Impress your guests with these delicious and elegant crab stuffed shrimp. A perfect appetizer or main dish for holiday gatherings, date nights, or special occasions.
This crab stuffed shrimp recipe is like a crab cake tucked inside a jumbo shrimp, all wrapped up in a buttery hug! Ready in just 35 minutes, these extra jumbo shrimp stuffed with crab are an elegant treat for hectic weeknights, company dinners, holidays, or special gatherings. Easy to make, delicious to eat. Serve with homemade dill dip (recipe included).
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Let's talk shrimp
What's the difference between shrimp and prawns?
Shrimp and prawns are similar in appearance but are actually different animals with some key physical differences. One visible difference is that prawns have straighter bodies because their structure doesn't allow them to curl like a shrimp. Typically, prawns are larger and have a slightly sweeter flavor compared to shrimp.
Shrimp sizes
The numbers on a bag of shrimp indicate how many shrimp to expect in a pound. According to Wild American Shrimp, here's a general guide on shrimp sizes:
- 61 - 70 shrimp per pound - Extra small
- 51 - 60 shrimp per pound - Small
- 41 - 50 shrimp per pound - Medium
- 31 - 35 shrimp per pound - Large (good size to price balance)
- 26 - 30 shrimp per pound - Extra Large (good size- to price balance, commonly found in stores)
- 16 - 20 shrimp per pound - Extra Jumbo (used in this recipe)
- 13 - 15 shrimp per pound - Colossal (up to 6 inches, suitable as a main course)
- Under 12 shrimp per pound - Super Colossal (up to 6 inches, great as a main course)
- Under 10 shrimp per pound - Extra Colossal (up to 8 inches)
These numbers and names may vary slightly by brand but generally follow these groupings.
Crab basics
For more information about crab, check out our Appetizer Crab Cakes post.
There are over 4,500 species of crab worldwide, but in the United States we typically see two: Dungeness crab from the West Coast and blue crab from the East and Gulf Coasts. Crab meat is often sold as either lump crab meat (mainly from the body) or claw crab meat (from the claws).
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 or imitation crab - which is processed fish meat, not real crab.
YIELD WHEN SHELLING CRAB: Experienced shellers can yield about 26% of crab meat by weight (crab meat to the whole crab), while beginners will average between 18% and 22%. 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!
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- We recommend using extra jumbo shrimp (sometimes called a super jumbo shrimp) or large prawns. Easy-peel, deveined shrimp are easiest - just peel and butterfly, no need to devein.
- Being in the Pacific Northwest, we used Dungeness crab for this recipe, but blue crab is equally delicious. Any crab meat - lump or claw - will work well, just be sure to check for and remove any shells or cartilage pieces.
- A small amount of bread crumbs helps the crab mixture hold together.
- Fresh dill and a dash of fresh lemon juice add some freshness to this dip.
- We like Old Bay Seasoning, but your favorite seafood seasoning will also work.
- Don't skip the dry ground mustard and Worcestershire sauce - they really enhance the flavor.
Make the homemade dill dip
Begin by gathering fresh chopped dill, fresh lemon juice, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, and pepper (images 1 & 2) for this homemade dill dip. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste (image 3) and stir until well combined (image 4). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use or for up to 4 days.
Mix the crab stuffing
Add the egg, mayo, seasonings, bread crumbs, Worcestershire, and green onion to a bowl (image 1). Stir until all the ingredients are well mixed (image 2), then gently fold in the crab meat (image 3) and stir until evenly mixed (image 4).
Butterfly the shrimp
Gather your extra jumbo shrimp (image 1) and peel, and devein if necessary. Using easy-peel, deveined shrimp, can make this step quicker, as it eliminates the need to devein each shrimp. You can leave the tails on for presentation or remove them to keep things simpler for guests. It can be annoying trying to find a place to dispose of shrimp tails when at a party.
Once peeled, use a sharp knife to butterfly the shrimp by making a shallow cut along the back, starting about ¼ inch from the tail (image 2) and stopping just before slicing through the bottom. The shrimp should open like a book (image 3).
Repeat with each shrimp (image 4), rinse in fresh water, and set aside until ready to fill.
Stuffing the shrimp
Open one of the butterflied shrimp flat, like a book (image 5). Gently press about 2 teaspoons of filling together in your hand - to hold its shape - and place it on the opened shrimp. Arrange in a buttered baking dish (image 6). Repeat with remaining shrimp and filling (image 7). Before baking, brush melted butter over the tops of the filled shrimp (image 8).
Bake until the shrimp are fully cooked and the crab mixture is golden brown.
Make ahead tips
- Make the dill dip up to 4 days in advance, store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Mix the crab filling up to 2 days in advance, store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Butterfly the shrimp up to a day in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep it fresher by adding some ice and chilled water to the dish with the shrimp.
Substitutions and additions
If extra jumbo shrimp aren’t available, smaller shrimp can be used, you'll have more servings—just adjust the bake time and add a bit more bread crumbs to help keep the filling in place.
For a tangier twist, swap Greek yogurt for mayo in the dip and crab filling.
Use your preferred seafood seasoning in place of Old Bay, and substitute stone-ground or Dijon mustard for dry ground mustard if desired.
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, the baked stuffed shrimp will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, after that the shrimp may become tough and the crab mixture may become dry.
These leftover crab stuffed shrimp would be great cut into pieces (remove the tails if you left them on) and tossed with some pasta and sauce like in this White Wine Shrimp Alfredo or this Lemon Garlic Fish Pasta.
Some other favorite appetizers
FAQ's
Shrimp and prawns, while a different animal, are similar in appearance and the names are frequently used interchangeably. For this recipe, either will work. We like the extra jumbo size - 16-20 shrimp per pound.
The size of the shrimp will somewhat determine how you serve them. The extra jumbo size lends itself to being picked up and eaten as an appetizer. A larger size may lean towards a main dish. No matter the size, these will be best served hot.
No, but they do hold the filling together. Without them, the crab meat may fall out of the shrimp. If serving as a main dish where guests will use a fork and knife, you can skip the bread crumbs. However, for appetizers, they help make the shrimp easier to handle.
📖 Recipe
Crab Stuffed Shrimp
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 18 1x
Description
Impress your guests with these delicious and elegant crab stuffed shrimp. A perfect appetizer or main dish for holiday gatherings, date nights, or special occasions.
Ingredients
DILL DIP
- 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- ¼ cup (65 grams) sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) mayo
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
CRAB FILLING
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup (52 grams) mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ teaspoon dry ground mustard
- ¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (or a similar seafood seasoning)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound crab meat, drained, and sorted for shells and cartilage
SHRIMP
- 18 extra jumbo shrimp (16-20 shrimp per pound)
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
PREPARATION
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
MAKE DILL DIP
- In a medium bowl stir the dill, sour cream, mayonnaise, and lemon juice until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. NOTE: This can be made up to 4 days in advance.
MAKE THE CRAB FILLING
- In a large bowl, combine green onion, bread crumbs, egg, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, dry mustard, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
- Add crab meat and gently fold into the mixture evenly mixed.
PREPARE THE PRAWNS
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Using easy-peel, deveined shrimp, can make this step quicker! Leave the tails on or remove them - your preference.
To peel, grip the tail of the shrimp and gently peel the shell around the shrimp to remove it.
To devein, use a knife to remove the dark vein running down the back of the shrimp. - Lay the peeled, deveined shrimp flat on the cutting board. Use a sharp knife to butterfly the shrimp
To butterfly, start about ¼ inch from the tail, make a shallow cut along the back, and stop just before slicing through the bottom of the shrimp. The shrimp should open like a book. - Repeat with remaining shrimp and then rinse them in clear water
STUFF THE SHRIMP AND BAKE
- Open the butterflied shrimp flat, like a book.
- Gently press about 2 teaspoons of crab filling in your hand to hold it together, place on the flattened shrimp, and place in a buttered dish. Repeat with remaining shrimp.
- Brush the tops of the crab mixture and shrimp with melted butter.
- Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes or until the shrimp are done - the shrimp should be white instead of the gray color when raw.
- If the crab mixture is not golden brown, place under the broiler the last 1-2 minutes - but watch constantly to prevent burning.
- Serve immediately with the dill dip or your favorite sauce.
Notes
Shrimp vs. prawns. Shrimp and prawns, while different animals, are very similar and the terms are frequently interchanged. Both will work here.
Size of shrimp. The numbers used to reference shrimp (and prawns) refer to how many are in one pound. We recommend a 16-20 size shrimp (extra jumbo) for this appetizer. If you can't find an extra jumbo size, a large shrimp size will work, 31-35 per pound - you'll just have more servings.
Crab. Blue crab (from East Coast), Dungeness crab (from West Coast), lump or claw meat all work great for this appetizer. If fresh crab isn't available, choose refrigerated, fresh-labeled crab meat, and avoid imitation crab (which is processed fish meat, not real crab).
Favorite Riffs. Use Greek yogurt instead of mayo. Substitute stone-ground or dijon mustard for the dry ground mustard. Add a dash or two of hot sauce to the crab filling. Serve with lemon slices.
Leftovers. If within the 2 hour FDA guideline for saving perishable food, store in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. These would be great cut into pieces (remove the tails if you left them on) and toss with some pasta and sauce like in this White Wine Shrimp Alfredo or this Lemon Garlic Fish Pasta.
Make ahead tips. Make the dill dip up to 4 days in advance. Make the crab filling up to 2 days in advance. Store both in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Butterfly shrimp up to 1 day in advance.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 shrimp
- Calories: 96
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 417.5 mg
- Fat: 5.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.8 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 69.3 mg
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