Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
10 Comments
Oct 25, 2023
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These crab-stuffed mushrooms belong on your holiday dinner table. They’re a tasty twist on a classic stuffed mushrooms recipe, with meaty crab, cheesy goodness, and plenty of fresh herbs. Plus, it’s an appetizer that can be made in advance for an easy breezy cooking night.
I look forward to making stuffed mushrooms every year for the holidays. Not only are they easy to make, but they’re enormously loved (and instantly devoured) by everyone I serve them to. So this year, I decided to give my classic recipe a new flavor spin after showing a friend how to cook crab legs. With crab meat on hand I was able to whip up my crab salad, plus these new crab stuffed mushrooms. Back-to-back winning recipes!
Crab stuffed mushrooms are guaranteed to be a special dish on your holiday menu, especially for friends and family who obsess over crab. And while I used king crab legs when I initially tested this recipe, lump crab meat is what I’ve used since (it’s also more budget-friendly and easily accessible). So if you’re looking for fresh new ideas for small nibbles or appetizers, this crab-stuffed mushroom recipe will surely satisfy.
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms Ingredients
- Mushrooms: For the perfect small bite, grab cremini or baby bella mushrooms at the market.
- Crab Meat: While fresh crab meat will always reign supreme, canned crab meat is the next best thing. But keep your eyes peeled for lump crab meat. Lump meat comes from the crab’s body, so it’s meatier and more flavorful than claw meat.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is one of my favorite binders when making a mushroom filling, as it’s deliciously creaming and thick enough to hold everything together. If you’re diary-free, you can swap in a dairy-free cream cheese.
- Shallot: I’m using shallots for this recipe, but you could also finely dice a yellow or green onion for the same oniony flavor and crisp texture.
- Parmesan Cheese: I personally love parmesan cheese. But, you could also use freshly grated pecorino romano, gruyere, or another hard block of cheese you love. For dairy-free, you can use nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh parsley adds a delicious, herbaceous touch!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Prep the mushrooms. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Remove the stems from the mushrooms, but don’t discard them! You can freeze them to add to a future soup, stir-fry, or a stuffed pepper filling.
Make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, add the crab meat, cream cheese, shallot, parmesan (reserve 1 tablespoon), and parsley. Stir until it’s all combined.
Stuff and bake the mushrooms. Use a spoon or your hands to fill the mushroom caps with the crab filling. Then, evenly sprinkle the tops with the reserved parmesan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden and the mushrooms are slightly soft. Garnish with extra parsley before serving on a platter.
Common Questions
One thing to remember is that both the filling and the mushrooms themselves will produce a bit of liquid as they cook. But, here are two things you can do to prevent over watery mushrooms. First, chill the filling. This helps to hold it together as it bakes and prevents more liquid seeping through the mushroom. Second, use a wire rack to elevate the mushrooms so they don’t sit in any liquid.
It’s best not to wash your mushrooms as they’ll soften and become extra soggy once baked in the oven. Instead, gently wipe any debris or dirt off the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel.
Panko breadcrumbs are a classic crunchy topping to add to stuffed mushrooms before baking. But if you’re gluten-free, you can sprinkle finely chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans for a similar texture.
Storage Tips
- To store: Baked stuffed mushrooms will stay good for 4 to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- To reheat stuffed mushrooms: To warm them back up, microwave them for one minute, or until warmed through.
- Make-Ahead Tip for the Holidays: Good news — you can assemble the mushrooms up to 12 hours in advance before any party. After making them, store them in the fridge in an airtight container, then bake them in the oven right before serving. Also, you might need to add a few more minutes to the baking time since they’ll be chilled from the fridge.
More Appetizers
Sometimes, an assortment of appetizers are are just as good as a main dish. So for your next dinner party, put your best foot forward with these fabulous appetizers. And if you need more holiday ideas, you can peruse my list of Thanksgiving recipes or Christmas dinner ideas.
- Classic Deviled Eggs: An all-time favorite for the holidays!
- Shrimp Cocktail: This appetizer is all about the homemade cocktail sauce.
- Spinach Artichoke Dip: Nail the perfect artichoke dip everyone will love.
- Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball: Give a classic cheese ball a smoked salmon twist!
These little mushroom bites will be a hit at your next party! If you make them, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Description
Ingredients
- 20 baby bell or cremini mushrooms
- 8 ounces lump crab meat
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons finely diced shallot
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prep mushrooms. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°F). Grease a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Discard the stems or save and freeze them to add to a future soup recipe!
- Make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, add the crab meat, cream cheese, shallot, parmesan (reserve 1 tablespoon), and parsley. Stir until well combined.
- Stuff the mushrooms. Fill the mushroom caps with the crab filling, and evenly sprinkle the tops with the reserved parmesan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the mushrooms are slightly soft. Garnish with extra parsley to serve.
Lisa’s Tips
- Mushrooms naturally get a little wet and soggy when cooking. If you’d like to avoid extra liquid as much as possible you can place the mushrooms on a wire rack on top of the baking sheet. That way any of the mushroom juices will drain away from the mushrooms.
Nutrition
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Cannot wait to make these crab stuffed mushrooms!!! And by any chance do you have a recipe for smoked salmon on toasted pita bread? I used to get it all the time at Famous Dave’s BBQ but they stopped serving it and I would love to have it again!!
Hi Kimberly – I don’t, but I do have a recipe for smoked salmon on smashed potatoes!
I tried the crab stuffed mushrooms. They were delicious, I had only the large mushrooms so I cut the recipe in half, Loved the recipe and will keep it for later enjoyment😸
So glad you enjoyed them!
Can you sub salmon? Sig other is allergic to hard shell stuff.
Hi Donald, I haven’t tried with salmon, but it could potentially work!
The stuffed mushrooms look so amazing & the taste! OMG! And a crab lover am I, shouting out from Miami, going to buy crab meat & shrooms tomorrow & get it working 😋😋mmmmmm
Can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipe, Jose!
Lisa…I’ve tried the mushrooms and the onion dip which where delicious. Very simple to put together. Love your recipes, TY
Thanks so much! I’m happy you’re enjoying all my recipes. :)