Crab Deviled Eggs
Up your deviled egg game with crab deviled eggs. Chopped crab meat, chives and Old Bay seasoning add a punch of flavor and create an elegant presentation.
The Cooking Bride is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Sure, classic deviled eggs will always be king. But why limit yourself to just one flavor? A simple hard boiled egg is like a blank canvas, the only boundary is the limits of your imagination. These crab deviled eggs are the perfect appetizer for an Easter dinner or holiday party.
Ingredients and tools you will need
Seafood lovers will love this tasty twist on a classic deviled egg recipe with a little chopped crabmeat and a whole lot of flavor. To make lump crab deviled eggs, you will need:
- 6 hard boiled large eggs, peeled
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning – you could also use Cajun or Creole seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish – or one teaspoon dried
- 4 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat, plus more for garnish, drained, chopped
- Medium mixing bowl
How to make crab deviled eggs
- First, you’re going to want to hard boil six fresh eggs. Check out this post for my cooking technique and tips for easy peel hard-boiled eggs. After the eggs are cooked and peeled, cut them in half lengthwise and gently remove the egg yolks to a medium mixing bowl with a large spoon. Set the egg white halves aside.
- Mash the egg yolks with a fork or potato masher. Add ¼ cup of mayonnaise, one tablespoon of Dijon mustard and one teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning.
- Then add one tablespoon of lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon of hot sauce and two teaspoons of chopped chives. Stir to combine.
- Next, fold in ½ a cup of crab meat. If you have large chunks, you may want to chop the crab meat beforehand into smaller chunks. Folding means we are going to gently stir in the crabmeat so we can preserve as much of the texture of the meat as we can.
- Once the crab meat has been incorporated, spoon the filling mixture evenly into the hollowed-out egg halves. Garnish with additional chopped crabmeat, chives or parsley, if desired.
- You can serve the crab eggs immediately. However, I like to let them chill in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow the mixture to set.
Storage instructions
Crab deviled eggs can be made up to two days in advance. Store them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out and protect them from getting smushed. I recommend placing a layer of paper towels underneath the eggs to absorb any residual moisture. Deviled eggs can safely sit at room temperature for up to two hours. After that, they need to be moved to the fridge to prevent the formation of bacteria. Consume within three days.
Frequently asked questions
Unfortunately, no. Hard boiled eggs do not hold up well to freezing. Once thawed, the egg whites become watery and rubbery and the yolks take on a gel-like texture.
A good rule of thumb is to serve at least two eggs per person, but when cooking for my family, I usually go with three
Crab meat is usually broken down into four categories – jumbo lump, lump, special, and claw meat. Jumbo lump meat is the most expensive. It includes large chunks of higher quality meat. Lump is a mixture of jumbo lump and special grade. Special grade is comprised of smaller pieces of white meat from the body of the crab, while claw meat is extracted from the limbs of the crab and has a stronger seafood flavor.
I used jumbo lump crabmeat for this recipe because I like the big pristine chunks and clean flavor. It makes for a more elegant presentation. However, one 8-ounce can typically runs me about $20-$25 – not exactly budget friendly!
If you’re looking for an option that’s a little easier on your wallet, opt for lump or special. You’ll still get that light, clean yummy crab flavor. Stay away from imitation crab meat. Sure, it’s cheap, but it’s not real crab meat. It’s made from Alaskan Pollock and orange food dye. That’s why it’s called imitation.
I do like to pipe the filling for my traditional deviled egg recipe because it makes a prettier presentation. However, the egg mixture for this deviled eggs recipe is going to be quite chunky with the addition of the crab meat. I have never had any luck trying to pipe these. But, if you have a large piping bag with a tip wide enough to accommodate the chunks of crab, give it a try!
Yes, but you will need to cook it first. You can cook fresh crab meat in the shell by boiling them in a large pot of salted water for 15-20 minutes or steaming for 15-20 minutes until the shell turns bright red or orange.
More egg recipes
- Classic Egg Salad Sandwiches
- Easy Southern Deviled Eggs with Relish
- Scotch Eggs with Buttered Herb Grits
- Southern Potato Salad
- Southern Cornbread Dressing with Chicken
- Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Mock Turtle Soup
Crab Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 hardboiled eggs peeled
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons chopped chives plus more for garnish
- 4 ounces crabmeat plus more for garnish chopped
Instructions
- Cut the hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise, then gently remove the egg yolks to a medium mixing bowl. Set the egg whites aside.
- Mash the egg yolks with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning, lemon zest, hot sauce and chopped chives. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the crab meat. If you have large chunks, you may want to chop the crab meat beforehand into smaller chunks.
- Once the crab meat has been incorporated, spoon the egg mixture evenly into the hollowed-out egg white halves. Garnish the top of the eggs with additional chopped crabmeat, chives or parsley if desired.
- You can serve these immediately. However, I like to let them chill in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow the mixture to set.
These crab deviled eggs are super delicious and make an elegant presentation.