Spinach Dip Crab Nachos

Spinach Dip Crab Nachos- Tortilla chips are topped with store bought spinach dip, lump crab, and so much cheese making the most delicious twist on traditional nachos.

October 25, 2025 by Nicole Collins

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Today, we’re making Spinach Dip Crab Nachos!

So, I have a confession to make. It’s been a hot minute since you’ve gotten one of those from me!

Here it goes…I’ve been really struggling lately. More than normal. We all know that the “ber” months are the bane of my existence and that I struggle terribly with seasonal depression. But the truth is, I’ve been in a very dark place since I lost Bisco. That unexpected loss hit me harder than I ever could’ve imagined, and it’s taken away my energy, my creativity, my ambition…I’ve had a tough summer.

One day when the fog slightly lifted, (what I’m affectionately calling) my midlife crisis woke up and decided to turn my house upside down. I’ve spent the past 2 months buying and selling furniture, replacing flooring, procuring new art and décor, and basically turning my house into a spot fit for entertaining. Which is maybe a little ironic since I went 6 years without another person stepping into my house since Bisco was an aggressive biter.

The ripple effect of that is that I’ve been pumping out some pretty good small gathering/party dishes, and today we’re making one of them!

As far as I’m concerned, the answer is always “yes” when it comes to nachos. Recently, I’ve discovered that my local grocery store makes homemade tortilla chips which has upped the nacho game even more. But, I’ve kinda been loving switching up the traditional formula when it comes to nachos. And our first little switch is that we’re going to serve these nachos on a round pizza pan instead of the traditional sheet pan. Of course, you can serve these on a sheet pan if you need to make a bigger batch. But, I’m obsessed with the way these look in a round pan.

We’ll start my layering our favorite tortilla chips on the pan. Then, we’re going to top those chips with dollops of store bought spinach and artichoke dip. (Plot twist number two!) You could totally make your own dip if you want, but I actually love the spinach artichoke dip from Walmart. So, that’s what we’re using today. Now, this dip is thick so you have to get in there with your fingers to help spread it across every possible chip. But I promise, it’s worth making a little mess.

Next, we’re going to top the chips with some lump blue crab meat. Fancy, I know! Before we sprinkle the crab on the nachos, we’re going to toss it with a little Old Bay to help season it up. Then, straight on top of the chips and dip it goes. Now, you guys know how I feel about this topic, but you have to use fresh crab meat if you have access to it. Imitation crab or crab from a can is NOT the same. Since the crab is kind of the star of these nachos, you gotta use the good stuff.

The next layer to our nachos is a 3 cheese combo. We’re going to use a blend of sharp cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan to sprinkle all over our chips. The cheddar gives us the great flavor, the mozzarella gives us the cheesepull, and the parm gives us some nice savory umami notes. It’s the cheesy trifecta! Make sure cheese is touching every chip. Then, we’re going to top the cheese with a second layer of spinach dip and seasoned crab.

From here, we’ll toss our nachos into the oven for just a few minutes to let all that cheese melt and the chips get a little toasty. When the nachos come out of the oven, we’ll finish them off with some diced tomatoes and chopped green onion for a hit of freshness. And, we’re ready to dig in.

The nachos…wow. They’re a little bougie, but hot dang are they delicious. You’ve got the creamy dip, the sweet crab, the savory chips, the fresh veggies…it’s such a lovely bite. Talk about impressing your loved ones with this little entertaining party trick! And truly, we didn’t really do anything but pile stuff on top of chips. So easy!

Ok, everyone. Thanks for letting me give you my whole truth today. I know these nachos are a fair trade off for the therapy sess.

I hope you guys enjoy! And, let’s eat!

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Spinach Dip Crab Nachos

Serves: 6          Print

Ingredients:

• 8 oz (about half a bag) tortilla chips

• ¾ cup prepared spinach artichoke dip

• 8 oz lump crab meat

• ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning

• ½ cup shredded cheddar

• ½ cup shredded mozzarella

• ¼ cup shredded parmesan

• ½ cup diced tomatoes

• 1 green onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 in pizza pan with parchment paper.

2. To a small mixing bowl, add crab and Old Bay. Mix until crab is coated in seasoning. 

3. Arrange tortilla chips over the surface of the baking pan. Top with ½ cup spinach dip, ½ of the crab mixture, and all 3 cheeses, spread evenly over the surface of the chips. Then, dollop remaining spinach dip and crab evenly over the cheese. Bake for 6-8 mins until the cheese is melted and the chips just start to slightly brown.

4. When the nachos come out of the oven, sprinkle with tomatoes and green onion. Serve immediately!
   

Recipe notes:

*I really like the spinach artichoke dip from Walmart, but feel free to use a homemade version if you’d like.

*This recipe can easily be doubled by using a larger baking sheet.

*I use fresh blue crab meat because that’s what’s local. Just don’t use crab from the can or imitation krab. It’s not at all the same as fresh!