‘Tis the season for appetizers that go extra! Crab Stuffed Mushrooms are the perfect combo of mini crab cakes and classic stuffed mushrooms. These melty, meaty mouthfuls are chock full of lump crab, creamy goodness, and Old Bay, finished with a crispy baked topping.
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I love holiday food so much, but it’s the “treats” that really light my seasonal fires. Yeah, yeah. Obviously, I mean second to the wide-eyed innocent joy on my children’s faces and all that peace on earth, goodwill toward humans jazz, of course. But THEN come the snacks!
And I don’t just mean sweet treats. I’m talking about all those fancy appetizers and finger foods that your family only busts out once a year. And in our family, for whatever reason, the fanciest is crab meat.
Every holiday season we stuff our faces with crab dip, mini crab cakes, crab mac and cheese, and, as this post suggests, crab stuffed mushrooms. Crab cakes may be ubiquitous (especially when you’re in Maryland) but they are inherently fancy (and no, that’s not up for debate).
We love that stuffed mushrooms are their own little edible vessels, and the perfect savory little something for everything from Christmas dinner appetizers to holiday cocktail parties. And the real kicker? They’re so easy to make you will definitely think to yourself “You know, I could just make these for dinner next Tuesday…”
How to Make Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
A classic holiday app gets upgraded to premium with our Crab Stuffed Mushrooms. These perfect party bites are super quick and easy with the added benefit of feeling oh so fancy.
For a condensed post with just the step-by-step instructions, click to view the web story for this recipe!
- PREP. Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a casserole dish.
- CLEAN. Remove the stems and wash or brush away any dirt or grime. Arrange the mushrooms cavity side up in the casserole dish.
- MIX. Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings along with half the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Gently fold in the lump crab meat with a rubber spatula until just barely combined.
- MAKE. Stuff each mushroom with 1 heaping tablespoon of filling.
- TOP. Mix the remaining breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese with olive oil in a small bowl until evenly moistened, then sprinkle the topping over mushrooms.
- BAKE. Transfer to the oven and bake 25 minutes; broil 1-2 to minutes to get the topping nice and crispy.
- FINISH. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot, or room temperature.
Choosing Mushrooms
Cremini (aka Baby Bella) or white button mushrooms work best. Try to choose mushrooms on the larger size – roughly 2″ wide work best.
Prepackaged mushrooms aren’t always consistent in size, so this is a great time to head to a market that allows you to choose your own. Or, buy a few packages, reserve the best ones for stuffing, and save the smaller mushrooms for another recipe (like mushroom bruschetta).
Choosing Crab Meat
Do not fear canned crab meat from the seafood counter, but do avoid crab that’s not refrigerated or found in the tuna aisle.
Depending on where you live, it may not be crab season and there is no shame in choosing meat that’s been canned fresh during peak season.
- Special and/or back fin meat is usually comprised of much smaller flakes, typically best for finer fillings, like stuffed mushrooms or stuffed shrimp. It works great in this recipe!
- Lump crab meat will also work well for this recipe – it will be chunkier, but getting a nice bite of crab is half the fun!
- Jumbo lump meat is more expensive, and is honestly best reserved for actual crab cakes.
How to Clean Mushrooms
It’s best to clean your mushrooms just before you’re going to use them. There’s no need to wash mushrooms as soon as you bring them home, as any excess moisture will shorten their shelf life.
- Do remove the stems, but don’t bother with removing the gills – it’s a ton of work for very little return.
- The “brushing” method: use a damp paper towel or tea towel to gently brush away any dirt and debris.
- The “washing” method: this is most easily accomplished using a salad spinner. Place the mushrooms into the bowl of the spinner, then cover with cold water. Give the water a few swishes to loosen any dirt or grit. Drain, then rinse once more with cold running for 20-30 seconds. Return the mushrooms to the salad spinner and give ’em a few quick whirls to dry them out.
Why are my Stuffed Mushrooms Watery?
Mushrooms have a really high water content. If you bake them in a casserole dish, they will get a bit juicy on the bottom.
If you want extra-dry stuffed mushrooms, use a baking sheet instead. Fit a cooling rack into a baking sheet and place the mushrooms on top of the rack. Any liquid that leaks from the mushrooms will drip through the rack onto the baking sheet.
A few other tips to prevent your mushrooms from getting too soggy:
- Don’t salt the mushrooms before stuffing.
- Bake at a relatively high temperature (at least 400°F).
- Don’t cover the mushrooms with foil – just bake ’em naked.
- Don’t buy your mushrooms too far in advance. Mushrooms will absorb moisture in your fridge as they sit, so purchase them as close to prep day as possible.
Make-Ahead Instructions
The crab stuffing can be made in the morning, or at most the night before. Any longer than that and moisture will start to separate. Keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
The mushrooms can also be stuffed, arranged in casserole dish, and stored in the fridge night before or morning of, too. Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap before storing.
Did you make these stuffed mushrooms with crab and cream cheese? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
- Casserole Dish
- Mixing Bowl
- whisk
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 lb cremini or button mushrooms, 16-20 medium to large mushrooms
- ½ c cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise, or plain full fat greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp old bay seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 6 tbsp panko breadcrumbs, divided
- 6 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 8 oz crab meat, lump or back fin
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- fresh chopped parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly mist a casserole dish with olive oil cooking spray.
- Remove the stems, then brush away any dirt using a damp towel. Arrange the mushrooms gill side up in the casserole dish.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise or greek yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, mustard powder, and salt; whisk until well combined. Add ¼ cup (4 tbsp) breadcrumbs and ¼ cup (4 tbsp) parmesan cheese and mix until well combined. Add the crab meat and fold in with a rubber spatula until just barely combined.
- Stuff each mushroom with 1 heaping tablespoon of filling, pressing down gently to keep the filling lightly packed.
- Combine the remaining breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese (2 tbsp each) with the ½ tbsp olive oil in a small bowl. Mix until evenly moistened. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the stuffed mushrooms.
- Transfer to the oven and bake 25 minutes; turn on the broiler and cook 1-2 minutes more, or until the tops are lightly golden brown.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot, or room temperature.
Notes
- The crab stuffing can be made in the morning, or at most the night before. Any longer than that and moisture will start to separate. Keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
- The mushrooms can also be stuffed, arranged in casserole dish, and stored in the fridge night before or morning of. Cover the casserole dish tightly with plastic wrap.
[…] in mind. While I’ve got a whole cache of recipes that feature these flavorful fungi (from apps to mains to sides), my default is typically “Mmm…mushrooms on burgers… or maybe […]