Luxurious crab bisque with Scotch whiskey, butter, and heavy cream. Chunks of flaked crab meat swim in a velvety, boozy broth that comes together in just 30 minutes. Pure indulgence in a bowl.
Cocktail seafood Swiss quiche bakes crab and shrimp into a creamy custard of eggs, milk, mayonnaise, and nutty Swiss cheese. A make-ahead party slice that cuts cleanly into bite-size cocktail wedges.
Louisiana seafood gumbo loaded with shrimp, crab, and oysters in a dark roux broth. Okra and the holy trinity thicken this Cajun classic, finished with file powder and ladled over rice.
Quick seafood macaroni salad with shrimp, crab sticks, red bell pepper, celery, and onion in a creamy Miracle Whip and coleslaw dressing. Ready to chill in 15 minutes flat.
Lexington Avenue seafood salad with shrimp, crab, peas, cucumber, and celery in a horseradish-spiked Thousand Island yogurt dressing. A lighter deli-counter-style seafood salad.
Golden pan-fried lump crab cakes with chives and Dijon, served with a vibrant blanched basil mayonnaise. Triple-breaded for a shattering crisp crust outside, sweet crab inside.
Restaurant-style crab cakes with red and green bell peppers, seared golden then oven-finished, served on a velvety cilantro butter sauce. A stunning plated seafood main course.
Gulf-style shrimp and crab spaghetti simmered in a rich tomato sauce with chili powder, basil, butter, and garlic. Whole crabs in the sauce make this a messy, hands-on feast.
Easy horseradish crab dip blends sweet lump crab with cream cheese, sharp horseradish, and a touch of onion, then bakes until bubbly and golden. A 7-ingredient party appetizer that goes from bowl to oven in 15 minutes.
Golden, crispy beer batter softshell crabs fried to perfection. The batter rests to thicken before frying, giving each crab a crunchy shell with tender, sweet meat inside.
Oysters Lafitte: oysters on the half shell topped with crabmeat in dill cream and a tarragon béarnaise, broiled until golden. A French Quarter classic for the brave home cook.
Elegant crab-stuffed avocado halves with sliced pear, peach, and fresh primrose petals, dressed in a homemade creamy vinaigrette. A stunning no-cook appetizer ready in 10 minutes.
Crispy fried spring rolls stuffed with crab, ground pork, bean thread noodles, and tree-ear mushrooms in rice paper wrappers. Served with fresh herbs and lettuce for wrapping.
Elegant crab and lobster salad plated with a fennel-orange side salad and a silky Courchamps sauce made with crab, tarragon, and Dijon. A refined no-cook seafood dish for special occasions.
Overnight Chinese pasta salad with cool rice vermicelli, snow peas, cucumber, shrimp and crab in a sesame-ginger dressing. A make-ahead potluck favorite with serious crunch.
A southern living take on stuffed peppers. Crab, crawfish and smoked sausage stuffing.
Deep-fried jalapeno halves packed with seasoned crab meat, garlic, and cayenne, double-breaded in cracker meal for an extra-crunchy shell. Spicy, crispy, and wildly addictive.
Mini crab tarts in flaky pastry shells with Swiss cheese, cream cheese, nutmeg, and shredded carrots. Baked until set and golden for an elegant, bite-sized seafood treat.
Hot crab and cream cheese dip spiked with horseradish, baked under a blanket of slivered almonds until golden. A 20-minute appetizer that vanishes fast at any gathering.
Sharp cheddar and crab English muffin bites you can freeze and bake straight from the freezer in 10 minutes. The ultimate make-ahead appetizer for effortless hosting.
Cheesy crab-topped English muffin bites with sharp Old English cheese and garlic. Make ahead, freeze, then broil straight from the freezer for instant hot appetizers.
Asian-style crab cakes with water chestnuts, dark sesame oil, and light mayo, pan-fried until golden brown. A lighter take on crab cakes with crunch from water chestnuts in every bite.
A velvety spinach and crab soup thickened with a butter-flour roux, enriched with half-and-half, and finished with dill relish and a pinch of nutmeg. Ready in 25 minutes and freezer-friendly.
Hot Crab Fondue is a warm, creamy dip with sharp cheddar, cream cheese, crab, dry white wine, and cayenne - ready in 20 minutes and served with chunks of French bread.
Homemade sushi rolls stuffed with cream cheese, imitation crab, and crisp cucumber wrapped in seasoned rice and nori. A beginner-friendly roll you can nail on the first try.
You can serve this dish hot or cold. We prefer the crab balls hot, when their exterior is crisp and the meat hot and moist. They also go better with the vinegar dip when hot. If you prefer to serve them cold or at room temperature, delete the dip, or substitute something like mustard and catsup.
A hearty Baja-style seafood stew loaded with clams, shrimp, fish, and crab simmered in a citrusy tomato broth with green chiles and white wine.
Crispy fried crab wontons with spinach and cream cheese, served with a sweet-spicy blackberry Szechuan dipping sauce. A stunning fusion appetizer that bridges East and West.
Soft Shell Crabs in Black Bean and Chili Sauce recipe
Silky, chilled crab mousse with Neufchatel cheese, yogurt, and a horseradish zing. A lighter take on the classic seafood spread that's elegant enough for any gathering.
Buttery crab-stuffed mushrooms loaded with dill and sour cream, baked until golden. A crowd-pleasing appetizer ready in 30 minutes. Make them a day ahead!
Penne in tomato sauce with crabmeat is a simple Italian pasta where plum tomatoes, white wine, and soft onion cook down into a light sauce, then get tossed with flaked crab for sweet briny richness.
Broiled lobster stuffed with a creamy crabmeat filling in a butter-roux sauce with Worcestershire and pimentos. A classic New England surf-and-surf showpiece.
Pasta with crab sauce: sweet crab meat folded into a light tomato and white wine sauce with shallot and celery, tossed over hot pasta. An elegant seafood pasta that comes together in about half an hour.
Greenbow County okra gumbo simmers shrimp and crab in a deep chocolate-brown roux with okra, tomato, and the holy trinity. A Louisiana-style seafood gumbo served ladled over hot rice.
Hot crab bake with crab meat, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and pimento in a buttery white sauce, topped with breadcrumbs and slivered almonds. Individual baked crab casseroles for an elegant seafood starter.
Pizza dough gets piled high with crab, tiny shrimp, pineapple chunks, mushrooms, olives, and two kinds of melted cheese for a seafood-loaded pie that bakes in 30 minutes.
Crab cakes with roasted red pepper and lemon zest, triple-coated in breadcrumbs, pan-fried in butter, and served with a homemade basil aioli.
Asparagus and crabmeat salad layers crisp-tender spears over butter lettuce, crowned with sweet lump crab folded into a tomato-Dijon mayonnaise. Elegant cold appetizer or light lunch that comes together in minutes with make-ahead dressing.
Creole gumbo loaded with shrimp, crab, oysters, chicken wings, veal, ham bone, and okra, thickened with file powder. A true New Orleans-style gumbo served over rice.
Crab cakes with tomatillo salsa bind lump crabmeat with bread and egg white for a light crust, pan-seared and topped with tangy diced tomatillo-lime salsa. Southwest-style seafood dinner.
Southern seafood cakes with crab, shrimp, scallops, and flounder in a cornbread crumb coating, pan-fried in clarified butter. Four kinds of seafood in one golden, crispy cake.
Singapore-style soup noodles in a shrimp-shell broth with pork, shrimp, mung bean sprouts, and vermicelli, garnished with crab, cucumber, and scallions. Rich Southeast Asian seafood noodle soup.
Restaurant-style crab cakes from Basil's, made with blue and snow crab plus chopped shrimp, Cajun spice, and garlic mayo. Pan-seared then oven-finished, served with champagne sauce.
Maryland crab soup loaded with sweet lump crab meat, Old Bay seasoning, potatoes, corn, green beans, and carrots in a beef and tomato broth. The classic Chesapeake Bay vegetable soup.
Louisiana seafood gumbo with shrimp, oysters, crab, okra, and a dark roux served over rice with file powder. An authentic Cajun stew loaded with Gulf seafood and smothered okra.
Crabmeat risotto with fresh goat cheese, basil, and cream stirred into arborio rice. A luxurious Italian main dish with sweet crab folded in at the end.
A delicious cheesy crab corn chowder. If you want to make it even better, use roasted fresh corn.