These delicious crab filled mushrooms are easy to make and sure to amaze your guests! Perfect for a crowd at your next party.
Impress your friends and family with this quick and easy crab stuffed mushroom recipe. They're gorgeous, delicious, easy to make, and a great addition to your next party, holiday gathering, or just because you can!
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Crab Basics Made Simple
For more information about crab, check out our Crab Artichoke Dip post.
The United States is very familiar with two of the over 4,500 species of crab worldwide, the Dungeness crab from the West Coast and blue crab from the East and Gulf Coasts. Crab meat is often sold one of two ways, as lump crab meat (mainly from the body) or claw crab meat (from the claws).
Shelling crab may not save you money, definitely doesn't save you time, and creates a mess, but it's fun to do with friends or family - at least once! Experienced shellers can yield about 26% of fresh crab meat by weight (crab meat to the whole crab), while beginners will average between 18% and 22%.
If shelling your own crabs isn't practical, look for fresh, pasteurized crab meat in the refrigerated seafood section of your grocery store (ask at the meat counter if you need help). Always choose refrigerated, fresh-labeled options, and avoid canned crab meat or imitation crab - which is processed fish meat, not real crab.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- We're in the Pacific Northwest where Dungeness crab is our go-to crab, but blue crab works just as good. Use lump or claw meat, shell your own or use fresh meat already shelled. Be sure to remove any shell or cartilage pieces from the meat.
- We like white button mushrooms for these bite-sized, stuffed mushrooms, but a baby bella also works great.
- Cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and Greek yogurt help provide that creamy texture and flavor we love.
Substitutions
For a larger appetizer, use larger mushrooms - but keep in mind you'll likely need to increase the bake time. Also consider how they'll be served - larger sizes may require forks and plates for easier eating while smaller mushrooms can be a good finger food option.
Substitute mayonnaise for the Greek yogurt. Use chives instead of green onions.
How to Make Crab Filled Mushrooms
Prepare the mushrooms
To wash or not to wash!
Since mushrooms are like a sponge and will absorb water, some people believe mushrooms should not be rinsed with water but just wiped. We believe a quick rinse under water while rubbing them to remove any remaining dirt from the mushrooms is just fine, just don't soak them or have them under water for very long.
When mushrooms absorb water (washing too long) they loose their flavor and release all that extra water during cooking, which can ruin a dish. Never store them when they are wet, they will become slimy and very unappealing. We strongly recommend always prepping mushrooms right before using.
Gently remove the stem from the mushrooms by holding the cap in one hand and gently twisting the stem or moving it side-to-side until it pops out. Use a small spoon to carefully scoop out some of the mushroom cap to create a larger area for the creamy crab filling.
Prepare the crab filling
Add the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and Greek yogurt to a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. A hand mixer makes this quick and easy, but a spoon and some elbow grease work too.
Once the cheese mixture is smooth, add the crab meat (confirm there are no shells or cartilage in the meat first) and the chopped green onion to the mixture. Gently stir until combined.
Fill the mushroom caps
The number of mushrooms you're able to fill will depend on the size of your mushrooms. Double or triple the filling recipe for larger or more mushrooms.
Use a small spoon or cookie scoop to fill the mushroom caps with crab-cheese mixture. It's okay to have a small amount of filling above the edges of the mushroom cap. Place on a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Sprinkle the top of the filling with some shredded parmesan cheese.
PRO TIP: You can place the mushrooms on a wire rack to help prevent them rolling around when moving to and from the oven.
Bake mushrooms
Carefully place in a 375°F oven.
Bake until golden brown.
Serve warm.
Make Ahead Tips
Make the crab filling up to 2 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to fill the mushrooms. For the best texture and freshest appearance, fill the mushroom caps within 12 hours of baking and serving. The longer the mushrooms sit after washing, the more risk there is that they'll turn brown and not look as appetizing. They will still be fine to eat, just not look as fresh.
Saving Leftovers
The FDA recommends discarding any perishable food that has been out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
If you are within the FDA recommendations, these crab stuffed mushrooms will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat until warm and serve or dice up and add them to a pasta dish like this Lemon Pasta with Parmesan.
Some Common FAQs
We like bite size white mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms for this recipe. They are easy to eat as finger food. The quantity will depend on the size of your mushrooms. If you use a large mushroom cap you will get 12-13. This size is great for a sit down appetizer where you have a knife and fork. If you use a small mushroom cap you may get 30-36.
We don’t recommend freezing the crab stuffed mushroom caps, they can get mushy and have a tough texture.
Any fresh, not processed, crab works great. Use blue crab (from East and Gulf Coast) or Dungeness crab (from West Coast), lump or claw meat. Do not use imitation crab meat which isn't actually crab meat but is usually made from fish paste.
Absolutely! Crab is very expensive and, since we love crab, we are always finding ways to stretch how far it will go. To 'stretch' this recipe, you can increase the cheese and Greek yogurt and keep the crab meat quantity the same or just decrease the amount of crab. Both of these options will give you more of a cheese stuffed mushroom with a hint of crab meat - still delicious!
Other Favorite Stuffed Mushroom Recipes
📖 Recipe
Crab Filled Mushrooms
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24-30 mushrooms
Description
These delicious crab filled mushrooms are easy to make and sure to amaze your guests! Perfect for a crowd at your next party.
Ingredients
- 24-30 medium-large mushrooms (white or baby bella work great)
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 48 grams (½ cup) parmesan cheese
- 57 grams (¼ cup) Greek yogurt
- ¼ pound crab meat
- 1 Tablespoon chopped green onion
- 2 Tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese for topping
- OPTIONAL: chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Prep the mushrooms. Clean and destem the mushrooms. Set aside until ready to fill
- Make filling. Add cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and Greek Yogurt to a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to mix until well combined and smooth.
Add crab meat and chopped green onion and stir, by hand, until well mixed. - Fill the mushroom caps. Use a small spoon or small cookie scoop to fill each mushroom cap with crab-cheese mixture. You want the filling to sit slightly above the rim of the mushroom cap.
Place on a lined baking sheet.
The number of mushrooms you’re able to fill will depend on the size of your mushrooms. - Bake. Sprinkle tops of the filling with shredded parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 20-25 minutes until cheesy crab mixture is bubbly and tops are golden brown.
- Serve. Garnish with some chopped parsley and serve warm.
Notes
What type of crab is best? Blue crab (from East Coast), Dungeness crab (from West Coast), lump or claw meat all work great for this appetizer. Make sure it is fresh crab meat, not processed. It should be stored in the refrigerated section at your store, usually in the meat department.
To prevent mushrooms from rolling too much when moving from the counter to the oven and back, you can use a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack inside. Place the mushrooms between the wires on the rack, they'll help hold the mushrooms in place. The rimmed sheet will also help prevent any oven spills caused by melting cheese or liquid from the mushrooms.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mushroom
- Calories: 32
- Sugar: 0.6 g
- Sodium: 71.3 mg
- Fat: 2.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 8.1 mg
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