Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

By Dan Pelosi

Updated Dec. 19, 2024

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(200)
Comments
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One of nature’s miracles is that mushroom caps make a perfect vessel for stuffing. They are most commonly stuffed with a simple mix of bread crumbs, butter and herbs. Beyond that, there are many ways to sweeten the pot, like these crab-stuffed mushrooms. They are easy to make using canned crab meat (though you can use leftover crab or lump crab meat if you like), garlic, fresh herbs, Parmesan, panko and just enough cream cheese to bring everything together and add tang. The flavor of the crab is the star of the show and it nicely compliments the juicy, earthy flavor of the mushrooms. Feel free to swap in crushed butter crackers for panko or use hot sauce instead of Worcestershire for some heat. Whatever you do, don’t skip the squeeze of lemon juice for a perfect hit of brightness before eating.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1(6-ounce) can crab meat, drained (about ½ cup)
  • ½cup thinly sliced scallions, about 4 scallions
  • ½cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 2teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ½cup plain panko or regular bread crumbs
  • 4ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ½cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Crushed red pepper
  • 1pound small white button or cremini mushrooms
  • 1lemon, sliced, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

9 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 0 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 63 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, mix together the crab meat, scallions, parsley, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, panko, cream cheese, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper. Be sure to incorporate the cream cheese into the mixture fully, using your hands to mix if necessary. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Clean the outside of the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Using your hands, or a small spoon, gently remove the stems of each mushroom. Reserve stems for another purpose. Dab the inside of each mushroom with the paper towel to soak up excess moisture, if any.

  4. Step 4

    Fill each mushroom with a heaping teaspoon of the crab meat mixture and place on an ungreased, shallow baking dish or sheet pan. When each mushroom is filled, distribute extra crabmeat stuffing among the mushrooms. Dust the top of the mushrooms with more grated Parmesan, and bake for 18 minutes, until the tops of mushrooms are golden brown.

  5. Step 5

    Set the oven to broil and broil the mushrooms for 1 to 2 minutes, until the tops are starting to crisp. Remove from the oven and serve warm with lemon slices for squeezing.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
200 user ratings
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Comments

BLH

I buy a couple of crabcakes - really good ones that look like a pile of crab meat - and divide them amongst the mushroom caps. Already seasoned it takes minutes after you clean out the mushroom caps. You can put some seasoned breadcrumbs on the top or not. Put butter, lemon juice and a little white wine if you choose in the dish and bake for at least 20 minutes at 350 to 375. So easy, you will get many compliments and you will probably confess because you’ll feel guilty.

Peaches

If you’re hesitant to try this because of the lack of comments or ratings, trust me—you have nothing to worry about! I made these tonight as one of our appetizers for Christmas dinner, and they were a hit! Super easy, too. I followed the recipe to the T, and they came out perfect. Definitely a keeper!

Beth

Can these be made ahead? If so, is it best to bake them ahead and then reheat? Or refrigerate until baking. Also, can the already-baked ones be frozen for future use?

Sonomajo

I had high hopes for these as a Thanksgiving appetizer and they really fell short and were my guest's least favorite on the table. I am nether a fantastic cook nor a novice, but these were a fail for me. The taste was off and the cream cheese rather off-putting and masking the crab flavor. I would stick to a more traditional stuffed mushroom recipe in the future.

Grace

The crab filling was enough for about 40 large mushrooms—way more than the recipe suggested, so I had to run back out to the store for more mushrooms in the middle of prep. That said, it got rave reviews. Also, a dusting of Old Bay seasoning really improved both the presentation and the taste and provided a crab-friendly kick.

Andrea

Delicious as followed but maybe get extra mushrooms (?). I found I had a lot of crab and not enough mushrooms.

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