This easy appetizer is as popular for Super Bowl parties as it is for a fancy New Year's Eve celebration.
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Copycat Red Lobster stuffed mushrooms are a salty, cheesy, delicious appetizer that you can make in just a half hour.
- They're the perfect appetizer for any last-minute event-from special occasions to casual parties, your guests will be impressed.
- Since crab meat is the main ingredient in crab-stuffed mushrooms, use the real stuff. It makes a difference!
Tender mushrooms are packed to the brim with a mouthwatering mixture of flavorful crab, sauteed vegetables, and (of course) cheesy goodness.
Recreate these Red Lobster crab stuffed mushrooms at home in a jiffy with this easy recipe!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Stuffed mushrooms are a great way to use leftover seafood! You can make the seafood stuffing by combing crab meat (or substituting it) with lobster meat, chopped tilapia filets, shrimp, or scallops.
- White button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, and baby bella mushrooms work well in this stuffed mushroom recipe.
- If you're out of fresh onions or garlic, you can use ⅛ teaspoon onion powder and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder in a pinch.
- You can substitute oyster crackers for saltines if that's what you have.
- These delicious stuffed mushrooms are just as tasty when filled with mozzarella cheese, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack.
- You can also top stuffed mushrooms with white cheddar cheese slices or shredded fresh parmesan cheese instead of shredded mild cheddar.
- Sprinkle a bit of panko breadcrumbs or Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs on top of your stuffed mushrooms before baking for a nice crunch!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Saute celery, onion, garlic, red bell pepper, and mushroom stems in butter or olive oil on medium-high heat until tender.
- Combine the sauteed vegetables, crab meat, crushed saltine crackers, cheddar cheese, Old Bay seasoning, salt, black pepper, and beaten egg in a large
mixing bowl . - Place mushroom caps in the baking pan open/stem side up and fill with the stuffing mixture.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the stuffed mushrooms and bake.
🍴 Equipment
You'll need a whisk or electric mixer to beat the egg and a large casserole dish to hold the stuffed mushrooms while they bake.
Also, a heavy metal grater makes shredding block cheese much easier! It's so much better than using powdery, pre-shredded cheese.
🥫 How to store leftover crab stuffed mushrooms
We don't have leftovers often-seafood lovers know these are hard to resist! However, if you do, you can keep leftover stuffed mushrooms in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
You can also freeze the mushrooms in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to three months. Store 'em carefully so the filling doesn't dump out.
Reheat crab-stuffed mushrooms in a 350-degree preheated oven or an air fryer for 12-15 minutes.
Alternatively, for faster reheating, cover the mushrooms with a wet paper towel and zap 'em in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Fresh mushrooms have dirt and grime on 'em, so always wash mushrooms before filling them. Dry well with a towel for best results.
- Use real crab meat in this Red Lobster copycat recipe, not the imitation stuff-the flavor and texture will be much better!
- Set aside the sauteed veggies to cool in a small bowl for a few minutes before mixing them with the rest of the ingredients. Hot veggies can scramble the egg!
- You may need to chop your crab meat into smaller pieces before adding it to the stuffing mixture. Large chunks won't hold together very well with the other ingredients.
- For the best results, freshly grate your cheese rather than use the pre-shredded kind from grocery stores-it melts much better!
- Crab-stuffed mushrooms are done baking when the tops turn golden brown. They'll start filling your kitchen with a heavenly aroma!
- Don't forget to garnish your baked mushrooms with freshly cracked black pepper, sea salt, finely chopped green onions, or a squirt of fresh lemon juice right before serving them.
👩🍳 FAQs
Canned crab meat and cooked crab claw meat both work just fine. Don't use imitation crab meat unless it's your last option.
I don't recommend it. Portobello mushroom caps are too large and shallow. White button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, and baby bella mushrooms are the perfect size.
We love this recipe as it is, but if you want a really creamy texture, mix some softened cream cheese or sour cream into the seafood stuffing.
It's easy! Just follow the recipe as directed and bake the stuffed mushrooms in a 400-degree air fryer for 12-15 minutes. You may need to cook them for a minute or two less than if they were baking in the oven. Watch the mushrooms closely so they don't burn!
📚 Related recipes
- Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip with Smoked Provolone is a great appetizer with a gooey, creamy texture and savory smoky flavor.
- Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, Cream Cheese Sausage Balls are another family-favorite snack that disappears super fast!
- Use leftover 'shrooms to make Crockpot Smothered Chicken, a Southern comfort food with fall-apart meat in creamy mushroom sauce.
📞 The last word
Can you ever have too many delicious finger foods on the buffet table during the holidays?
As far as I'm concerned there's always room for one more as long as it's this copycat Red Lobster stuffed mushrooms!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Copycat Red Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 16 white mushrooms
- ¼ lb. crab meat, not imitation
- 2 tablespoons celery, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 cup saltines, crushed
- ½ cup mild cheddar cheese, finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter, or olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Wash the mushrooms, remove the mushroom stems, and finely chop the stems.
- Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
- Saute the celery, onion, garlic, and bell peppers for 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender.
- Add the stems into the skillet with the onion-celery mixture.
- Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Transfer the vegetable mixture to a bowl.
- Let cool for 5 minutes or so.
- Beat the egg in a small bowl.
- Add the crab meat, crushed crackers, ¼ cup of the cheddar cheese, Old Bay seasoning, and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir well to combine everything.
- Place the mushrooms in a baking dish. Fill the mushrooms with the prepared crab mixture.
- Sprinkle the mushrooms with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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Allie says
They came out so dry 🙁
April Juillerati says
these were incredibly dry, almost inedible. I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of 1 thing, I only used 3/4 cracker because it looked like way too much. wish I had reduced to a 1/4.
Marye says
I'm sorry they didn't work for you - I'll test the recipe again. Thanks.
Francesca Brown says
These came out so delicious! I used Monterey and sharp cheddar cheese (shredded blocks) in stuffing and on top of mushrooms. I didn't use Celery because i didn't have, didn't miss it. I used 1.5 cups of saltine crackers. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Nancy says
Can you make the stuffing 1 day before baking/stuffing?
Marye says
yes. be sure to refrigerate.
Lucille Borella says
Just reading through. It says "Beat the egg in a small bowl"... and then what happens to the egg?
Marye says
You move to the next instruction and add those ingredients.
Mel says
Wonderfully Delicious