Description
Baked crispy crab bites with a spicy aioli are rich in flavor, easy to make, and make a great appetizer or main meal!
Ingredients
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- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs, divided
- 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed, drained and excess water squeezed
- 2 thinly sliced green onions
- 3 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups fresh lump crab meat (not canned)
- 3 Tbsp. butter, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Spicy Aioli
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tsp. Sriracha sauce
- 3/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler on your oven. (My oven has two broil options –high and low, I set mine to high). Position the oven rack in the middle. Generously spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside. Alternatively, line with parchment paper, however, parchment does slightly burn.
- In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, spinach, green onions, dill, and lemon juice. Gently fold in crab meat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add the remaining 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl or rimmed plate.
- Scoop crab mixture by 2 heaping tablespoon portions forming into a ball, about a size of a golf ball. Lightly roll each ball in panko, covering all around. Transfer onto the prepared baking sheet, and top with a small slice of butter. You should get about 14 balls.
- Broil for 3 minutes or until lightly golden. Check often so they don’t burn. Gently flip the crab balls and broil for additional 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden. (Mine took about 3 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other. Keep an eye on them as they burn easily). Serve immediately with spicy aioli.
Spicy Aioli
- Whisk together all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Crab Meat: Use best quality fresh lump crab meat. I do not recommend canned crab meat for this recipe.
- Leftovers: Store leftover crab balls in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 crab balls
- Calories: 343
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 711.2 mg
- Fat: 23.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.4 g
- Protein: 14.2 g
- Cholesterol: 63.5 mg