Crab Dip with Cocktail Sauce
Crab Dip with Cocktail Sauce is one of those spreads you can mix in minutes but still feels like something you’d serve for company. Perfect for game day, parties, snacks, and even an easy dinner, you’ll make this recipe again and again.
The combo of cream cheese and cocktail sauce is means its creamy and tangy. Paired with affordable surimi in the dip and on top it’s easy to understand why it’s so popular. No cooking, no waiting, just mix, plate, shape, and top. Served with crackers, it’s easy to scoop and share.
It’s perfect for parties, potlucks and game days because you can make it ahead of time and keep it chilled until ready to serve. The bonus there is it tastes even better after refrigeration.
Crab Dip Ingredients
The ingredients are very similar to to most cream cheese based dips, softened cream cheese with a dash of Worcestershire sauce to depth and interest to the richness of cream cheese.
- cream cheese, softened
- Worcestershire sauce
- mayonnaise or whipped dressing
- grated onion
- imitation crab meat
- cocktail sauce see notes below to make your own
- parsley flakes, optional
How to Change It Up
Use more or less cocktail sauce for the dip depending on your preferences. If it’s really spicy use less of it if you need too. Or conversely, if you like it extra spicy add more cocktail sauce or add extra horseradish to the cocktail sauce to really ramp up the spice level. My husband likes it hot I like it mild, we meet in the middle.
You can make your own cocktail sauce by mixing horseradish into ketchup with a drop or two of Worcesertshire sauce and lemon juice until it has the taste you like.
You can use real crab instead of imitation if you want a different option. Be sure to pick through the crab to remove any errant bits of shell.
Store Leftovers
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to a few days. Keep it chilled so it holds its shape and texture. If it softens too much, you can stir it and serve it as a dip instead. Best served cold straight from the fridge.
Crab Dip with Cocktail Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz cream cheese softened about 1 1/2 packages
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp onion grated
- 6 to 8 oz imitation crab meat flaked and chopped divided
- 3/4 cup cocktail sauce, see notes to make your own
- Dried parsley flakes, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Soften the cream cheese
- Add the cream cheese to a mixing bowl
- Add Worcestershire sauce mayonnaise and grated onion
- Mix gently until smooth
- Fold in half of the crab meat
- Shape the mixture into a ball log or square on a serving dish
- Pour the cocktail sauce evenly over the top
- Sprinkle the remaining crab meat over the sauce
- Garnish with parsley if desired
- Serve with crackers or vegetables
Video
Notes
- You can make your own cocktail sauce by mixing horseradish into ketchup with a drop or two of Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice until it has the taste you like.
- This dip can be made ahead and chilled before serving
- Adjust horseradish in the cocktail sauce to control the heat
