Crab Stuffed Mushrooms are quick and easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time. When your guests arrive, simply baked before serving.
These stuffed mushrooms are filled with a rich, cheesy crab filling and topped with buttery crumbs.
Bake these juicy mushroom caps until tender and melty with a golden topping.
The Best Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
We love crab appetizer recipes from hot crab dip to crab cakes! These stuffed mushroom caps are filled with a creamy cheesy crab filling and baked until melty.
- Easy to make with canned crab, these are great for any occasion.
- This recipe can be made up to 24 hours in advance and baked before serving.
- Stuffed mushrooms can be frozen before baking and cooked right from frozen.
- Naturally low carb (skip the bread crumbs if you’d like) and delicious for everyone.
- Great as an appetizer or even a side dish with steak.
Crab for Stuffed Mushrooms
Pretty much anything goes! A small amount goes a long way and our preference is canned crab meat for the flavor, price, and availability. You can also use lump crab meat.
Fresh crab meat can be used but we prefer to eat it on its own or in pasta. Frozen or imitation crab will work in this recipe too if that is what is available to you.
How to Clean Mushrooms for Stuffing
We like either brown/cremini mushrooms or white button mushrooms for stuffing. Choose medium to small mushrooms for an easier appetizer bite!
- Use a damp paper towel to clean the outside of the mushrooms. Mushrooms can soak up water so don’t leave them in water too long. If needed give them a quick rinse and then wipe dry with a paper towel.
- Once they’re wiped, snap off the stem and use a spoon or tomato corer/strawberry huller to remove some of the gills as well to create a larger cavity to fill. Take care when scooping out the insides, so the mushroom doesn’t tear or break.
Ingredient Tip: Save the mushroom stems and chop them to add extra flavor to stew, soup, casseroles, or even stuffing. Fry them along with ground beef in almost any recipe.
How To Make Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
- Clean out the mushrooms as directed above.
- Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Fold in the remaining ingredients (per the recipe below).
- Fill the mushrooms and top with bread crumbs.
- Bake until bubbly!
To make the best crab stuffed mushrooms, I like to whip the cream cheese before adding the crab meat. This creates a light and fluffy melt in your mouth filling.
How Long To Bake Stuffed Mushrooms
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms take about 18-20 minutes at 375°F, but this can change depending on the size of the mushrooms.
You want to make sure the mushroom is cooked through and the filling is hot and melty.
Can You Freeze Crab Stuffed Mushrooms?
Yes! I love prepping crab stuffed mushrooms in advance and freezing them for potlucks or when guests show up. They can be cooked right from frozen (you’ll need to add about 10 min of cook time).
Crab stuffed mushrooms are perfect for appetizer night alongside buffalo chicken dip and meatballs!
Feeling Crabby?
- Crab Rangoon Crescent Cups
- Cheesy Hot Crab Dip
- Crab Rangoon (Crab & Cream Cheese filled Wontons)
- Cheesy Crab Rangoon Dip (Hot Crab Dip)
Did you enjoy these Crab Stuffed Mushrooms? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below!
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 16 large fresh mushrooms
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 6 ounces crab canned or frozen
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated
Topping
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
- Thaw crab meat if frozen (drain if canned). Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Mix cream cheese until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients.
- Wipe mushrooms with a damp paper towel to remove any debris. Using a small spoon or tomato corer, remove stems and spoon out the insides of the mushroom. Discard (or freeze for soup).
- Divide the filling over the mushroom caps. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over mushrooms.
- Bake 18-20 minutes or until cooked through and tops are golden.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer
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So quick and very easy to make. My family loved this appetizer
This is probably a dumb question, but do you cook the crabmeat first ? I’ve never used canned crabmeat before so I’m not sure what the process is. Thanks.
Great question! Canned crab does not need to be cooked. You’ll want to drain it very well. Enjoy.
I never make comments on recipes I make, but I had to make this one. This recipe is amazing! My parents and I loved it and I will be making again! I did big portobello mushrooms instead of tiny ones and made a little extra filling. Cooked the same time and heat. It was perfect highly recommend!
I LOVE this recipe! As is, it is fantastic, but I just had to expand-o-ize the recipe sooooooo I used my food processor and chopped the mushroom stems, threw in some parsley and a green onion from the garden, a clove of garlic, a grind of black pepper, a dash of lemon pepper, about 2 T of mayo and 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese to bind it. I then folded in the crab and put it into a zipper bag. I snipped off the corner and piped it into the mushroom caps. I ground up leftover ‘redlobster’ biscuits and smashed them onto the tops. They were so fabulous, I just had to share! Cheers! And PLEASE, keep posting your wonderful ideas! We LOVE them!
I am so happy to hear you loved this recipe MJ, thank you for sharing!
How do you freeze these?
Hi Helen, once prepped you can freeze them in an airtight container or a zippered freezer bag.
Yummy recipe, but found it a tad bland, so I added some roasted garlic salt instead of regular, added some smoked paprika and added a touch of lemon juice. Absolutely phenomenal, I’m low carb so instead of Panko I topped with cheddar and did it in a deep dish so the family could dip some chips or bread in the left over “sauce” it was AMAZING
As a longtime chef I make a variation of your recipe that’s a dinner rather than appetizer. I use giant white mushrooms (one fills the palm of your hand), fresh Alaskan King crab legs (I live in the northwest where it’s often available), and the same ingredients you use. Aside from the flavor, King crab (carefully cracked) has such huge sections that it allows me to cut it into chunks that I gently fold into the cream cheese mixture. I grate my own bread crumbs (from a dried French loaf) and Parmigiano-Reggiano, and after stuffing the mushrooms and topping them with bred crumbs I lightly spray the tops with olive oil to help the tops brown.
The prep time is less than 20 minutes, and two caps per person with a fresh Caesar salad alongside makes a fantastic meal!
I just made them tonight for my daughter and her fiancee. Too bad I can’t post a picture here because they turned out gorgeous.
Keep up the good work on how to make and serve healthy and delicious food!
Oh my gosh, that sounds absolutely amazing!! Thank you for sharing, it would be such a great meal!
I made these as one of our appetizers for Easter, when we had guests for dinner. They were fantastic! I was happy to find 3 packages of large Crimini mushrooms, which were all pretty much the same size. I used real crab meat, b/c that’s what I was brought up having. I tried Shirimi once, and I’ll never use it again for ANYTHING! Once you get the real deal, there’s no going back. Everyone loved these mushrooms, & wanted the recipe. I gave it to them, and referred them to your terrific cooking blog. Happy New Year, Holly! Thanks for your recipes.
Thank you for sharing with your guests Angela, so glad everyone loved them! Happy new year you to and your family!
Delicious, best crab stuffed mushrooms I’ve ever made or tasted!!!
Why thank you Nanette!
I want to try this stuffed mushroom recipe but what’s with the “thinly sliced” onion, wouldn’t you want it to be chopped and diced fairly small??
It’s green onion so thinly sliced works in this recipe. You can chop them if you prefer.
Hi Holly,
Here I am again asking questions. As far as I know, they don’t make the little 3 ounce packages of cream cheese and if I use 4 ounces I’ve got 4 left over ounces of cream cheese. It doesn’t hold over well. Why can’t we use the whipped cream cheese. It is so good and holds up well. I use it on sandwiches with chopped black olives. If I did this, would I still use 4 ounces.
Hi Shirley,
While I usually whip my block of softened cream cheese, I don’t see why you couldn’t use the pre-whipped kind and have wonderful results.
wrap left over cream cheese in saran wrap put in a ziplock type bag freeze it.
Your question makes no sense. Where do you get 3 ounces from? This recipe calls for 4 oz. of cream cheese. “Philadelphia” (brand) makes cream cheese in 4 oz. packages. They’re usually right next to the 8 oz. packages in the dairy cooler.
Dry or fresh bread crumbs for the Crab Stuffed Mushrooms?
As it’s for the topping, either will work. I usually use dry because I have them on hand.
It looks so good! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Happy Holidays Holly to you and your family! Thank You for always giving us the best recipes ever!! You are a life saver! :)
You’re so welcome. Thank you Yvonne! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Is this real crab or imitation crab?
Both will work in this recipe Evelyn. Enjoy!