Crab Cake Stuffed Shrimp make an elegant holiday appetizer. The crab and the shrimp are the main attraction in this dish. There’s only a little filler and just enough other ingredients to add flavor.
This baked stuffed shrimp recipe is a little bit of a splurge. Large shrimp and fresh crab can be pricey. But for seafood lovers, it is well worth the cost. Shrimp and crab are such an awesome combination.
Buttery Cracker Crumb Filling
The filling contains both Panko crumbs and crushed Ritz crackers. I love the buttery flavor that Ritz crackers add. The filling also contains sauteed onion and bell pepper. I like to use both green and red bell pepper but you can use one or the other.
How To Serve Crab Stuffed Shrimp
Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving if you wish. Tastes great as is but also goes great with a remoulade sauce or tartar sauce.
Type Of Crab To Use
It’s best to use fresh lump crabmeat for this recipe.
Tips For Making Crab Cake Stuffed Shrimp
- This recipe really only works with extra-large or jumbo shrimp. Not only is it too time-consuming to prep smaller shrimp, they will not hold enough stuffing and they will likely get overcooked.
- Leave the tails on the shrimp for the best presentation.
- Be sure to pick through the crab for any pieces of shell.
- When you place a ball of stuffing on the butterflied shrimp, press the tail into the top of the stuffing. This will help the shrimp hold its shape around the crab as it bakes.
- Can be assembled ahead of time and baked just as your guests arrive.
Make It Spicy
Double the amount of cayenne pepper if you want this recipe to be spicy.
How To Store
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. To reheat, place in a baking pan and loosely tent with foil. Bake at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes.
More Shrimp Recipes
- Spicy Shrimp Dip
- Cajun Shrimp Lasagna Roll-Ups
- Easy Shrimp Spread
- Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta
- Baked Honey Cajun Shrimp
- Garlic Shrimp in Creamy Parmesan Sauce
- Calabash Shrimp
Crab Cake Stuffed Shrimp
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup finely diced onion
- 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
- 1 pound lump crabmeat
- 1/2 cup panko crumbs
- 12 Ritz crackers, crushed
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- salt and pepper
- 24 jumbo or large shrimp
- 2 tablepsoons melted butter
Instructions
- Melt butter in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper. Cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Let cool.
- Pick through crabmeat and remove any shell. Place crab in a medium bowl along with Panko crumbs, Ritz crackers, Old Bay seasoning, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, mayonnaise, and egg. Stir gently to mix.Season to taste with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed.
- Peel shrimp, leaving the tail on. Cut through the backside of each shrimp, like you would to devein it, but cut more deeply, almost all the way through. Remove and discard the veins.
- On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, place shrimp butterflied side down, pressing to flatten.
- Shape about 1 heaping tablespoon of crab mixture into a ball and place on top of a shrimp, pressing the tail into the top to secure. Repeat.
- Drizzle melted butter over shrimp.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
Notes
Nutrition
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Originally published December 9, 2019.
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The best!!!! Just not enough
This recipe is delicious 😋 I have made several times and it’s super easy and I have used canned bumble bee lumped crab meat and it was still delicious
my family loved this recipe. very delicious. I will be making it again.
I am hoping to try this recipe soon. Any recommendations on a lite main dish to serve with it or along side?
How far in advance can this be made?
We loved it!
👍😎
Awesome.
Uh… What happens to the onion/peppers? Was a step left out?
The peppers and onion after being softly cooked and cooled go in the crab mixture.
refer to step 1
This is not a southern receipt. Ritz Crackers receipt is a New England tradition. I have been making this exact shrimp stuffing for over 40 years.
Made this recipe as the seafood side for Thanksgiving dinner, Oh my word!!! Deliciousness! I added a dash or two of Cajun seasoning for a kick. This dish will now be a staple for holidays and special occasions.
I am about 1/4 cup short of Mayo. Do you guys think that substituting sandwich spread for the remaining amount of mayo would make a huge change in the taste?
Extra old bay and cajun seasoning then wrap once with thin bacon. Convection bake at 425 until bacon is cooked to desired crisp. BAM!!!
AWESOME!
granddaughter loves!
Can I freeze stuffing to spread into two meals
Made these for my husband birthday. He loved them. Now he wants me to make them every weekend. Not… I didnt find it hard to stuff the meat into the shrimp and look as pretty as the picture, but that did not take from the taste. Thanks for the recipe.
I made these in December as a meal using extra colassol shrimp my husband and son demolished them. Now I’m fixing them for the Superbowl as one of my appetizers I know they’ll be a hit!!
I’m new at making seafood recipes but I think this sounds delicious! Can’t wait to make these.
I love seafood, especially crab. My kids always make a mess of eating crab the regular way ,this is
a great way to let them enjoy my favorite foods. Can’t wait to try these!!! Know they will be delicious😁
I’m allergic to either brown shrimp or white shrimp, my allergist couldn’t tell which one. Hard to tell the difference in the seafood case and most times the fish monger doesn’t know either. I just take my chances and if I pick wrong I just itch for about 45 min and I just keep eating. This is one recipe I will take a chance on for Christmas Eve. It looks amazing.
Try Benadryl before you eat seafood. Works for my daughter.
This is the ONLY seafood that I can eat!!!I only can eat shell fish and Crabs and Shrimps are A GREAT thing for me!!!! I can’t wait to try this and I know for a certain that I’ll Love It. And thank you
Looks good can’t wait to try it