This Deviled Crab is a classic dish packed with succulent lump crabmeat that couldn’t be easier to pull together for a quick, special dinner!
Today, I’m serving up one of our favorite dinners here at the beach folks, Deviled Crab. We just drop in the crab trap and and a few hours later, it’s a crab feast!
No worries if you don’t have a crab trap, store bought crabmeat will do just fine. And Deviled Crab is perfect all year round, not just during the summer season.
It’s so simple to throw together too. Perfect for busy weeknights, date night or fancy enough for weekend guests.
Deviled Crab was always my Gram’s favorite. When we were growing up, Gram took care of us when Mom and Dad weren’t at the beach.
My sisters and I had jobs during the day, so Gram pretty much ran the household while we were all out. To thank her, with our tip money, we’d each treat her every so often, to either lunch or dinner out, somewhere of her choice. More often than not, she’d choose a seafood restaurant and order some kind of fish sandwich or deviled crab. I’m certain that’s why I love it so much.
If you’re not familiar with Deviled Crab, it’s sort of like a crabcake in a cup. Mainly crabmeat, with a bit of onion, peppers, dry mustard, Worchestershire, lemon juice, heavy cream and some panko crumbs.
No need for shaping into cakes. Simply sauté the veggies, stir in the cream and spices, then fold in the crabmeat and panko and top with some buttered panko crumbs. How easy is that?
You’ll bake these for about 15 minutes, serve with fresh corn on the cob and perhaps a caprese salad and dinner is served! Enjoy!
A few other favorite crabmeat recipes here at the BHK are my Mini Crabmeat Baked Egg Casseroles, and my Crab Melts.
A Few Cook’s Notes for Deviled Crab Recipe:
I like to use a combination of red and green pepper, but you can also use just one or the other.
I used plain panko crumbs, but you can also use crushed saltine crackers.
I divided the crabmeat mixture evenly among six of my 7-oz. Le Creuset ramekins.
This Deviled Crab is a classic dish packed with succulent lump crabmeat that couldn't be easier to pull together for a quick, special dinner!
- 7 Tbsp. butter, divided
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1 tsp. hot sauce
- 1 tsp, Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb. fresh lump crabmeat, drained and picked
- 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cup plain panko crumbs, divided
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray six small ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. (I used six 7-oz. ramekins) Place ramekins on a large baking sheet. Set aside.
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In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add onion, red and green pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often until tender. Stir in cream, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring until well combined. Fold in the crabmeat, parsley and 3/4 cup of the panko crumbs. Divide the mixture evenly between the six ramekins.
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Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 cup panko crumbs to the melted butter. Toss until well coated. Sprinkle over each of the ramekins. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve immediately.
Any dish with crab makes me VERY happy! And this sounds delicious! I am truly so excited to try this one :)
Us too Alex! This is one of the easiest to come out of my kitchen! Enjoy!
Crabcake in a cup? Yes please! I really enjoy crab and it’s a real treat when I do have it. Now I know what I’m making next time when I grab some :) Pinned! Have an awesome weekend ahead :)
So much easier than shaping and frying Dawn! Takes minutes to make and these little cups go even faster! Happy weekend to you too!
Lovely twist to surprise the gang next time. Thank you very much and enjoy your day :-)
Yes! Hope you give it a go Davorka! I’m sure it will be a hit. Happy weekend!
My parents have a crabbing party every summer so I’m forwarding this recipe to them. I have a feeling my dad will go bonkers for it! It sounds delicious!
Bet he will Kelsie! Enjoy!
Real crab is my favorite indulgence, Mary Ann. How have I never tried it deviled? Looks and sounds totally mouthwatering. This one’s an absolute must try!!
Hope you enjoy it Marissa. I can’t tell you how many times I make this during the year! It’s so easy and everyone always loves it!
Mary Ann, your crab looks similar to the dungeons crab we have the pacific coast. I love your dish, simple but oh so good. Aren’t food memories the best?
So incredibly simple Gerlinde! We just love it and so did my Gram! Food memories are definitely the BEST!
This is happening!! I can’t wait! Better than a crab cake, I’d say!! Shared!
Yes! So easy. Hope you enjoy Annie!
I feel like my friends would be very impressed if I served this at my next dinner party!! I’ve never done anything with crab but I do love eating it!!
Bet they’d love it Katherine.
Sounds great ,but why is the sodium count so high???
Hi Lisa. Crabmeat is from the sea, so it’s salty. That’s why you see the higher sodium content. You can eliminate the extra salt in the recipe to take it a bit lower if you’d like.
You are so lucky to have access to fresh crab! I’d be making this everyday. Such a great memory of your gram and such a lovely recipe!
Thanks so much Kathy! Gram loved deviled crab. Also got my love of tea biscuits from her.
I’m not surprised these are a favorite at the beach, I can just imagine sitting out with a cold drink enjoying one of these delicious looking pots.
They’re made quite often here at the beach Matt!
These look so delicious, Mary Ann! And really easy to make! It would be so cool to set a trap and find my dinner in it!
Thanks Kelly! Lol! It’s fun and a lot cheaper!
I’ve never heard of deviled crab, but I love crab cakes. So if I can enjoy them in these convenient little cups without shaping them into patties, that works for me!!
So easy Leanne!
What a treat to have fresh crab! Wouldn’t pass up the chance to have these!
Thanks Kev!
Hi Mary Ann. I grew up on the coast in Savannah, Ga. where we had plenty of deviled crabs. This recipe sounds wonderful. One question. Can this be mixed up and frozen in individual portions before cooking. I would love to be able to take out one serving to enjoy whenever. Looking forward to trying your recipe.
Sandra Parker
Hi Sandra. Yes, you can freeze in individual portions for about one month. Make sure the portions are sealed in an airtight container. Hope you enjoy! And thanks so much for following along!
Finally a crab recipe that doesn’t involve Old Bay..so so good! Just like I remembered !
So happy you enjoy the recipe Deidre!