Crab casserole is served at Chinese buffet restaurants, and is so easy to make at home. It’s a delicious dip that makes a great appetizer.
Jump to RecipeOne of the places I’ve missed since everything closed with the COVID shutdowns is our local Chinese buffet. We used to go about once per month. It’s great because we can all get what we want and don’t have to wait for it.
One of my favorite things, besides the sushi, is the baked crab. All I knew was it was crab and covered in cheese. Lots of cheese. And cheese is one of my favorites!
So, since I was missing out on going to eat, we decided to make it ourselves. I wasn’t quite sure what exactly went into the baked crab. We just made some guesses based on what we remembered from the restaurant. And that’s how we came up with this Chinese buffet crab casserole recipe.
Most of the time, this is made with imitation crab meat. That’s how I prefer it. But you could also make it with lump crab meat if you prefer the taste or texture.
I made it on a weekend and we took it over to my in-law’s house. My father-in-law and I ended up eating half of the crab meat casserole before we even made lunch that day! I can’t wait to make this one for my dad next time we visit since he loves seafood, too.
Serving Suggestions
There are a lot of things you can use to serve your cheesy crab bake recipe. When I eat it at Chinese restaurants, I tend to eat it as-is with a fork. At home, we served it with Ritz crackers and made it into an easy recipe for a dip. I’ve also heard of people using sliced bell pepper to dip into the crab casserole.
If you want to up the flavor, you can also try adding some Old Bay Seasoning, black pepper, lemon zest, or sweet onion. The cheese can also be subbed for a stronger cheese. For example, replace the mozzarella with Swiss cheese.

Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole Step by Step
Ingredients
- 8 oz imitation crab meat
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Ritz crackers
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350F. Shred the imitation crab and put it in a large mixing bowl. I like to use the kitchen shears to cut the crab into smaller pieces.

Add the cream cheese, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and stir to combine.

Add the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper.

Spread the crab dip in a 2-quart casserole dish.

Cover with the remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Serve warm with Ritz crackers and garnish with green onions if desired.

Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole Leftovers
Storage: Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Place the casserole back in the oven at 350F for about 10-15 minutes.

Recipe
Originally Published On: August 7, 2020
Updated On: June 9, 2023

Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 oz imitation crab
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Ritz crackers
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Shred the imitation crab and put it in a large mixing bowl
- Add the cream cheese, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and stir to combine
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper
- Spread the crab dip in a 2-quart casserole dish
- Cover with the remaining cheddar cheese
- Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly
- Serve warm with Ritz crackers and garnish with green onions if desired
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Other Asian-Fusion Recipes to try
- How to Make Homemade Sushi
- Shaggy Dog Sushi Roll Recipe
- California Roll Sushi Recipe
- Crunchy Roll Sushi
- How to Make the Best Philadelphia Sushi Roll
- Stir-Fry Chicken with Bok Choy
- Hot Crab Dip
- Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole
- Vegetable Lo Mein
- Honey Garlic Chicken Over Rice Recipe
- Asian Pork Salad
- Chicken and Whole Grain Stir-Fry
- Green Vegan Sushi Rolls
- Pork and Noodles with Bok Choy
- Mongolian Beef Stir-Fry
- Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Bowl
- Chicken Fried Rice with Clear Onion Soup
- Quick and Easy General Tso’s Chicken Recipe
- Sesame Noodles
- Pineapple Shrimp Stir Fry
- Shrimp Fried Rice
Other Mozzarella Recipes
- Super Easy Homemade Fried Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
- Fresh Mozzarella-Topped (Not So) Flatbread
- Crispy Fried Mozzarella Cakes Recipe with Fresh Cheese
- Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatloaf
- Super Easy Pizza Dip
- Cheesy Meatball Skillet
- Homemade Pizza Burgers: The Best Combo of Two Recipes
- Five Cheese Pull-Apart Bread
- Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Bake Casserole
- Thai Basil Pesto Flatbread
- Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Super Easy Pizza Flatbread
- Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Shells
- Fresh Caprese Salad
- Spinach and Artichoke Quesadillas
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
- Kreacher’s French Onion Soup
- Hearty Sausage and Kale Pesto Pizza
- Classic Stuffed Shells
- Quick and Easy Homemade Pizza Bagels Recipe
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Chicken and Spinach Casserole with Cream Cheese
- Baked Ziti
- BBQ Chicken Melt with Only 5 Ingredients
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Stromboli
- Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole
- Pizza Hot Pocket
- Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Stromboli Ring
- Hawaiian Chicken Wraps
- Cheesy Caper-Stuffed Tomatoes
More Recipes with Crab
- Crispy Oven Baked Crab Rangoon Recipe
- Hot Crab Dip
- Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole: Chinese Buffet Copycat
- Cheesy Crab Roll Appetizer
- Shaggy Dog Sushi Roll Recipe
- How to Make the Best Philadelphia Sushi Roll at Home
- California Roll Sushi Recipe
- Seafood Enchiladas
- Seafood Gnocchi Soup
Other Copycat Recipes
- Honey Garlic Chicken Over Rice Recipe
- Alice Springs Chicken Copycat Recipe
- Chicken Francese over Angel Hair Pasta
- 5 Layer Bean Dip: TexMex Restaurant Copycat Recipe
- Pasta Fagioli Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie: McDonald’s Copycat
- Copycat Cajun Chicken Pasta from Chili’s
- Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole: Chinese Buffet Copycat
- Cheddar Biscuits
- Garlic and Herb Cheese Fondue
- Banana Cream Cheesecake
- Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
- Fettuccine Alfredo
Other Savory Cheese Dip Recipes to try
- Ranch Spinach Dip
- Super Easy Pizza Dip
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Hot Crab Dip
- Roasted Green Onion Dip
- Chili Nacho Dip
- Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe 2 Ways
- Nutty Cheese Ball
- Hot Virginia Dip
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Easy Cheesy Ranch Chicken Dip
- Taco Dip
- Ranch Snowman Spread
- Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole: Chinese Buffet Copycat
This recipe sounds delicious and it looks fairly straightforward to make too. We hardly ever eat crab – I’ve no idea why as I love it when we do have it!
This was amazing! It was just like the one at the restaurant, and I can make it whenever I want 🙂
This looks so good! I developed an adult seafood allergy, so I miss out on goodies like this, but I will share the recipe with my family because they will love it!
Oh man, that’s hard. My mom is severely allergic but always has been so she doesn’t know what she’s missing. This would probably work with shredded chicken, too.
I just bought some crab meat. This recipe looks delicious and easy I will try to make it too.
Perfect timing! It’s such a delicious recipe and yes, pretty easy.
I have been searching for a special something to make my husband to celebrate our new home purchase—and he loves all things seafood; crab dip being a favorite.
Going to give this a try. It looks delicious.
This looks so good, and so easy to make. It would be easy to sub out the crab with other ingredients too.
I have never actually eating crab! I am not even sure where we would get it here!
I have been exploring the baking space lately. This is a perfect recipe for me to try as I love seafood. This looks truly mouth-watering!
This looks really easy to make which is exactly what I need. And we love crab don’t eat it enough now we a brilliant recipe to use we have no excuse
I have never tried baked crab before but this looks so mouth-watering 😍 I will have to try out your version for my husband who loves all things CHEEESEyy!
This casserole is something that my daughter would love.
looks absolutely delicious and easy to make! I will keep it in mind for my next cooking
Wow that looks really good! I will try it out!
Mouthwatering! This looks really yummy! Awesome layout of recipe.. how’d you do this?
wow it just made me crave for it. you know im not really a fan of crab but it is cheese and who doesnt love cheese. im totally in forthis!
Looks so easy to do and it looks yum, too! Ben, gotta buy some crabsticks in the grocery lol
Oh wow! This looks so yummy. I love crab and love making casseroles. Perfect combo for me.
Love it, and I add on 1 big onion to make it crunchy but not too dry and not too dry. Thanks for sharing.