold version: set the container in a pan of ice and serve it straight from the cooler. Put it back on ice between rounds.
- Hot version (hot lots only): set the grill to medium, about 375°F with the lid closed, using indirect heat (one side of a propane grill off, or the coals pushed to one side). Bake the uncovered pan on the cool side for 20 to 25 minutes, until it bubbles at the edges and the center reads 165°F.
- Scatter the green onions over the hot dip and serve it in the pan with the crackers, bread and celery.
Pack for the lot
Lot notes
- Cold lot, hot dip: bake it at home (375°F for 20 to 25 minutes) and carry it hot, wrapped in towels in an empty cooler. The rules for holding it are in how to keep food hot at a tailgate.
Can you make crab dip ahead?
Yes. Mix it up to a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. The cold version is ready to serve, and the hot version bakes straight from the cooler, just add a few minutes and check for 165°F in the center.
How do you keep crab dip cold at a tailgate?
It's a dairy and mayo dip, so leave it in the cooler until people are ready, then set the container in a shallow pan of ice while it's out. Here's how to pack a cooler so it stays cold until then.
How much do you need for 20 people?
Double it: 2 lb crab, 16 oz cream cheese, 1 cup each of sour cream and mayo, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 4 tsp Old Bay and 6 green onions, plus 2 cups cheddar for the hot version. That feeds 20 to 24, and crab usually comes in 1 lb containers, so doubling is simpler than 1⅔ batches.
What crab meat is best for crab dip?
Lump crab meat gives you big, sweet pieces without the price of jumbo lump. Pick through it on a plate for bits of shell and fold it in last so it stays in chunks.
More dips & appsMore from the Ravens guide
Gear for this cook
Straight from the source, next on our cooking list. Beat us to it? Tell us how it went →
