Description
Indulge in the rich flavors of the Gulf with these New Orleans Seafood Stuffed Crabs. A delightful blend of lump crab meat, shrimp, and aromatic vegetables, baked to perfection in crab shells or ramekins for an impressive appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
Blue Crab Shells:
- 8 large blue crab shells, cleaned
Seafood Filling:
- 1 pound lump crab meat, picked over for shells
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and finely chopped
- ½ cup onion, finely diced
- ½ cup green bell pepper, finely diced
- ½ cup celery, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, plus more for topping
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: to 375°F (190°C).
- Sauté vegetables: In a skillet, melt butter, add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Sauté until softened.
- Cook shrimp: Add shrimp to the skillet and cook until just pink. Remove from heat and cool.
- Mix filling: In a bowl, combine crab meat, shrimp mixture, breadcrumbs, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, seasonings, salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Fill shells: Spoon mixture into crab shells or ramekins, top with breadcrumbs.
- Bake: Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20–25 minutes until golden.
- Serve: Warm with lemon wedges.
Notes
- For an authentic New Orleans flavor, use fresh lump crab meat and homemade Creole seasoning.
- These can be assembled ahead and refrigerated, then baked just before serving.
- Pairs well with a side salad, garlic bread, or dirty rice.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Creole / New Orleans
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed crab
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 590 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
