This gorgeous yet easy-to-make dish of crab-stuffed mushrooms is perfect as an appetizer.
It's ready in about 20 minutes, making it a truly quick appetizer that you can whip up even at the last minute.
Isn't this dish just gorgeous? I love serving it to my family, but it's also very appropriate to serve when you have company over. It's festive, elegant, and very tasty.
When I serve it to my family, I like to serve it as our main course, so I serve six mushrooms per person plus a side or two. When hosting, I serve it as an appetizer, and then three mushrooms per person are perfect.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make these crab-stuffed mushrooms. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Baby Bella mushrooms: Try to find ones that are about the same size.
- Olive oil cooking spray: I love cooking with this delicious oil. But if you'd rather use an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead.
- Fresh lump crab meat: The fresher the better, or the dish could taste fishy.
- Chopped scallions: I use the green parts only.
- Sour cream: I tried using Greek yogurt and thought that it produced inferior results, so I don't recommend it.
- Grated Parmesan: It's best to use finely grated cheese and not coarsely shredded.
- Spices: I use garlic powder, dried thyme, black pepper, and paprika.
Instructions
Considering it's such an elegant dish, it's surprisingly easy to make these crab-stuffed mushrooms. The detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
- Use damp paper towels to gently wipe the mushrooms clean. Gently twist the stems off. Spray the mushrooms with olive oil on both sides. Broil them in the middle of the oven until just tender, then drain on paper towels.
- Transfer the crabmeat to a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients except for the paprika and mix well.
- Spoon the crab mixture into the mushrooms, dividing it evenly. Sprinkle the stuffed mushrooms with paprika.
- Arrange the mushrooms back on the baking sheet. Lightly spray them with olive oil.
- Broil the mushrooms briefly, just until the filling is warm and golden, for about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Expert tips
- The fresher the crab meat you use, the better this appetizer will taste. I find that the supermarket lump crabmeat that comes in small plastic containers tends to be quite fishy, so I don't like to use it in this recipe. If you have Whole Foods Market in your area, I suggest you try the crab meat sold at their seafood counter. It's the freshest I have been able to find.
- Pick larger mushrooms. If you’re buying pre-packed baskets, you’ll probably need to buy an extra one. Use the smaller mushroom in this sautéed mushrooms recipe or to make cream of mushroom soup.
Frequently asked questions
Cooked mushrooms can indeed become soggy. To avoid sogginess:
1. Wipe clean, don't wash the mushrooms. They can absorb water if you wash them.
2. Pre-broil the mushrooms to release some of the liquids.
3. In the final stage of broiling, broil briefly, just until the topping is browned. Overcooked mushrooms become mushy.
When making this recipe, I like to set the oven rack in the middle of the oven. It's been my experience that the mushrooms tend to burn easily when placed directly under the heating element.
Middle-of-the-oven broiling takes longer, but it allows for gentler cooking and it also reduces the risk of burning your food.
Crabmeat is very salty, so I find that there's no need to add salt to the mixture. You can, of course, taste and decide for yourself.
Variations
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
- Use cilantro instead of scallions.
- Dried oregano can be a good replacement for dried thyme.
- Add a pinch of onion powder.
Serving suggestions
Crab-stuffed mushrooms make a great appetizer! But you can also serve six per person as the main dish.
When I serve them as the main dish, I usually add a simple side that I can make ahead of time, such as this tasty tomato salad or this arugula salad. And to round out the meal, I add a buttered slice of almond flour bread.
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, in the microwave on 50% power. They are also good cold.
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Recipe card
Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
INGREDIENTS
- 24 large baby Bella mushrooms (about 1 lb.)
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 8 oz fresh lump crabmeat
- ¼ cup scallions chopped
- 6 tablespoons sour cream
- ¼ cup Parmesan grated
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the broiler, setting the temperature on high. Set an oven rack in the middle of the oven (this will prevent the mushrooms from scorching under the broiler). Line a broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Use damp paper towels to gently wipe the mushrooms clean. Gently twist the stems off. Spray the mushrooms with olive oil on both sides. Broil in the middle of the oven until just tender, 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
- Transfer the crabmeat to a medium bowl, feeling through the meat to make sure no shell pieces remain. If using jumbo lump crabmeat (which comes in larger pieces than lump crabmeat), use a fork to break the lumps into smaller pieces.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the paprika and mix well with a rubber spatula until fully combined.
- Spoon the crab mixture into the mushrooms, dividing it evenly. Each mushroom should hold about 2 tablespoons of filling. Pack the filling into the mushrooms and pile it high if needed. Sprinkle the stuffed mushrooms with paprika.
- Arrange the mushrooms, filling side up, back on the baking sheet (you might need to use a clean new sheet of foil). Lightly spray them with olive oil.
- Broil the mushrooms briefly, just until the filling is warm and golden, for about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
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NOTES
- The fresher the crab meat you use, the better this appetizer will taste. I find that the supermarket lump crabmeat that comes in small plastic containers tends to be quite fishy, so I don't like to use it in this recipe. If you have Whole Foods Market in your area, I suggest you try the crab meat sold at their seafood counter. It's the freshest I have been able to find.
- Pick larger mushrooms. If you’re buying pre-packed baskets, you’ll probably need to buy an extra one. Use the smaller mushroom in this sautéed mushrooms recipe or to make cream of mushroom soup.
ADD YOUR OWN NOTES
NUTRITION PER SERVING
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 