I love crab imperial and it makes the perfect stuffing for lobster, shrimp and mushrooms. You're friends and family will be impressed and love you even more for making these delicious offerings.
If you’re looking for a show stopper to serve your guests or family this year look no further than my Stuffed Lobster, Stuffed Shrimp or Stuffed Mushrooms. The great part about these delicious creations is just how easy they are to make, and that’s something to celebrate!
The crab imperial I use for those delicious creations is really the star of the show and although it’s a little more expensive than most dishes you’ll make, it’s well worth the cost. So if you want to turn your next gathering into an event or just want to spoil the family, think about using one or all of these taste sensations.
Most supermarkets carry 4 -5 oz lobster tails and that’s the perfect size for stuffing. Look for Maine or Canadian lobster, cold water lobster is always preferred.
When it comes to shrimp look for wild caught (Gulf or Pacific) shrimp for your stuffed shrimp. Shrimp from questionable waters and farm-raised are not a good choice.
Stuffing with my crab imperial is a delicious way to celebrate holiday get-togethers with friends and family. They bake up to a nice golden brown and the presentation makes these dishes show stoppers
WHAT TYPE OF CRABMEAT CAN I USE?
The source of the crabmeat can be from any part of the world that has crabs and includes varieties such as Blue Swimming, Dungeness, Snow, King and of course my favorite Blue Claw.
- Jumbo Lump
- Lump
- Backfin
- Claw
- Imitation Crabmeat
Don’t forget to add a little water to the pan when baking the shrimp and lobster. My Crab stuffing has other delicious uses as too. Think about using it as a stuffing for your favorite fish, add some breadcrumbs for crab cakes or on its own as Crab Imperial.
If you’d like to follow along and see step by step how I created each dish, check out the video from this weeks Around the Kitchen Table!
If you enjoyed this recipe you’ll love these!
- My Famous Crabcakes
- Lobster Stuffed with Crab Imperial
- Shrimp and Mushrooms Stuffed with Crab Imperial
- Salmon Stuffed with Crabmeat and Cream Cheese
- Crab Imperial
Stuffed Lobster, Stuffed Shrimp and Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
Crab Imperial for stuffing
- 1 lb lump crabmeat
- ½ cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp old bay
- 1 tsp finely chopped Italian parsley
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 4 oz lobster tails
- ½ pound 26-30 cnt shrimp peeled and deveined with tail on
- 12 Mushroom caps
- 24 ounces lobster tails 6- 4 ounce tails
Instructions
Crab Imperial Mix for stuffing
- Mix mayonnaise, egg, sugar, old bay, lemon juice and parsley together and blend well, this is your imperial sauce.
- Gently fold crabmeat into the imperial sauce, being careful not to break up crab meat.
Stuffed Lobster Tail
- Spit the tail down the middle and pull the meat out without detaching it
- Fold the shell together and lay the meat back on top of the shell. Easy Peasy!
- You can fan the tail out to make it look pretty and then add 2-3 ounces of the crab imperial to the top of the tail depending upon the size of the tail.
- Sprinkle with a little old bay and if you’re really feeling decadent drizzle a little melted butter over the top of the crabmeat, then bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Stuffed Shrimp
- Peel and devein shrimp leaving the tail on
- split shrimp almost all the way through, then flatten out fanning the tail to the side
- top each shrimp with a tablespoon of crabmeat mix.
- one pound of crabmeat should stuff 15-18 shrimp depending upon how much stuffing you use for each shrimp.
- bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Stuffed Mushrooms
- use white mushroom caps or baby bellas
- pull out stem carefully so as not to break the mushroom cap.
- cut a little bit off the bottom of the cap so its will sit flat
- place a teaspoon of crabmeat mixture into the mushroom and arrange mushrooms in a large enough baking dish to accommodate all of the mushrooms.
- This should stuff between 25-35 mushrooms depending upon their size.
- add marsala or your favorite wine to the bottom of the dish so the mushrooms have a liquid to soak up while their cooking. You can also use vegetable stock.
- bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Elaine Friedman says
Complaints are not enough praise for the stuff mushrooms 🍄 my daughter is gluten intolerant so I am always on the hunt for a great recipe 👏🏻She and her husband before covit have had the good fortune to traveled the world 🌎 and eat at some great five star ⭐️ restaurants, I think I have found my new chef
Too make this unusual And “tuublant” times we are in : if we can’t go to our favorite upscale restaurants
Please give CHEFF DENNIS RECIPES a try you won’t be disappointed 👏🏻 I’ll certainly be in the kitchen a lot more but I know my Husband and my daughter and so lax will have happy faces and full tummies 🍾🍾🥰
Chef Dennis Littley says
thank you Elaine, you made my day with your comment!
Kelly says
Chef Dennis,
Can’t wait to try this recipe this weekend. What size shrimp work best?
Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley says
If you’re stuffing shrimp, the larger the better. Look for 21-25 or 16-20 if you can find them.
DIANE T MERCHANT says
I made the stuffed shrimp tonight for dinner…they were fabulous!!! Will definitely make these again and again!
claire cohen says
I’ve made stuffed mushrooms on many occasions and were loved by everyone. It had been awhile since I made them and so I depended upon my failing memory in making them lately. I don’t know if it was the wine I used or too much wine (1/2 cu) mixed with progresso bread crumbs, stick of butter,garlic 2 cloves and chopped mushroom stems…but there was a bitter taste after I let them cool. What happened? Bad memory? oh yes, I used canned lump crabmeat
Thanks for the great recipe….Claire
Chef Dennis Littley says
I would say that was too much wine. Seafood is too delicate to take on the flavor of that much wine. I would add just an ounce to the mixture. I usually don’t add wine to the mixture but use it in the pan the mushrooms are baking in instead.
Hope this helps
Christine says
stuffed large bella mushrooms with this crab recipe, cooked with a light red wine on bottom of the pan and everyone raved – delicious and easy!
Yolanda says
HELLO IM MAKING THE STUFF SHRIMP FOR MOTHERS DAY TOMORROW. YOU SAID TO PUT WATER N WITH THE SHRIMP HOW N HOW MUCH ? THANK YOU
Chef Dennis Littley says
you only need a few tablespoons of water in the pan so the shrimp don’t dry out
John says
Love this place
Robert says
Delicious. Printed recipe – will make often!
Tammy Hill says
Yummie
Judy says
Thank you Chef Dennis, I love to make stuffed shrimp, mushrooms & lobster tails. My fav dishes!! I’m saving this!!
N Dreyer says
Truly, most appreciative of all your detailed, simple and delicious recipes. They are always informative & a treat to serve. Thank you & wish you & yours a great 2020.
Madison Williams says
Really looks delicious and beside that I love sea foods. I’ll definitely try this and share some to my friends in Hawthorn Restaurants. I’m sure they will shock because they thinking that I don’t know how to cook.
Suzanne says
Hi Dennis, I’ll be making your crab imperial stuffed shrimp for Christmas and I’m really looking forward to it. One question though, I’m on keto and can’t use sugar so will it ruin the recipe if the sugar is not added to the sauce? Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley says
not at all Suzanne, its just a flavor enhancement
Happy Holidays!
Suzanne says
Thank you! Happy holidays to you as well!
Amy H says
Oh my gosh! My mouth is now watering! That looks so delicious. I bet my hubby would love it for dinner on New Year
Swathi says
This stuffed lobster and shrimp looks delicious, I agree with you these are going to star of holiday dinner table. I need to give it a try.
Beth says
This looks so great, I love the idea of stuffed mushrooms, They would be a wonderful appetizer.
Kita Bryant says
Oh man this recipe looks too good to eat! I haven’t had seafood in way too long.
Kathy says
This sure does look like an amazing dish. I have never actually tried lobster before. I always hear of how amazing it is though. I definitely need to give it a try.
Lynndee says
We are seafood lovers over here, so I’m definitely going to save your recipe and make it ASAP. Yum, yum, yum!
Ruth I says
It is the first time I have seen this dish. It looks pretty interesting and beautiful! Another dish to be added on my Christmas cook list.
Karen Morse says
That looks really good. It would be nice to have this on your Christmas spread this season. I think it’s something that everyone will enjoy.
Jamie H says
Not only are they beautiful appetizers, they also look delicious! I bet these are a real hit at a holiday party!
Monica y says
Those look so delicious, I love seafood, I need to make this for my next party for sure, yummy
Theresa says
My husband and I get ourselves a lobster each for the holidays. Usually we just cook it in butter, but now I am sending him this recipe because I am seriously ticked I’ve been missing out on this deliciousness all this time. I can’t wait to try your recipe this year!
Tasheena says
I know my family is going to love this recipe. I can’t wait to make it for them this holiday season.
Marcie W. says
This meal is pure heaven! A perfect way to celebrate the holidays for sure. Yum!
Mitch Chaitin says
Dennis, you’re killing me. This is one of my all time favorite dishes, I am currently hungry, and now my mouth is watering! Love this recipe!
melissa chapman says
You hit it right because my son loves seafood and mushrooms. I will have to try this crab and make this for him before the year is out.
Amber Myers says
My kids and husband would love this. They are all about their seafood. I wish I liked it more.
GiGi Eats says
Crab and Lobster, NOW I WANT BOTH! This sounds like a heavenly combo and quite the crowd pleaser too if you’re entertaining guests!
cait says
oh my goodness i m a huge fan of stuffed mushroom but with lobster too?! YES pelase!
Jeanette says
That looks amazing! It makes me hungry and wish I had all the ingredients so I could make them. I cannot wait to try it.
Sharon says
Made the stuffed mushrooms. Excellent! Bookmarking this one! Only change I made was to add some buttered panko on top.
Michael says
I added Worcester Sauce as I do for all of my Maryland Blue Crab recipes. A tablespoon or two is usually sufficient.
Lee hill says
Chef Dennis I made your dish for the first time and it is AWESOME!!! Fixed it for the family and my sister tasted a piece and I had to give her your recipe.., she would not leave without it, just want to say thank you so much for your recipe
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks Lee! I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed my recipe and that your sister wanted the recipe too! I hope you find more recipes to try on my website!
Joan says
Made the crab imperial over shrimp tonight for the first time. Awesome!!! My husband loved it. I will definitely make this dish for company. I served it with sauteed spinach and a Caesar salad. Great meal. Thanks so much.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the crab imperial with your shrimp, it really is an incredibly delicious dish!
Joanne says
Chef Dennis , Awesome dish I made this dish for a huge party had to triple the recipe but made all three dishes !!! Two weeks ago and all the guest are still raving about it …… Everything turned out great the sauce made the whole dish just melt in your mouth…. Everyone reguested the recipe…. So thank you and I gave all of them your web page!!!!!! Thank you for making my party a HUGE success!!!!!!!!!! Will be making several more times just awesome awesome awesome!!!!!! Again Thank you!!!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
hi Joanne
I’m so happy to hear that you had such a successful experience with my recipe! I love hearing success stories and your comment really made my day!
Thanks so much for sharing my web page with your guests and I hope you find more delicious recipes to try on my blog.
Dennis
Danielle McWilliams says
Just reading for fun, I caught two spelling errors. If you need a copywriter or editor, I’m for hire! (And I WILL be stuffing some shrimp!)
Susan Doucette says
I love that this seems to be gluten-free!
Chef Dennis Littley says
It’s completely GF Susan.
Jeanne says
Thank you Chef Dennis!! I made the Lobster Tails and Mushrooms for Valentines Day and will be making them again this weekend for Hubby’s Birthday. The Crab Imperial is absolutely AWESOME and I will be making it for every special occasion I can think of. Heck, I just might start making up special occasions:) Many many thanks!! This recipe is such a keeper!
10 stars for sure.
Chef Dennis Littley says
you are very welcome Jeanne, and I love hearing success stories! Thanks so much for stopping back to let me know how much you enjoyed the recipes!
Wendy says
I would love to visit a house that had this delicious menu. Definitely a step up from crackers and cheese:)
Chef Dennis Littley says
I wish you lived close enough to come over for dinner Wendy!
[email protected] says
so pretty! i really am a baby about preparing seafood, i’ve hardly ever done it. but i sure love to eat it!
cathy Lee says
Thank you Chef Dennis for sharing. Awesome Dish!
Larry says
They all look awesome Dennis
Adam J. Holland says
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Merry Christmas, Chef Dennis.
Dave says
Awesome! Looks delicious! Great way impress guests without too much work!