The concept for this recipe came from a family friend who used to make an appetizer with store-bought crab cakes that she crumbled and stuffed into mushroom caps.
Key Ingredients:
We find that it’s just as easy (and more economical) to mix up a simple homemade crabmeat stuffing instead. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cooked, pasteurized crabmeat (see below for shopping tips)
- Mild shredded cheese (Muenster or Monterey Jack)
- Panko crumbs
- Egg
- Lemon juice
- Fresh thyme
- Onion
- Garlic
Serving Suggestions:
Our crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms can be served either as a first course or as a light dinner with a salad on the side. A light, food-friendly white wine like dry Riesling or Viognier is a nice pairing with this dish.
As written, this recipe serves two as a main course or four as an appetizer.
Shopping for Crab:
When buying the crab for this recipe, we recommend using the canned, pasteurized version found in the refrigerator case of your supermarket. Most stores carry three or four varieties, any of which will work for the crab stuffing for these mushrooms. Here’s a rundown of the different types going from most to least expensive.
- Jumbo lump: Jumbo lump crabmeat comes from the rear section of the crab that’s attached to the legs it uses for swimming. The pieces are large, delicately flavored and carry the highest price tag of the four varieties mentioned here. For a recipe like this one, where you mix the crab with other ingredients, jumbo lump is not worth the extra cost.
- Lump: Lump crabmeat comes from the central part of the crab that’s attached to the claws. It has the same delicate flavor as jumbo lump, but the pieces are smaller. It’s a good choice for both this recipe and our Linguine with Crab.
- Backfin: Backfin is crabmeat from the body of the crab. The flavor is a bit stronger than lump, and the pieces are generally small. Backfin is a good choice for these crab-stuffed portobellos, as well as crab cakes and crab dips.
- Claw: Crabmeat from the claws is darker in color, slightly oily, and has a stronger flavor than the previously mentioned varieties. Use claw meat for recipes like soups, stews, and bisques, where a bold crab flavor is desirable.
More crab recipes:
Crab-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 4 portobello mushroom caps
- 8 oz pasteurized crab meat, lump or backfin
- 1/2 cup panko crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sweet onion, minced
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1-1/2 tablespoons
- 2/3 cup mild shredded cheese, divided (see recommendations below)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and coat a shallow baking pan with nonstick spray.
- Remove the stems from the portobello caps, dice them and add to a mixing bowl.
- Using a spoon, scrape the gills from the mushrooms, then brush the caps clean and arrange them on the prepared baking pan.
- Season each mushroom cap with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Add the crab, panko, onions, garlic, thyme and lemon juice to the chopped mushroom stems.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the shredded cheese and add the remainder to the crab mixture.
- Combine gently and season to taste with salt and pepper before stirring in the beaten egg.
- Divide the stuffing between the mushrooms and compress gently to form a slight mound.
- Bake until the crab mixture is set and light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top each mushroom with a portion of the remaining cheese and bake for an additional 2 to 4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve with lemon wedges and a dash of hot sauce if desired.
Jennifer Lynn Slack says
This recipe was delicious. I served these with a creamy horseradish dip on the side to give it a zing.
Thanks for the recipe.
Neff says
I’m traveling on Thanksgiving and I can’t cook until I get to my destination . Can I precooked the mushrooms the night before? Or will the mushrooms become soggy?
Lynne Webb says
Hi Neff,
That’s a good question! All mushrooms give off liquid as they cook, so if you’re not going to serve them right away, I would pre-bake the portobello caps to get them to release some of that liquid before you add stuffing. Up the oven temperature to 400°F, lightly salt the inside of the portobello caps, and bake for 5 to 7 minutes. When you take them out of the oven, blot any liquid that pools in the center with paper towels and let them cool down before adding the stuffing. Lower the oven temp back to 375°F and bake until the crab mixture is set and just beginning to brown. Let them cool completely before refrigerating so they don’t give off steam. This should prevent the stuffing from getting soggy. Reserve the extra cheese for when you’re ready to reheat and bring them to room temperature before popping them into a 400°F oven for 6 to 10 minutes. You’ll need to keep a watchful eye. Hope this helps!
Erika says
Can I substitute Mozzarella cheese instead of Muenster or Jack? I have never made stuffed crab before which at my age who loves trying new dishes is a shocker. I can’t let my husband think that I stopped experimenting lol
Nicole C says
Hello!
These look fantastic. I was wondering though how many ounces for each mushroom? I found a 2 pack and they are about 7 oz each. Are those the ones you used?
Lynne Webb says
Hi Nicole,
Most portobello mushroom caps weigh 3 to 3-1/2 ounces each, so yes, you absolutely have the right size.
Kimberly Barrett says
Hi, weird question but any way to do on the stove top with a grill pan? I bought all the ingredients but my oven broke..
Lynne Webb says
Hi Kimberly,
Truthfully I think you’d be better off with a regular frying pan than a grill pan, but here’s what I think you could try:
Brush your frying or grill pan with a little oil, add your portobello caps and cook over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side to tenderize them, then set aside.
Combine the remaining ingredients and form the mixture into crab cakes that are about the diameter of your mushrooms. Add some more oil to the pan and fry them until golden, maybe 2 minutes per side. The tricky part here is keeping the crab mixture holding together as a crab cake. If they don’t stick and you’re careful turning them it should work out.
Once they’re lightly browned, carefully press them into the mushroom caps, then put them back in the pan, filling side up. Add a little extra cheese on top, cover the pan and cook over medium heat for another 3 minutes or so.
Good luck!
Kevin says
Do you publish a cookbook?
Lynne Webb says
Hi Kevin,
We don’t publish a cookbook at this time, but all our recipes are easily printable. Thanks for asking!
Judi DellaBarba says
My husband and I loved this recipe. Next time I plan on adding some Dijon mustard. Thank you for sharing.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Judi,
Glad to hear you liked the recipe. I think adding Dijon is a great idea. It would blend nicely with the lemon and add a little extra punch. Thanks!
Holly says
Wish you had given size of the mushrooms..
Lynne Webb says
Hello Holly,
Sorry for that omission. Most portobello mushrooms are about four inches in diameter.
Debra says
It was fabulous, big hit with even my husband who doesn’t like cooked mushrooms. We made on the BBQ – too hot for oven. Thankyou!!
Debra says
It was fabulous, big hit with even my husband who doesn’t like cooked mushrooms. We made on the BBQ – too hot for oven. Thankyou!!
Bette says
Love this recipe – it goes over big as an appetizer ! It disappears quickly.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Bette,
So glad you liked the recipe. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know.
Jonathan Maletta says
Can you prepare the night before and then put in the oven or should it be prepared on the same day?
Lynne Webb says
Hi Jonathan,
This is what I would do for best results: Clean the mushroom caps as directed, but don’t salt them. Store them in a paper bag in your refrigerator’s vegetable crisper. Prepare the stuffing as directed, grate the cheese and refrigerate both separately. About a half hour before you’re ready to serve, preheat the oven, season the mushrooms, stuff and bake according to the directions. Hope you enjoy!
Brent Randall says
I tweaked the recipe a bit,I switched the thyme with cilantro and the muenster cheese with pepper jack and to the stuffing mixture i added some Dave’s insanity sauce.It turned out PERFECT!
Lynne Webb says
Hi Brent – You gave the recipe a nice twist – a bit of a Mexican flare. Great idea! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Ruthann Kleinhans says
can I substitute another seafood for crab…. minced clams?
Lynne Webb says
Hi Ruthann,
Yes, I do think you could use minced clams (well drained). You could also pre-cook some shrimp, scallops or a mild white fish like tilapia, chop it fine and use that in place of the crab. If I was going to pick an alternate, I think my top choice would be the fish, but I’d love to hear what you choose and how you like it.
Niki says
Do you drain the crabmeat if canned?
Lynne Webb says
Hi Niki,
Yes, you do want to drain the crabmeat.
Amanda says
I am making this tomorrow for lunch!! I just bought all of the ingredients tonight at the grocery store. I have been waiting patiently all week to get my paycheck and go shopping. I can’t wait. It looks absolutely delicious!!
Lynne Webb says
Thanks Amanda! I hope you enjoy them.
Amanda says
I definitely enjoyed them! They were delicious. I hate to change recipes but I had to substitute the bread crumbs for a gluten free kind; because I am intolerant of gluten. But the rest of the recipe i kept unaltered. It was worth the trip to the grocery store.
Lynne Webb says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Kent says
Glad I found this on line as I left all my old recipes when I moved abroad. This is fantastic as a first course or for part of a main meal. It is particularly good if any of your guests do not eat meat. I agree with the comment about not overdoing the cheese as it really is more of a light binder but if you have to use fake crab and depending on where you are, you may. Vary the flavor with fresh herbs such as tarragon.
april says
I just happen to have a container of crabmeat in the fridge and will be trying this very soon.
Dee says
Very nice flavor. I was searching for something that fits a diet we follow for health reasons. This was perfect.
Donna says
Newcomer to ur site. Looks fab. Will keep it handy.
Thanks