Summer Crab Nachos.
These summer crab nachos are a snacky dream! Jumbo lump crab with lots of lime, melty cheese, crunchy tortilla chips and a crisp, refreshing garden salsa. Perfect for happy hour or a last minute get together!
I’ve got everything we love on a big plate of nachos!
These summer crab nachos are divine. Crunchy tortilla chips, buttery lump crab, melty cheese and the perfect quick throw-together garden salsa on top. Tastes like summer on a plate and is the perfect dinner treat.
I say “dinner treat” because nachos are SUCH a treat. Yep, I live for nachos! I could pretty much put anything on a tray of nachos and be thrilled.
Nachos are also one of my favorite summer dishes because they are so fast and topped with fresh ingredients. While I do pop them in the oven to get all warm and melty, they feed a crowd and can be sprinkled with fruit and vegetable salsas plus lots of herbs.
The flavor is always amazing and I love how fresh and light nachos at home taste.
It’s true! They just taste fabulous at home. Weirdly less indulgent too.
First things first: get the good jumbo lump crab. The good stuff! The buttery, lump crab or heck, even the freshest crab that you can find if you live in an area where it’s possible.
I toss the crab with some spices, scallions and fresh lime juice.
Next, I spread some big tortilla chips on a baking sheet and top them with the crab mixture. A big sprinkle of cheese goes on next.
This is where I stick the whole pan in the oven. Just FYI: you can also stick a pan of these on the grill. We’re really just doing it because the cheese is best when melty. And you want the entire pan to be warm so the flavors marry nicely.
As soon as the cheese is melted and everything is warm, throw on the toppings. I like to chop up tomatoes, white onion, cilantro, jalapenos, green onions, radish and squeeze in a ton of lime juice. This mixture is SO incredibly refreshing and crisp. It not only adds a great texture to the top of the nachos, it adds wonderful flavor too.
Bright, fresh, crisp and tastes like the warm weather. I love this part.
This is one of my favorite snacks to make when we have last minute company. Or even for a planned happy hour on the deck. These come together SO quickly and if you don’t mind chopping up a few vegetables and herbs for the topping, you’ll have it done in no time.
Just look how pretty and fresh these look! Almost like a nacho… salad.
Yes. I said it.
Tastes like we’re at the beach!
Summer Crab Nachos
Summer Crab Nachos
Ingredients
- 1 large bag of your favorite tortilla chips
- 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 6 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 cup freshly grated white cheddar cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 large shallot, diced
- ⅓ cup diced radish
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven (or even your grill!) to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the tortilla chips out on the baking sheet, in as much of a single layer that you can.
- In a large bowl, toss the crab with the old bay, half of the green onion and the juice of 1 lime. Spread the crab mixture out over the tortilla chips.
- Top the crab with the cheddar and fontina cheese.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining green onions, remaining lime juice and the tomatoes, jalapenos, shallots, radish and cilantro. Add a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stir. Add more lime if needed.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and all the chips are warm.
- Remove the pan and top with the salsa. Serve immediately!
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I appreciate you so much!
Buttery goodness.
5 Comments on “Summer Crab Nachos.”
My sister and I are planning on making these for the 4th. Can you recommend your favorite chip? Thank you!
we LOVE the tostitos cantina chips!! they are amazing
I have never cooked with crab: will it have to be pan fried first?
Our chips came out soggy! We followed the recipe exactly too! Delicious but disappointed! Any suggestions?
Loved these nachos! Not a fan of radishes, but the salsa/pico was perfect with the crab and chips