Whether it’s a fancy dinner party or casual tailgate, these crab stuffed mushrooms will wow your guests. A creamy, cheesy filling, chock full of delicate crab, transforms the humble mushroom cap into something truly magical!
The key to crafting the perfect stuffed mushroom is texture, a combination of meaty, earthy creminis cradling a rich, creamy filling full of sweet, tender crab, with just a few subtle seasonings that accentuate all the natural flavors of these ingredients.
Bread or cracker crumbs in the filling add a density that takes the focus off the crab, I think, so my version is a nice, cheesy base without any bready filler getting in the way.
The only breadcrumbs you’ll see in my recipe are sprinkled on for a crispy finish (and they’re panko which skips the crusts during the crumb-making process for an extra crunchy topping).
Best Mushrooms To Use
I like the flavor of cremini mushrooms best for this recipe. White or button mushrooms will also work.
How To Clean Mushrooms
Mushrooms are spongy so don’t rinse them with water. The better way to clean them is to wipe them with a damp paper towel to remove all debris.
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe Ingredients + Tips
- Mushroom prep – To wash or not to wash? The general consensus for prepping button mushrooms that are destined for cooking is that you do want to wash them. Yes, they’ll absorb a teeny bit of water thanks to their spongy texture, but it’s an insignificant amount that will easily evaporate during the cooking process.
- A salad spinner works great for this job. You should also avoid the knife when removing the stems. Just pinch them between your fingers and rock them back and forth to remove them before stuffing them.
- Don’t throw the stems away! You can toss them into veggie stock or chop them up for an omelet the next day.
- Lighten up – If you skip the breadcrumb topping, you’ll make these crab stuffed mushrooms low carb.
- To replace the crunch, try sprinkling the top with crumbled, crispy bacon or chopped toasted walnuts.
- If you like the idea of the entrée version of this dish, you can also try one of the healthy crabs stuffed portobello mushroom recipes, basically ditching the cheese altogether and using a teeny bit of milk and breadcrumbs to bind the crab enough for stuffing.
- Bring the heat – I know lots of us have a “spicy” tooth, and you can certainly play around with the filling in this recipe.
- Replace the Old Bay seasoning with Cajun seasoning, use Pepper Jack instead of the mozzarella, and add a teaspoon of hot sauce or a half cup of chopped pickled jalapenos.
Storing + Reheating + Freezing
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? These mushrooms hold for 2-3 days in the fridge.
- How To Reheat:
- Bring stuffed mushrooms to room temperature on the counter.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees as mushrooms come to room temp. Place in a baking dish and cover with foil.
- Reheat in preheated oven until warmed through the center.
- To check if warmed enough, place a small knife in the center of one of the stuffed mushrooms, only going through to the center of the filling, and hold for about 5 seconds.
- When you pull out the knife, immediately place your fingertips on where the knife was and you can fairly accurately judge, by the temperature of the knife what the temperature of the filling will be.
- Can These Be Frozen? I don’t like to freeze this recipe.
How To Make Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
- Preheat the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth to clean. Remove stems. Place mushroom caps on the prepared baking sheet.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients.
- Place a heaping tablespoonful of crab mixture into each mushroom cap.
- Combine Panko bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over filled mushroom caps.
- Bake in the preheated oven, for 20-30 minutes, or until heat through and the filling is hot and bubbly.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
More Appetizers To Love
- Baked Jalapeño Poppers
- Bisquick Sausage Balls
- Family Favorite Shrimp Spread
- Truly amazing Southern Deviled Eggs
- BBQ Meatballs
- Curried Shrimp in Crispy Wonton Cups
- Cheesy French Pinwheels (most popular appetizer on my site!!!)
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 20 large Cremini mushrooms (about 20 pieces) about 2 inches
Filling:
- 1 pound crab meat picked over for any shells
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup green onions finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Mozzarella shredded
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
Topping:
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons regular butter melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Wipe mushrooms (about 20 pieces) with a damp cloth to clean. Remove stems. Place mushroom caps on the prepared baking sheet.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients.
- Place a heaping tablespoonful of crab mixture into each mushroom cap.
- In a small bowl, combine Panko bread crumbs (1/2 cup) and melted butter (2 tablespoons). Sprinkle evenly over filled mushroom caps. Bake in the preheated oven, for 20-30 minutes, or until heat through and the filling is hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with chopped parsley (2 tablespoons) and serve.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Mushroom prep – To wash or not to wash? The general consensus for prepping button mushrooms that are destined for cooking is that you do want to wash them. Yes, they’ll absorb a teeny bit of water thanks to their spongy texture, but it’s an insignificant amount that will easily evaporate during the cooking process.
- A salad spinner works great for this job. You should also avoid the knife when removing the stems. Just pinch them between your fingers and rock them back and forth to remove them before stuffing them.
- Don’t throw the stems away! You can toss them into veggie stock or chop them up for an omelet the next day.
- Lighten up – If you skip the breadcrumb topping, you’ll make these crab stuffed mushrooms low carb.
- To replace the crunch, try sprinkling the top with crumbled, crispy bacon or chopped toasted walnuts.
- If you like the idea of the entrée version of this dish, you can also try one of the healthy crabs stuffed portobello mushroom recipes, basically ditching the cheese altogether and using a teeny bit of milk and breadcrumbs to bind the crab enough for stuffing.
- Bring the heat – I know lots of us have a “spicy” tooth, and you can certainly play around with the filling in this recipe.
- Replace the Old Bay seasoning with Cajun seasoning, use Pepper Jack instead of the mozzarella, and add a teaspoon of hot sauce or a half cup of chopped pickled jalapenos.
This stuffed mushrooms was a hit!
Thank you so much, Kate 🙂 I’m glad you liked this!