Creamy, smoky, and a little spicy, this easy crab pimiento cheese comes together in minutes and works as a dip, spread, or sandwich filling.

Don’t you love recipes that are delicious and fast? I do! They’re especially important around the holidays, because they can help you get out of the kitchen fast, so you can focus on the fun and fellowship of entertaining. That’s one of the reasons that this delicious Smoky Crab Pimiento Cheese is perfect for the holidays, and year round. Another reason? It gives you options! It can be used as a spread for crackers, as a dip, or on a sandwich! Best of all, you can make it ahead of time so you’re ready to share at a moment’s notice!

Main Ingredient You’ll Need
I’m using Louis Kemp Crab Delights Flake Style and it is perfect in this simple recipe! Crab Delights are made with premium Wild Alaskan Pollock fillets, which is the most abundant certified sustainable fish species. They are naturally low in calories and cholesterol, and they’re gluten-free!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you can stir, you can make this recipe. It’s fast. It’s delicious. It’s easy.

You’re stirring, that’s it! Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise until it’s smooth, then add the spices and minced onion. Ok, well, you will have to mince an onion, but I guess you could buy minced onion, so there’s that!

Look at these holiday spices! Okay, it’s just smoked paprika, dill, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and black pepper but still…holiday”ish”, right?
Smoky Crab Pimiento Cheese Recipe

Smoky Crab Pimiento Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 cups Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 8 oz Louis Kemp® Crab Delights® Flake Style
- 4 oz jar Pimientos
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 Tbsp minced onion
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dill weed
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Dill weed to garnish top.
Instructions
- Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. A fork is helpful if mixing by hand.
- After mixture is smooth, add spices and onion.
- Stir well.
- Add shredded cheese to a separate large bowl. (This makes the next step easier to manage.) You could do this all in one large bowl.
- Fold mayonnaise/cream cheese mixture into shredded cheese.
- Add pimientos and combine.
- Remove Crab Delights from package and chop to smaller pieces.
- Stir in Crab Delights.
- Top with dill weed and serve!
- Enjoy!

After you’ve stirred the cream cheese, mayo and spices together, it’s time to add the shredded cheese and pimiento. Did you know that pimientos are a sweet red pepper? I promise you that I had no idea what they were. I thought a pimiento was it’s own thing. I accepted that as fact, which I made up and told myself, but I was completely wrong. LOL!

After you stir in the pimientos and shredded cheese, it’s time to add the crab!

Take the crab out of the package. Some of these pieces didn’t make it into the recipe, because we ate them. YUM!

Chop the crab into smaller pieces and add them to the mixture. Stir! Top it with some dill weed for garnish. Now, you’re ready to serve!

Day one, we ate this Smoky Crab Pimiento Cheese on crackers, but the next night, my husband put it between two slices of bread and created a decadent Smoky Crab Pimiento Grilled Cheese Sandwich! It was terrific!
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
This pimiento cheese can be made up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For food safety details, see the USDA’s leftover storage guide.
Serving Ideas
- Grilled Cheese: Try it on Texas toast for a rich, melty twist in sandwich form.
- As a Dip: Serve with crackers, crostini, or raw veggies.
- On a Sandwich: Spread generously between two slices of bread for a quick lunch.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Jalapeno Cheddar Hush Puppies & Spicy Apricot Dipping Sauce – Flavorful finger food with a spicy kick—great for snack boards.
- Hot Artichoke Dip — A fast?4?ingredient, creamy baked dip that’s just as cozy as this crab cheese—and just as addictive.
- Shrimp Spring Rolls with Ginger-Orange Cranberry Dipping Sauce – Golden, crunchy spring rolls served with a sweet and tangy ginger-orange cranberry dipping sauce that’s perfect for parties or holiday gatherings.



Oh this recipe is right up my alley! So easy to make and so delicious. Thanks for sharing! [client]
Thank you, Andrew! It’s sooo good!
This looks so delicious!! Will have to try this Thanks for recipe
I hope you love it! We really enjoyed it and are planning to make it again to share at holiday get-togethers. Let me know what you think if you make it! 🙂
I’m going to try this soon! I’d like to add 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese to the mix. That’s the way my Albertson’s market used to make it up. We’d spread it on low carb tortillas, roll them up, then cut them into pinwheels. They were addicting!
That is a great idea, Debi! Yes, girl!!