This crab-stuffed shrimp recipe takes two of my favorite seafood ingredients and marries them into an absolutely mouth-watering duo. There’s just something about stuffed shrimp that feels so fancy even though it’s super easy to make. This recipe will surely delight any seafood lover, and I mean delight – we’re talking compliments for days.
Next time you want to bring a dish to a party, this recipe makes for a show-stealing appetizer because (in addition to being scrumptious) it’s just so pretty! But crab-stuffed shrimp can even make for a main course if you serve it up with a few hearty sides.
What is Crab-Stuffed Shrimp?
Basically, this recipe involves fileting large shrimp, then opening and stuffing them with a delicious seafood stuffing.
A lot of folks are intrigued by crab stuffing, and rightly so. Crabmeat mixed with eggs, mayo, cream cheese, and a few crunchy sauteed veggies and breadcrumbs makes for a stuffing with a delightful combination of textures. It’s creamy and savory and has the perfect mix of seasonings with just the right kick of spice.
This stuffing goes amazingly with lots of dishes, including salmon or mushrooms. But let me tell you, it takes good old shrimp to knock ’em right out of the park! 💥
Crab-Stuffed Shrimp Recipe Ingredients
- Crab – High in protein and low in calories and fat, this salty, tender, white meat is a favorite of seafood lovers everywhere.
- Eggs – A must-have ingredient for any cook, this is the ingredient that binds everything together for the stuffing.
- Mayonnaise – A pleasant custard-like texture with a nice balance of savory/tart flavor, Mayo is mild and creamy and really adds to the smooth feel of the stuffing.
- Butter – The perfect ingredient for sauteeing our seasonings.
- Onion – You may cry a bit when chopping onions, but their sharp, tangy flavor is worth it.
- Minced Garlic – Garlic adds a powerful flavor and aroma to any dish but is an especially good complement to seafood flavors that are also quite strong. Mincing the garlic really brings out its flavor.
- Green Onion – Pungent, with a straw-like texture, this veggie is usually used as a garnish.
- Celery – This aromatic vegetable has a bold, earthy flavor that complements the seafood flavors in this recipe perfectly.
- Red Pepper – Sweet and smokey flavors make this vegetable the perfect ingredient to add character and depth to your dish.
- Parsley – A flavorful herb that creates exciting contrasts in flavor and emphasizes the other key players in this recipe.
- Creole Seasoning – This mix of herbs and spices bring flavor and a burst of heat to your dish.
- Crackers – Who needs breadcrumbs when you have buttery crackers to crush? Crackers make for the perfect impromptu breadcrumbs, and they can add a lot of flavors too.
- Parmesan Cheese – Mild and salty, parmesan cheese elevates any dish and complements seafood just perfectly.
- Cream Cheese – The ideal ingredient to give any recipe a smooth, creamy texture with just the right amount of tang.
- Shrimp – A tender crustacean that is super versatile to cook with, shrimp has a slightly sweet flavor.
- Salt – A kitchen staple that intensifies all other flavors.
- Pepper – Another kitchen staple that brings out flavors and adds a nice touch of not-too-hot heat.
- Lemon – With a bright, citrusy flavor, lemon wedges are the ideal garnish for seafood dishes.
Alternative Ingredients
- Shrimp – If shrimp allergies are a concern, you can make this stuffing and use it with salmon for a main dish or mushrooms for an appetizer.
- Cheeses – You could substitute cream cheese for any other soft cheese you love (i.e., mascarpone or ricotta), and you can sub parmesan for a savory hard cheese like romano or asiago cheese.
- Crackers – To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the cracker crumbs with almond flour or a gluten-free cracker.
Tips and Tricks
Don’t overcook the shrimp because they will get chewy and rubbery. Set your oven timer when cooking and take the crab-stuffed shrimp out as per baking instructions.
Line the baking pan with parchment paper or foil for easy clean-up.
Fresh out of Creole Seasoning? Never fear. You can make your own from scratch. 💪
Serving and Storage Instructions
Make-Ahead – You can make the crab stuffing one day before you’re ready to cook the shrimp. If you store the stuffing any longer than that, the cream cheese will start to cry or ooze liquid – not a pretty sight.
Serving Suggestions – Serve crab-stuffed shrimp straight out of the oven. Though they’re great on their own, you can also serve them up with a tasty remoulade sauce.
Storage – Store any leftovers in the fridge right after dinner. Keep them in an airtight container for up to three days.
Reheating – Reheat stuffed shrimp in the oven at around 300℉/150℃ for 10-15 minutes. A toaster oven will work fine too, if you don’t have too many left. This deliciousness also tastes great cold if you want to eat them straight out of the fridge.
FAQs
Crab stuffing is ultra-versatile. You can serve extra crab stuffing over salad or stuff something else with it the next day (like salmon or mushrooms). You could also press the stuffing into round patties and fry them to make crab cakes! The sky is the limit here, folks.
Raw shrimp will only last 1-2 days in the refrigerator, so cook it up quickly! Once it’s cooked, you can refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
Crab-stuffed shrimp is best fresh out of the oven. However, you can make it the day before if you’d like. Simply reheat it in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 300℉/150℃. Keep in mind the tenderness of the shrimp will be affected. Alternatively, you could make the crab stuffing the day before and then simply stuff and bake the shrimp the next day.
What Goes with Shrimp Stuffed with Crab?
Make a full dinner out of your stuffed shrimp by serving them with oven-roasted green beans, rosemary roasted potatoes, or sauteed Brussels sprouts.
They also work great alongside a pot of sausage and pasta! Shrimp stuffed with crab can definitely be a main course with the right sides.
Remoulade sauce, spicy tartar sauce, and cocktail sauce would all taste great with crab-stuffed shrimp. Make all three to give your guests plenty of options.
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
- Seafood Paella – Saffron-infused rice, chorizo, shrimp, and mussels, all served in a single pot with some amazing spices, make this a flavor bomb seafood lovers will swoon over.
- Shrimp Po’Boy – This one is so much more than a sandwich. French bread, delicious buttery shrimp, crunchy cabbage, and fresh tomatoes make this dish a real hit.
- Seafood Gumbo – Perfect for a rainy day, this dish brings shrimp, crab, and sausage together with slow-cooked veggies and a flavor-filled sauce. It’s delicious over a bowl of steaming white rice.
- Shrimp Bisque – A soup for chowder lovers, this bisque pairs well with salads and bread and makes a lovely appetizer.
- Shrimp Risotto – This comfort food features shrimp, parsley, grated parmesan, and creamy arborio rice.
How to Make Crab-Stuffed Shrimp
Prepare to Bake
- Preheat the oven to 375℉/190℃.
- Prepare the Baking Dish – Line a baking dish with foil or parchment paper and spray with a nonstick cooking spray.
Make the Crab Stuffing
- Season the Crab – Place crabmeat in a large bowl and season it with creole seasoning. Alternatively, you can use just salt and pepper to season it.
- Mix in the Eggs and Mayo – Add the eggs and mayonnaise and mix lightly, then cover and refrigerate the mixture while preparing the other ingredients.
- The Rest of the Filling – Add butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, minced garlic, green onions, celery, red pepper, parsley, and creole seasoning as soon as it melts. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes and then transfer to a bowl. Rest until cool.
- Crush the Crackers – While the sauteed ingredients cool, crush the crackers until they have a fine crumb texture.
- Mix it All – Once the sauteed veggies are cool, start adding the cream cheese, crushed crackers, sauteed veggies, and parmesan into the crabmeat mixture. Gently fold in all the ingredients until it’s thoroughly mixed.
- Taste Test – Test the mixture and add salt and pepper as needed.
Stuff and Bake the Shrimp Stuffed with Crab
- Prepare the Shrimp – Place shrimp on a cutting board and cut a slit in the underside of the shrimp about ¾ deep, stopping at the tail so they can lie tail up.
- Season the shrimp lightly with creole seasoning and salt if you desire.
- Stuff the Shrimp – Use a spoon to stuff each shrimp with 1-2 tablespoons of crabmeat.
- Final Stretch – Carefully place the shrimp in your prepared baking dish, stuffed side up, and then spray them with cooking spray.
- Bake until golden brown for about 20 minutes.
- Serve – Remove from the oven and serve right away.
Watch How To Make It
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Crab Stuffed Shrimp
Ingredients
- 8 ounce (225g) crab meat
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2-3 tablespoon (28.35-42.53 g) butter
- ¼ cup (40 g) onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green onion, diced
- ¼ cup (55 g) celery, diced
- ¼ cup (45 g) red pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½-1 teaspoon creole seasoning
- ½ cup buttery crackers
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 ounce (55 g) cream cheese
- 2 pounds large shrimp, cleaned and peeled
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190℃.
- Line a baking dish with foil or parchment paper and spray with a nonstick cooking spray.
- Place crabmeat in a large bowl and season it with creole seasoning. Alternatively, you can use just salt and pepper to season it.
- Add the egg and mayonnaise and mix lightly, then cover and refrigerate the mixture while preparing the other ingredients.
- Add butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, minced garlic, green onions, celery, red pepper, parsley, and creole seasoning as soon as it melts. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes and then transfer to a bowl. Rest until cool.
- While the sauteed veggies cool, crush the crackers until they have a fine crumb texture.
- Once the sauteed veggies are cool, start adding the cream cheese, crushed crackers, sauteed veggies, and parmesan into the crabmeat mixture. Gently fold in all the ingredients until it’s thoroughly mixed.
- Test the mixture and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Place shrimp on a cutting board and cut a slit in the underside of the shrimp about ¾ deep, stopping at the tail so they can lie tail-side up.
- Season the shrimp lightly with creole seasoning and salt if you desire.
- Use a spoon to stuff each shrimp with 1-2 tablespoons of crabmeat.
- Carefully place the shrimp in your prepared baking dish, stuffed side up, and then spray them with cooking spray.
- Bake until golden brown for about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve right away.
Tips & Notes:
- If shrimp allergies are a concern, you can make this stuffing and use it with salmon for a main dish or mushrooms for an appetizer. See my Crab Stuffed Salmon HERE.
- You could substitute cream cheese for any other soft cheese you love (i.e., mascarpone or ricotta), and you can sub parmesan for a savory hard cheese like romano or asiago cheese.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the cracker crumbs with almond flour or a gluten-free cracker.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp because they will get chewy and rubbery. Set your oven timer when cooking and take the crab-stuffed shrimp out as per baking instructions.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Terese Jones says
Where is the video? Clicked link for video, however, was just takin to the list of ingrediants and steps? Love recipe and will try it this weekend.
Imma says
Hi Terese. The video is just above the list of ingredients. Happy Cooking!
Jackie says
Hi
Can I use old bay instead of creole seasoning in this recipe.
Imma says
Yes, you can. Old Bay seasoning is a classic 🙂
Vhuerta says
I made this last night and it was fabulous. We like a little more spice so added a bit more cajun/creole seasoning and hot sauce but other than that follow the recipe exactly and it was awesome. Makes for a really nice presentation also.
Imma says
Wonderful! Thank you so much for the feedback :)!
Simone Mathis says
Thus recipe is really good. Thank you!