This classic presentation of a timeless favorite is so easy to make it almost makes itself. And once you’ve tasted the decadent flavor of my crab imperial, it will become one of your all-time favorite recipes.
You don’t see Crab Imperial on the menu very often anymore, and it’s a shame. Besides being a classic restaurant dish, it’s a delicious way to serve lump crabmeat. And this is the same stuffing I use for my Stuffed Flounder.
Other than simply sauteing crabmeat in butter there is no better way to serve Jumbo Lump crabmeat than a golden brown baked crab imperial. Serve it with your favorite sauteed greens and roasted potatoes for a delicious restaurant-style dinner.
What is Crab Imperial?
Crab Imperial is a dish made up of crab meat mixed with an imperial sauce then baked to golden perfection.
You might call it Virginia Crab Imperial, Maryland Style, or Jersey Shore style, but no matter who claims this Eastern Shore Classic, you’re sure to call it delicious.
What is an Imperial Sauce?
An Imperial Sauce is a mixture of mayonnaise, whole eggs or egg yolks, and seasonings, usually including Old Bay. It’s really easy to make and can be used with every type of crabmeat including imitation crabmeat.
**Hellman’s Mayonnaise is best for this recipe, it holds up well to heat.
What ingredients do I need to make Crab Imperial?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make this American Classic. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
What Type of Crabmeat Can I Use?
The source of the crab meat 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
How do I make Old Bay Seasoning?
If you can’t find Old Bay at your markets it’s easy enough to make at home.
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 2 teaspoons ground bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch ginger
If you’d rather not make the seasoning, you can always use the recipe as a guideline and use seasonings that you enjoy eating with seafood.
Do you add peppers to crab imperial?
That’s a big no! This dish would never, ever contain bell peppers or onions.
How do I make imperial sauce?
The first step is making the Imperial sauce for the dish. Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
The next step is mixing the imperial sauce into the crabmeat…. gently! You don’t want to break up the crabmeat, so mix carefully.
**Don’t add all the sauce at one time. Reserve about ¼ of the sauce to add in if needed. The larger the pieces of crabmeat, the less sauce you will need. Smaller pieces will take more sauce. If you oversauce the mixture you can always add a tablespoon of bread crumbs if you can’t drain out the excess sauce. Let the mixture sit for 20-30 minutes and it will absorb some of the sauce, so the mixture isn’t as loose.
Then place the crab imperial mixture into a Scallops Shells or your choice of baking dish and place it on the center rack of your oven for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Should I top Crab Imperial with Bread Crumbs?
While the bread crumbs may add texture and color to the dish, they are just stealing flavor from the crab meat. So I would never top something as elegant and delicious as crab imperial with bread crumbs.
What Else Can I use Crab Imperial For?
This crabmeat mixture is perfect for stuffing Lobster, Shrimp, or Mushrooms. And if you love crab meat make sure to try my Famous Crab Cakes Recipe!
Wouldn’t you love to sit down to this delicious dish? My Maryland Style Crab Imperial was always a hit at my restaurant and one taste will make you understand why.
Cooking Tip:
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes (top will turn golden brown) or until a thermometer gets an internal reading of 165 degrees. This will ensure that the eggs in this recipe are fully cooked and safe to eat.
Using a digital insta-read thermometer will help you cook this dish to perfection and be a great help in your kitchen.
If you’re looking for an easy meal for a special occasion, or if you just want to treat yourself, do try this classic dish, you’ll be very happy you did!
Recipe FAQ’s
Crab Imperial is a dish made up of (any type) crab meat mixed with an imperial sauce. It’s then baked to a golden perfection
No, freezing crab meat is not a good idea. The imperial sauce is not enough to offer protection from freezing and you’ll be left with a very unsatisfying crab dish.
Crab Imperial has a sweet and savory flavor and is very similar to crab cakes without the addition of a filler. It contains many of the same ingredients as a traditional crab cake recipe, but crab imperial is a richer version of the dish.
My first choice will always be American Blue Claw crabmeat, Jumbo Lump is the best crabmeat for this dish, but lump crabmeat is also acceptable! It has the sweetest taste and richest flavor of all the crabmeat available, well worth the splurge.
And fresh crabmeat, generally found in plastic containers is the best crabmeat. Pasteurized crab meat comes from Asian waters these days and doesn’t have the same flavor.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Maryland Style Crab Imperial
Ingredients
- 1 lb jumbo lump crabmeat or lump
- ½ cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise (Best foods or Dukes Mayo are also good)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon old bay
- 1 teaspoon Italian parsley finely chopped
- 1 large egg lightly beaten lightly beaten (for a richer version use two egg yolks)
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- old bay sprinkle on top of the finished crab imperial before baking
Instructions
- Mix mayonnaise, egg, sugar, old bay, lemon juice and parsley together and blend well, this is your imperial sauce.
- Gently fold crabmeat into, imperial sauce, being careful not to break up crab meat.
- place portions in the baking dish of your choice, using ramekins or small casserole dishes
- Spinkle tops of crab imperial with old bay or paprika.
- Bake in 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes (top will turn golden brown) or until a thermometer gets an internal reading of 165 degrees
- Allow to cool just a few minutes before serving, it will set and be more flavorful as it cools slightly.
Cindy
Sooooo delicious. I did serve it with the faux hollandaise. It didnt need it but it did dress it up in the crab lids I served it in. I cant wait to try another of your recipes.
Donna
Can the crab imperial sauce be used to stuff pasta such as large shells or cannelloni or any other pasta that can use a stuffing
Chef Dennis Littley
if you are talking about the crabmeat mixture yes you can stuff pasta with it, although I don’t think it will come out as well as you expect. Usually seafood is blended with ricotta and or mascarpone to make a seafood filling for pasta.
DONnathomson
Can the crab imperial sauce be used to stuff pasta shells or cannelloni or any other pasta.
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m not sure if I understand the question. If you are talking about the crabmeat mixture yes you can stuff pasta with it, although I don’t think it will come out as well as you expect. Usually seafood is blended with ricotta and or mascarpone to make a seafood filling for pasta.
R Wilhelm
Crab Imperial is still on the menu @ Cantler’s Riverside Inn in Annapolis MD. Greatest dish – IMHO – on the menu!!!
RWilhelm
Made this recipe tonite – stupendousChef & thanks for posting the recipe!!! It blew this MD native away!!! However my baking time was nearly double the 25 mins prescribed here; could be that I cooked it all together instead of breaking it into individual portions?
Fortunately had a thermometer in the center ;<)
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed the crab imperial. Cooking it altogether would definitely increase the cooking time, but shouldn’t have been double. Next time try it in a shallower baking dish.
Kelly
Love Cantlers! Worked there for many years!
The Muskrat
Oh my god this looks delicious! Chef can I make this as a side dish for a surf and turf luncheon in 1/2 cup ramekins? It sounds so rich, I think that it would go perfect as a pair with filet. Please let me know your thoughts and Thank You!
Chef Dennis Littley
you certainly can, just make little mounds of it or if you have ramekins fill those and use it as a side. It will be a perfect compliment to the filet. just watch the time you may want to reduce it my 2 or 3 minutes.
Mellie
Loved the simplicity of this recipe – turned out perfectly (and not because I can cook, at all). Had some leftover so the next day I added sour cream to make it creamier, stirred in some Frank’s hot sauce and topped with grated cheese – made a pretty great crab dip. Thanks for sharing this!
Chef Dennis Littley
I do love crab imperial and I love how you made the leftover into a crab dip. Thanks for the great review and comment
Tangee
I stumbled on n this recipe last year. I had a lb of jumbo lump and I didn’t feel like making crab cakes or crab dip. I wanted something different. One of the restaurants I frequent has great crab cakes with crab imperial sauce. So I searched crab imperial sauce and found your recipe. I decided to give it a try. My photo and review is on your “pin”. The photo looks yellow, I’m no photographer lol. I made the recipe exactly as it was written. I used 3 ramekins. It was nothing short of amazing. So tender, so flavorful. Hubby even enjoyed his and he’s not a big crab fan (the horror)! I had one ramekin left. The next day I ate it cold with crackers. It was fantastic! Just bought a lb of jumbo lump today with the intention of making it this weekend. Thank you Chef, easy recipe with wonderful results!
Chef Dennis Littley
thank you so much for the great review and comment! I’m happy that you found my recipe!
Michael
I have a question. At the top of the page you state that the recipe is made with egg yolk, but when you actually give the instructions, you describe, “one egg, lightly beaten,: which implies a whole egg. That sounds like a significant difference to me. Which one is correct, whole, or yolk? I look forward to surprising my wife with this, this this weekend.
Also, how old does bay have to be before it becomes old bay?
Chef Dennis Littley
lol…. I’m not sure about the old bay but as for the egg I only use the yolk in my imperial.
I hope she likes the surprise!
Wright
Do you just use the yolk only or the whole egg for your sauce
Chef Dennis Littley
It depends on the size of the egg. I usually buy extra large farm raised and only use the yolk. If I’m using medium or large I use the whole egg.
Chris
Ughh… I used the whole egg because the recipe ingredients make it seem like a whole egg – not 1 egg yolk. 🙁 It’s in the oven now. Comments wouldn’t load before. I was wondering if it was yolk or the whole egg. Maybe change the ingredient section to say yolk? 🙂
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Chris
using a whole egg is fine, it will make the imperial fluffier.
Gidget
I’m so excited to find this recipe. I’ve seen reference’s to it before in novels written in the 50s and 60s. It is always described as elegant and delicious! I’ve wanted to try it for such a long time but as I live in the rural Midwest, seafood restaurants are a rarity. The local butcher shop can order the crab for me so wish me luck 🤞
Chef Dennis Littley
I hope you enjoy the crab imperial as much as we do Gidget!
Suzie
I searched for an imperial recipe and decided to try yours for its simplicity and I had all the ingredients. I am so glad I chose yours. It is absolutely delicious and my family loved it. I am making it again tonight.
I would like to make a request as well if that’s alright. We went to Captain Georges over the holidays and they had a dish called Norfolk special. It was similar to an imperial but not saucy. I wonder if you have ever tried it and if you have a recipe to match. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Suzanne
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Suzanne,
I’m afraid I haven’t heard of that dish. I’d have to give it a try to have an idea of how they made it. Sorry
Craig
How do you make the imperial sause more fluffy?
At restaurants I’ve been to seem to put a dollop of sauce
On top then browned under the broiler. I
Chef Dennis Littley
We used a mock hollandaise at the restaurant to make it look prettier. You can make that with 1/4 cup of mayo, 1/4 cup of melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice. As for more fluffy you can just add more imperial sauce to the crab, but that’s adding more filler.
Ashley Hobbs
This recipe was a hit with my family. It was simple and delicious. Thank you for sharing. I was wondering if I wanted to make it creamier would I just add more mayo?
Chef Dennis Littley
I don’t think more mayonnaise would make it creamier, but you could try. You might achieve the results you want by just adding more of the imperial sauce to the mixture.
Shirley Catherine Davis
I enjoy cooking but only have 1 or 2 daughters and myself to cook for now. I need simple easy meals to prepare now (I am 86) and all my recipes are for 10 or more people. I am having your Crab imperial for dinner Friday and can’t wait to try it. I retired to Maine recently and look forward to trying your recipes. Thank you so much!!!!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, Shirley. I hope you enjoy my crab imperial recipe and find many more to try out in your kitchen.
Shirl
OMG!!! This is so easy and so delious!! I made this and stuffed a rock fish!!! Thanks so very much!!
September Lynn
I am looking forward to using this recipe for a special occasion I am planning to host in the near future.
SW
I’m excited to find this recipe and am making it tonight. I have two questions: Can I use canned claw meat and imitation crab in equal amounts to extend the recipe? And, what shall I serve it with? Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley
Yes you can, any crab meat can be used. I usually serve a green vegetable and roasted potatoes but whatever you will work.