• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Living Well Kitchen
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizer & Snacks
      • Snacks
    • Main Dish
      • Vegetarian
      • Seafood
      • Meat
      • Poultry
      • Pork
    • Specific Recipes
      • Vegetarian
        • Vegan
      • Kid Friendly
      • Gluten Free
      • Dairy Free
      • Nut Free
      • Egg Free
      • Soy Free
    • Sides
      • Vegetables
      • Beans
      • Grains
      • Potatoes
      • Bread
      • Sauce
    • Salad
    • Soup
    • Drinks
    • Dessert
    • Slow Cooker
    • Instant Pot
    • Season
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
  • About
    • Meet Meme
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
  • Videos
  • Easy Meals
  • Quiz
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Easy Meals
  • Main Dish
  • Quiz
  • Videos
  • Health
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Easy Meals
    • Main Dish
    • Quiz
    • Videos
    • Health
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ร—

    Home ยป Recipes ยป Appetizers

    Crawfish Dip

    Published: Apr 1, 2022 ยท Updated: Apr 11, 2022 ยท Post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Creamy, spicy crawfish dip made with cream cheese that can be served warm or cold. A satisfying appetizer for parties, tailgates, and holidays. You can even toss it with pasta to make crawfish pasta for dinner.

    rectangle serving dish with crawfish dip on a square plate with sliced orange bell peppers and pita chips with a green napkin
    • About Crawfish Dip
      • Ingredients
        • Cost of Recipe
    • How to Make Crawfish Dip
    • Recipe Tips
      • Variations
        • How to Fix a Mistake
      • Make Ahead Ideas
      • Storage Suggestions
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • What is crawfish dip made of?
      • Can you freeze crawfish dip?
      • Can this crawfish dip be cold?
      • What can I substitute for crawfish in this crawfish dip recipe?
      • What to Serve with Crawfish Dip
        • Crawfish Pasta

    About Crawfish Dip

    Full of crawfish and veggies in every bite, this crawfish dip is a seafood lover's dream come true.

    It's incredibly simple to make and loaded with flavor. It's basically just veggies, cream cheese, crawfish, and spices, and you really can't go wrong with that combo.

    This recipe is based on one from an old issue of Southern Living. But that recipe used a whole stick of butter to sauté the bell peppers and green onions which just felt extreme.

    I decided to try making it with only a tablespoon, and it was rich without being too much. It's a total crowd-pleaser.

    You can serve it straight from the skillet served warm, transfer to a serving dish for a fancier presentation, or even take it up a notch by covering it with shredded cheese and broiling it in the oven for a few minutes to get extra cheesiness.

    It's also delightful served cold or at room temperature, and you can even use it as a sauce for pasta. There's practically nothing this crawfish dip recipe can't do. Oh, and it's quite forgiving so you can't really mess it up. Hooray!

    containers of paprika and pepper, salt, lemon, fresh cilantro, dried parsley, green onions, green bell pepper, jar of diced pimentos, block of cream cheese, stick of butter, head of garlic, and package of frozen crawfish tails

    Ingredients

    Butter: In most cases, use unsalted butter for cooking and baking so you can add salt as needed. If using salted butter, use less salt to start when seasoning and add more later if needed.

    Bell peppers: Green bell pepper is the bell pepper that was used for testing purposes, but any color bell pepper will work. Preferably, use orange or yellow to add a variety of colors to your dip, and the pimentos will add red.

    Green onion: The green onion has a mild flavor that blends well into the dip, but if you like onion flavor, you can use regular onion.

    Garlic: A must-have ingredient for this crawfish dip is garlic. Both fresh and powdered garlic are included in the recipe, but you can substitute one for the other if you only have one on hand.

    Pimentos: Sliced or diced pimentos are both good options. Make sure you drain them before adding them to the dip. Jarred pimentos can be found next to the olives in the store.

    Spices: Dried parsley, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper are the spices for this dip. Honestly, paprika and garlic powder could be omitted. Be cautious of the cayenne pepper if you don't like spicy; you can always use less and add more as needed.

    Cream cheese: Block cream cheese works best for this. Full-fat or reduced-fat will both work fine. However, don't use fat-free.

    Crawfish: Peeled, deveined crawfish tails are what you need. I recommend using frozen because they are already taken care of for you, and all you have to do is thaw, rinse, and drain. Be sure to rinse and drain the crawfish well before adding to the dip.

    Cost of Recipe

    • butter 1 tablespoon: $0.11
    • green onion ยฝ cup: $0.40
    • bell pepper 1 medium: $0.98
    • garlic 3 cloves: $0.24
    • pimentos 4-ounce jar: $1.22
    • parsley 1 teaspoon: $0.33
    • paprika ยฝ teaspoon: $0.09
    • garlic powder ยฝ teaspoon: $0.04
    • cayenne pepper ยผ teaspoon: $0.02
    • salt ยฝ teaspoon: $0.01
    • cream cheese 8 ounces: $1.68
    • crawfish 12 ounces: $9.98

    TOTAL COST: $15.10 or $1.34/serving (Based on San Diego grocery stores 2022)

    Note that this is not the recipe; it's simply to show the cost breakdown of ingredients. Be sure to scroll down to the full recipe to see the specific ingredients and directions.

    How to Make Crawfish Dip

    six photo collage with bell peppers being sauteed, spices added, cream cheese stirred in, crawfish added, water added, and dip in a serving dish being sprinkled with cilantro

    Time needed: 30 minutes.

    This crawfish dip recipe is simple to make. Sauté the veggies, season with pimentos, spices, and garlic, add cream cheese, and stir in the crawfish. Thin with a little lemon juice and water, and enjoy. Here are the specific steps to make it:

    1. Sauté the bell peppers and green onions until softened.

    2. Add spices, garlic, and pimentos.

    3. Stir in cream cheese.

      Cook until the cream cheese melts into the veggies.

    4. Add in the crawfish.

      Stir to completely coat the crawfish.

    5. Pour in lemon juice and/or water to get your desired consistency.

    6. Transfer to a serving dish, and enjoy!

      Sprinkle with cilantro, parsley, chives, or green onion if desired.green napkin, rectangle serving dish with crawfish dip

    For Hot Crawfish Dip

    Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 275*F oven. Another alternative is to reheat the crawfish dip in the oven at 325*F until ready to serve.

    For Cold Crawfish Dip

    Let cool for 30 minutes then transfer to the refrigerator. Allow to sit out for 10 minutes to let the cream cheese slightly soften so it's easier to serve. You can also stir in a little extra water or lemon juice so it is thinner.

    Crawfish Cheese Dip Recipe Tips

    Something to be mindful of is how your crawfish tails are prepared. If they are from a crawfish boil and have been well seasoned, you might want to avoid adding salt and cayenne pepper until after the dip is prepared so you can taste and see what it needs.

    Also, make sure that the crawfish tails are completely defrosted. Then rinse well and drain off as much liquid as possible.

    Variations

    Ingredient Options

    Butter: Olive oil or avocado oil can be used in place of the butter as well.

    Green onion: Red onion, sweet onion, or Vidalia onion would be other good alternatives since they aren't typically as pungent as regular, yellow onions.

    Pimentos: If you don't have or can't find pimentos, you can finely dice red bell peppers and add with the bell pepper and onion to cook.

    Crawfish: Not a fan of crawfish? I tried this dip with shrimp and it was equally as delicious. Plus, shrimp can be easier to find.

    Flavor Substitution

    Less spicy: If you want your dip to be less spicy, use less cayenne pepper or you can omit it. You can add 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves to give it some extra flavor.

    Alternative Prep & Cooking

    You can transfer this to a baking dish and sprinkle with ยฝ cup cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, or parmesan cheese and broil until cheese is bubbly.

    green napkin with square plate that has orange bell pepper slices, pita chips, and a rectangular serving dish filled with crawfish dip

    How to Make Allergy Friendly

    The recipe is gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, and soy-free. It does have dairy as well as shellfish.

    For a dairy-free version, use olive or avocado oil in place of the butter and dairy-free cream cheese.

    How to Fix a Mistake

    No crawfish: Use shrimp in place of the crawfish. Lump or claw crabmeat could also be used. Or try flake-style imitation crabmeat.

    Too thick: If the dip is too thick, add one tablespoon of water to the mixture at a time and stir well. Add as much water as needed to get your desired consistency, making sure to stir well between additions.

    Too thin: Cook the dip a little longer on the stove, stirring occasionally, until the dip thickens.

    Too spicy: Add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice, and allow it to cool. This helps mellow out the flavor.

    Not enough flavor: Add โ…› teaspoon cayenne pepper or ยผ teaspoon red pepper flakes. You can also add ยฝ teaspoon of lemon zest.

    Make Ahead Ideas

    You can prepare this ahead of time up to 24 hours in advance. Reheat in a skillet or in the oven.

    Storage Suggestions

    Transfer to a glass or plastic container or cover the serving dish tightly. Transfer to the refrigerator and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.

    Make sure not to let the dip sit out for longer than 2 hours without keeping warm or cold.

    crawfish dip in a blue braiser with grey spatula

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is crawfish dip made of?

    This crawfish dip recipe is simply veggies (bell peppers, onions, and pimentos), crawfish, cream cheese, and spices. Also, you can add additional cheese on top if you'd like but the basic dip recipe is delicious as is.

    Can you freeze crawfish dip?

    I don't recommend freezing this dip. Cream cheese can have a strange texture after defrosting, and since this dip is primarily cream cheese with crawfish and veggies, it doesn't turn out the best.

    Can this crawfish dip be cold?

    This crawfish dip can be served hot or cold, depending on your preference. It's tasty either way.

    What can I substitute for crawfish in this crawfish dip recipe?

    Shrimp is a great substitute for crawfish in this dip recipe as well as most other crawfish recipes. Crabmeat could also work well. I'd use lump or claw, or if you are using imitation crab meat, use flake-style.

    Nutrition Benefits

    A serving of this crawfish dip is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, and it's a good source of iron.

    Plus, you get a few bites of vegetables in this dip which you usually don't find in your average dip recipe.

    hand dipping a pita chip into a serving dish with crawfish dip

    What to Serve with Crawfish Dip

    I love serving this dip with crackers, pita chips, tortilla chips, and sliced veggies like bell peppers, carrot sticks, and celery sticks. Moreover, I think it's nice to have a combo so people can enjoy the dip however they prefer.

    Crawfish Pasta

    Another option with this crawfish dip is to serve it over cooked pasta for a tasty crawfish pasta. Use 4 ounces of pasta for 1 cup of leftover sauce.

    I used the leftover crawfish dip to make crawfish pasta.

    To make this, cook 4 ounces of pasta in salted, boiling water. Meanwhile, sauté one diced red bell pepper in about 1 teaspoon of olive oil. (You could use onion in the bell pepper's place or skip.)

    When the pasta is al dente, reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water, and drain.

    Add the cooked pasta to the veggies. Stir in 1 cup leftover crawfish dip and ยฝ cup pasta cooking water.

    Let the sauce simmer until it slightly thickens, and add pasta water if needed. Serve.

    P.S. Want more crawfish pasta? You need Crawfish Monica!

    blue braiser with pasta and crawfish dip with a black spatula on a white counter

    Final thoughts:

    Whether it's crawfish season or not, I highly recommend making this crawfish dip. It's creamy, hearty, and incredibly flavorful. In conclusion, it has just the right amount of spices so it's not too spicy but still tastes great.

    And you can make it all year by using frozen crawfish tails, so you have no excuse not to make it. Served hot or cold, everyone will be begging you for the recipe.

    MORE CRAWFISH RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:

    • Crawfish Monica (this one always gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews!)
    • Mini Crawfish Pies
    • Crawfish Nachos
    • Egg Stuffed Portobella with Crawfish
    • Crawfish Tacos
    rectangle serving dish with crawfish dip on a square plate with sliced orange bell peppers and pita chips with a green napkin

    Crawfish Dip

    Easy, creamy, spicy crawfish dip made with cream cheese that can be served warm or cold. Satisfying appetizer for parties, tailgates, holidays
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 10
    Author: Meme
    Total Cost: $13.42 or $1.34/serving

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 cup green onion chopped, 8 green onions
    • 1 cup bell pepper diced, 1 medium
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 4 ounce pimentos diced or sliced
    • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
    • ยฝ teaspoon paprika
    • ยผ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ยฝ teaspoon salt
    • ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder optional
    • 8 ounces cream cheese cubed, room temperature
    • 12 ounces crawfish tails rinsed and drained
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1-4 tablespoons water as needed
    • fresh parsley or cilantro for serving

    Instructions

    • In a medium skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.
    • Add the bell peppers and green onion, and sauté for 7 minutes until softened.
    • Stir in spices, drained pimentos, and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute.
    • Add in the cream cheese and stir well until the cheese melts into the veggies. This will take about 5-10 minutes.
    • Add the crawfish, and stir until completely coated.
    • Pour in lemon juice, and stir well. Add in water, one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
    • Transfer to a serving dish if desired (or serve in the skillet), and sprinkle with chopped parsley, cilantro, chives, or green onions.

    Video

    Notes

    *Makes about 2.5 to 3 cups
    *Be sure to completely thaw the crawfish tails, then rinse well, and drain. You want to remove as much liquid as possible from the crawfish before adding it, so it doesn't make the dip too soupy.

    What to Use in This Recipe

    two black skillets with silver handles
    Skillet
    red spoon
    Spoon
    small red baking dish with lid
    Small Baking Dish
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

    Meme


    Crawfish Dip Nutrition Facts

    Nutrition Facts
    Crawfish Dip
    Serving Size
     
    0.25 cup
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    130
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    10
    g
    15
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    31
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    72
    mg
    24
    %
    Sodium
     
    224
    mg
    10
    %
    Potassium
     
    184
    mg
    5
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    4
    g
    1
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    2
    g
    2
    %
    Protein
     
    8
    g
    16
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1134
    IU
    23
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    30
    mg
    36
    %
    Calcium
     
    32
    mg
    3
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Doesn't this recipe look good?! You should probably share it:

    More Appetizers

    • Jalapeรฑo Popper Dip
    • Apple Brie Pizza
    • Pumpkin Yogurt
    • Spicy Pumpkin Deviled Eggs
    • Yummly
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Helan W. says

      May 12, 2022 at 7:53 pm

      5 stars
      Made th. Is for mother's day for my mom who loves crawfish. It was a hit with my whole family

      Reply
      • Meme says

        May 13, 2022 at 11:38 am

        EEK! I'm so happy! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Meme (a brunette female) is holding umbrella and spinning around in front of the Eiffel Tower wearing a denim jacket, skirt, and blue shoesHi, I'm Meme, a thirty-something registered dietitian nutritionist from Alabama living in San Diego. Here to help you enjoy food, feel better in your body at any size, and live free of diets & shame.
    Read More

    Let's Connect

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Most Popular

    pork tenderloin with gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans on white plate with yellow and white striped napkin

    Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin

    jar of chocolate sauce with a spoon in it. empty small glass ice cream cups with a bowl of cherries on a wicker table

    Easy Chocolate Sauce

    Protein Pancakes from Living Well Kitchen

    protein pancakes

    white plate with a slice of zucchini lasagna

    Zucchini Lasagna

    spatula holding a microwave cookie

    Microwave Oatmeal Cookie

    stack of almond butter banana cookies with one cookie facing the front on wooden cutting board with a glass of milk, banana, oats, vanilla extract, and almond butter container

    Almond Butter Banana Cookies

    Gluten free Crab Cakes from Living Well Kitchen @memeinge

    Gluten free Crab Cakes

    chicken salad and a ritz cracker in a glass bowl on white table with green napkin

    No Mayo Chicken Salad

    Intuitive Eating

    brunette female holding a heart shaped pizza in a Parisian cafe

    Why Emotional Eating Isn't Bad

    hand holding an apple in front of apple trees

    Should I Eat Conventional or Organic Produce?

    havanese dog standing on arm of cream chair with a quilt in chair

    Intuitive Eating and Weight Loss

    brunette female sitting in a blanket in Versaille garden smiling and holding a container of container of food she is about to be eating

    What is Intuitive Eating

    Easy Meals

    blue napkin with plate of Avocado Salmon Burgers with lime slices

    Avocado Salmon Burgers

    Breakfast Tostadas from Living Well Kitchen

    Breakfast Tostadas

    cut open avocado on a straw placemat with a white bowl of white turkey chili with a silver spoon on a patterned napkin

    White Bean Turkey Chili

    One Pot Taco Casserole from Living Well Kitchen

    One Pot Taco Casserole

    Soup

    two bowl of beef soup on blue and white napkins with silver spoons and garlic bread

    Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

    steak potato soup in a bowl with green onions and grated cheese with a silver spoon next to potatoes, pot of soup and block of cheese

    Steak and Potato Soup

    blue and white napkins under two bowls of pumpkin soup topped with bacon next to a small bowl of bacon

    Pumpkin Soup with Bacon

    bowl of ginger beef soup on a gold and white napkin with garlic, limes, and ginger

    Ginger Beef Soup

    As Seen On:

    As Seen On

    In Season

    stemless wine glass with strawberry gin fizzes next to fresh strawberries, bottle of gin, and an orange

    Valentine's Day Gin Fizz

    black spatula pushing Brussels sprouts around on a baking sheet with pecans, honey, and sriracha sauce

    Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts

    four twice baked potatoes on a plate

    Twice-Baked Potatoes

    blue pot with sausage hash, cup of tea, bowl of berries, white plate with hash

    Mushroom Sausage Hash

    Footer

    Living Well Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    • Recipes
    • About

    Copyright © 2023

    We use cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT