Crab Stuffed Shrimp

This is an incredible way to serve shrimp. These stuffed shrimp make an elegant party appetizer or a filling main meal. Plan to serve 2 per person for an appetizer or 4 to 5 per person for a main meal.

Prepping the shrimp and rolling the crab stuffing can be a bit messy and time consuming but it is worth every minute. Prep them in advance to save time.

The mayonnaise is optional. Read the notes if you are adverse to using mayonnaise.

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Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 1

Servings: to 40 shrimp

Calories: 75kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

2 pounds jumbo shrimp 16 to 20 per pound
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small shallot diced (or half of a small onion)
2 garlic cloves minced
¾ teaspoon seafood seasoning such as Old Bay Seasoning
¾ teaspoon dried dill
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 egg
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pound lump crabmeat
1-½ cups Panko breadcrumbs divided
2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prep the Shrimp:

Peel the shell off the shrimp but leave the tail intact.
Run a knife down the back of the shrimp slicing a little more than 3/4 of the way through. Remove the black strip if your shrimp were not already deveined.
Open the shrimp like a book and place them on a baking sheet.

Make the Stuffing:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in the seafood seasoning, dill, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco ,chopped parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and Dijon. Let cool to room temperature.
Add the shallot mixture to a mixing bowl. Stir in the egg,.
Add the crabmeat and fold the mixture in gently until the crab is well coated. Fold in 1/2 cup of the Panko breadcrumbs (reserve the rest of the breadcrumbs for later).
If the crab mixture does not hold together when you try to form it into a ball, add a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise (see notes).

Stuff and Bake the Shrimp:

Scoop about 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons of crab mixture and roll into a ball then roll in the breadcrumbs. Place the ball of crab stuffing on a butterflied shrimp and flip the tail up and over the stuffing. Repeat with the rest of the shrimp.
Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

We purchased shrimp that was already deveined. The shells were still on the shrimp and the back of the shrimp shell was sliced enough to remove the black strip running down the back. We used the pre-cut incision to slice further into the shrimp and butterfly the shrimp from the back. If you have shrimp that is not already deveined, you can slice into the curved side of the shrimp until you reach the black strip (but not all the way through). That is how you butterfly shrimp from the front of the shrimp. Either way will work for this recipe.
Leaving the tail on the shrimp is optional but makes a much nicer presentation.
When you make the crab stuffing, adding the mayonnaise may not be required if you use a large enough egg. Use the mayonnaise if the mixture does not seem to bind together well. If you want to avoid using mayonnaise, whisk an egg and add a couple of tablespoons of extra egg as a binder.
For preparing the shrimp in advance: butterfly the shrimp and make the stuffing up to 1 day in advance. Store the shrimp and stuffing in the fridge. Roll balls of crab mixture in the breadcrumbs up to 4 hours before baking the shrimp. Alternatively, you can stuff the shrimp a day in advance but the bread crumb coating will not bake up as crisp.

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