Hot Crab Spinach & Artichoke Dip

If you LOVE spinach dip like me, this Hot Crab Spinach & Artichoke Dip is going to be on regular rotation at your house! It's FULL of lump crab meat and has the perfect cheesy, buttery, savory flavor that you get at any restaurant - for a fraction of the cost!

Hot Crab Spinach & Artichoke Dip in a white bowl with sour cream and jalapeño on top.

You guys know that Pappadeaux is one of my favorite local seafood spots. I set out to make a copycat version of their lump crab spinach dip and ended up with a beautiful, but easy, Hot Crab Spinach & Artichoke Dip. This is one of those recipes that taste even better as leftovers the next day - if they make it that long!

Ingredients

Jumbo Lump Crab Meat - Now this IS Coined Cuisine... so of course, we're going to try to catch a sale on crab meat. However, sometimes it's okay to treat yourself regardless! Be sure to get the jumbo lump meat so you get those juicy bites of crab in every spoonful.
Mozzarella & Colby Jack Cheese - For our cheese flavor profile, I like to use a combination of hand-shredded mozzarella and Colby jack cheese. Don't forget to save some for the topping!
Pickled Jalapeños - Pickled jalapeños give this dip the perfect amount of kick. If you don't like spice, feel free to reduce or eliminate the amount from the recipe.
Cream - Baked spinach dip that's dry and stiff is a CRIME. So we use two types of cream in the recipe - heavy cream & sour cream. I normally substitute my sour cream with unflavored Greek yogurt for a protein boost since you can't taste the difference.
Old Bay - Of course, Old Bay and crab go together like pb&j.
White Wine - Some white cooking wine gives a depth of flavor that you normally can only get at restaurants! We won't use a lot of it, but it pairs really well with the seafood flavors.
Pita Chips - Okay, okay, this is totally optional and you CAN use tortilla chips... BUT. I'm going to show you below how to quickly make some homemade garlic-butter pita chips that are out of this WORLD! They hold up to this thick, creamy dip perfectly.

How to Make the BEST (Hot) Crab Spinach Dip

I'm not really a fan of cold spinach dip, so I truly believe I've truly perfected the method to make the BEST hot spinach dip.

Making spinach dip itself is pretty simple. Just mix everything in a bowl and bake. But to make this Hot Crab Spinach & Artichoke Dip, there are just a few tips and tricks to take it to the next level.

First, you want to chop up your artichoke hearts finely. I use the jarred ones since they already have some flavor added to them, but just make sure they are chopped enough so you won't have huge chunks of artichoke to wrestle with.

Then, the creamy aspect. We actually don't use any type of milk, but a combination of heavy cream & sour cream (or Greek yogurt) gives the perfect creamy texture to our dish.

It's time to season, and that's where you can really have fun with it. Because there aren't any raw ingredients in this, feel free to season as you go along! I love a good Cajun/seafood kick with Old Bay, a pinch of smoked paprika, and some Worcestershire sauce for a little smoky aspect.

And as for dipping? Let me put y'all on really quick. Take some pita bread rounds, slice them into 8ths, brush with a combination of olive oil + melted butter + Italian seasoning + garlic powder, then bake at 300°F for a few minutes. Sheer perfection! The homemade pita chips are soft, sturdy, and a perfect pair for our spinach dip.

A hand scooping up hot crab spinach dip with a pita chip. — So warm and cozy! You'll want to eat this by the spoonful.

FAQs

Can I use canned lump crab meat?

I've actually used both the fresh jumbo lump crab you get from the seafood section and the canned kind that's on the tuna aisle. Since you're baking your spinach dip, it's not a HUGE difference if you need to save a few bucks and get the canned version. Of course - the fresher, the better.

How long does spinach dip last in the fridge?

Since we do have some seafood in here, I would keep it in the refrigerator for a max of 3 days. It reheats fine in the microwave!

Can I substitute the crab for other seafood?

For sure! Try some chopped shrimp (I would add these in raw so they don't overcook too much in the oven), or even lobster if you're feeling EXTRA luxurious. No judgement 🙂