Chilled Crab Dip with Crème Fraîche + Herbs + Lemon + Lemon

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This Chilled Crab Dip with crème fraîche, herbs, and lemon is light, elegant, and just a little fancy. There is no mayo or cream cheese in this easy, no-cook recipe. It comes together in minutes and can be served with crackers, crostini, or crudités for an appetizer or over lettuce for a light lunch. This dish is especially perfect for Mother's Day, but would be great for Easter or any spring or summertime occasion.

Crab dip in crystal bowl topped with fresh dill and lemon wedges

Recipe Background and Details

I had a dish like this years ago at a restaurant in North Carolina and I've never forgotten it. Many years later I finally attempted to recreate it and also put my little French twist on it. As I mentioned, this Chilled Crab Dip feels very Mother's Day to me. It is easy enough for little helping hands and is sure to make momma feel like the queen she is. If you are looking for more Mother's Day recipe inspo, check out my Mother's Day Recipe Roundup.

I love the idea of serving this as part of an abundant seafood spread alongside Spicy Salmon Sushi Rolls, Pull Apart Lobster Sliders, Brown Butter Rosemary Shrimp Skewers, and Hot Cajun Crab Dip. Of course with a special cocktail alongside like this Rhubarb Elderflower Refresher - yum! It would also be a great addition to a Bagel Board.

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Recipe Background and Details
Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions and Variations
Storage
FAQ
Related - seafood recipes
Pairing - appetizer recipes
Chilled Crab Dip with Crème Fraîche + Herbs

Ingredients

This crab dip could not be more simple. A short ingredient list and no cooking makes using the freshest ingredients a priority.

lump crab meat: a good quality lump crab meat without additives or preservatives. If you live somewhere you can get freshly picked crab use that (PS: I'm jealous if you answered yes to that!)
crème fraîche: use store-bought or whip up some of your own: How to Make Crème Fraîche. If you have any leftover make my Triple Berry Crème Fraîche Scones!
Dijon mustard: I like a combination of regular and whole grain mustards but you can use one or the other
lemon juice and zest: zest it before you juice it. The lemon is essential to this recipe and I do insist you use freshly squeezed - plus you need the zest anyway.
fresh herbs: I like tarragon, chives, and dill for this but use your favorite soft herbs. Chervil, parsley, fennel fronds, celery leaves would all be very good. Chive blossoms would be a very pretty and special addition if you have them.
white pepper: I love the flavor of white pepper and it reminds me of my dad. It adds to the elegance of this dish, but you can use a bit of black pepper or a combination of both if you'd like.
salt: just a small pinch of salt as the crab meat can be a little salty.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

It is as simple as combining all ingredients and giving them a thorough but gentle stir.

chilled crab dip ingredients in white mixing bowl

Add all ingredients to a bowl.

chilled crab dip mixed together in white mixing bowl with wooden spoon

Mix well trying not to break up the crab too much.

Substitutions and Variations

Crab - now obviously this wouldn't be a crab dip without the crab, but you could make this exact same recipe with cooked baby shrimp, lobster meat, smoked whitefish, poached salmon, etc. It would even be very good with poached, shredded chicken breast.
Crème Fraîche - I wanted to make this cold crab dip without cream cheese, so I highly recommend the crème fraîche, but I like to be flexible, so if you want to sub cream cheese, sour cream, or full fat greek yogurt you can but it will be more thick and/or tangy. You can also use mayo but it will be a very different dip - still good though.
Herbs - I like tarragon, chives, and dill for this but use your favorite soft herbs. Chervil, parsley, fennel fronds, celery leaves would all be very good. Chive blossoms would be a very pretty and special addition if you have them.
Other add-ins - I kept this minimal on purpose but it would be really good with something pickled like capers or cornichons. Spice it up with some Old Bay seasoning if you want.
Serving - Crackers, crostini, and veggies are all great choices for serving alongside this dip. You could also stuff it into endive, radicchio, or butter lettuce leaves, into hollowed out tomatoes or avocado halves. If you wanted to get really fancy you could hollow out some lemon halves and serve it in them. Use your imagination and have fun!

crab dip on toasted baguette slices on white plate

Storage

This chilled crab dip will keep covered in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Serve it very cold and do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. I do not recommend freezing this dip.

chilled crab dip on toasted baguette slices on white plate with fresh herbs and lemon wedges

FAQ

Can you eat cold crab meat?

Yes cooked crab meat is safe to eat and delicious in cold applications such as in this chilled crab dip recipe.

What is crab dip served with?

Crackers, crostini, and veggies are all great choices for serving alongside crab dip. You could also stuff it into endive, radicchio, or butter lettuce leaves, into hollowed out tomatoes or avocado halves. If you wanted to get really fancy you could hollow out some lemon halves and serve it in them. Use your imagination and have fun!