This hot crab dip is a combination of crab, cheese, mayonnaise, lemon, and spices, all done in the instant pot in less than 10 minutes! This super easy make-ahead creamy and delicious appetizer will be a crowd-pleaser.

Dips are the perfect party appetizer, they’re easy to make, feed a lot of people and most can be made in advance. This effortless hot crab dip always gets raved reviews because of the star ingredient: CRAB.

Over the years, I’ve always made this recipe in the oven. Now, I’m converting this recipe for the instant pot. It’s so much faster as opposed to the 30-40 minutes in the oven to make this 18-servings crab dip! When your guests arrive, just pop the dip into the instant pot. You’ll have a hot and delicious crab dip for your guests to enjoy in less than 10 minutes! This is perfect for any get together like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, pot luck, game day or when you’re binge-watching Netflix shows in your PJs .

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST INSTANT POT HOT CRAB DIP

Splurge on fresh crabmeat for your crab dip! Frozen crab meat won’t have the same flavor and might mess up the consistency of the dip. Whichever you decide to use, fresh, frozen or canned, make sure to drain the excess liquid really well so that the dip doesn’t become runny.

Use the pot in pot method. Don’t put the dip mixture directly in the pot or you might get the “burn” message. (Pot in pot just means that you place water inside the Instant Pot, insert a trivet and then place an oven-safe bowl on top of the trivet. Instructions in the recipe card.)

Cover the crab dip with foil so the water condensation doesn’t drip into the crab dip.

After it is done, you can place it on broil in the oven to brown and melt the cheese but this is totally optional for presentation! It’ll still taste amazing if you skip this step.

CAN YOU MAKE CRAB DIP AHEAD OF TIME?

Absolutely! You can assemble your crab dip up to 10 hours before you plan to serve it. If you wish to make it ahead of time, just combine all the ingredients together but don’t top it with cheese. Make sure the dip is covered and refrigerated. When it is time to be heated up, give it a quick stir, top it with cheese, and then place it in the instant pot. You may need an extra minute of cook time since you’re starting with a cold dip.

Here’s another Instant Pot recipe to try: Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast