This easy crab pizza is made with a ricotta and mozzarella white sauce and topped with crabmeat, avocado and fresh chives.
This post is sponsored by Jus-Rol.
Have you ever tried a white pizza?
The first time I had it, I was a little kid accustomed to tomato sauce and pepperoni all the way.
But then my family ordered a white pizza from a little local eatery.
It was probably the first time I realized the infinite possibilities of pizza. That it could, of course, be tangy and bright with red sauce, but it could also be a garlicky, creamy treat.
Little kid me was impressed.
And if that was true, what other combinations were out there?
Here at Champagne Tastes, seafood is kind of our thing. So when dreaming up new kinds of pizza, it was only a matter of time before I went for crab as a topping.
Some of our other favorites are spicy shrimp pizza, arugula pizza with roasted grapes and gorgonzola pizza with a jam drizzle.
This crab pizza uses ricotta, mozzarella, avocado, fresh chives and seasoning for an easy, quick dinner!
Our Favorite Pizza Dough
I love keeping ready-to-bake pizza dough on hand.
And yes, I do have a favorite!
You've probably seen me bake with Wewalka's dough in the past. Recently, Wewalka rebranded to Jus-Rol, and I'm happy to report that the dough is just as wonderful as it always was.
I'll be here at home, happily baking away with this fabulous dough. It's made with zero artificial flavors or colors, high-fructose corn syrup, or bleached flour, and is non-GMO.
In other words, it's a product I feel good about using, and I love that it's conveniently packaged in oven-safe parchment paper.
Looking for Jus-Rol's dough? Check out their website for the store locator.
Do I Need a Pizza Stone?
No, you don't!
You can use a pizza stone if you prefer. I like this enameled pizza stone and this cast-iron pizza stone.
If you don't have one though, no worries at all! You can simply use a baking sheet and the parchment paper will keep your dough crispy.
Should I Use Thin Crust or Original Crust?
For this recipe, I use thin crust (because it's my favorite!). Specifically, I used Jus-Rol's "Round and Thin Pizza Crust."
However, an original style (slightly thicker) pizza dough, such as Jus-Rol's "Family Size Pizza Crust," will work just fine for this recipe.
If you use a large pizza dough, you might need to use a little extra cheese.
Can I Use Canned Crab?
Yes, absolutely! Actually, the crab in the photos is canned.
Just make sure to dry the crabmeat off really well before adding it to the pizza.
Can I Use Dungeness Crab On This Pizza?
You sure can! We love cooking with Dungeness crab.
Before adding it to the pizza, make sure to steam the crab and remove the meat from the shell.
And then if you've got leftover Dungeness crab, try dipping it in this crab butter sauce, or make crab nachos, a crab omelette or crab fries. And don't forget to make seafood stock with the leftover shells.
How to Make a Crab Pizza
Start by unrolling the pizza dough and place it on parchment paper.
If you're using Jus-Rol dough, you'll be able to use the parchment paper the dough was wrapped in.
Next, add a little garlic powder to some melted butter, and brush it onto the dough. I like to use a silicone pastry brush.
Next, bake the dough for five minutes.
Remove the partially baked dough from the oven.
Next, spread seasoned ricotta cheese over the dough.
Make sure to leave a little bit of dough uncovered along the edges.
Top the ricotta with sliced mozzarella.
You could also use shredded mozzarella.
Top the pizza with crab meat and diced avocado.
Or skip the avocado, if that's not your thing. But if you like avocado, it's pretty fabulous on a pizza.
Before you slide this gorgeous pizza into the oven, drizzle any leftover melted butter onto the top.
Because crab and butter are meant for one another.
Bake the crab pizza until the dough is golden and the cheese is melted.
Sprinkle fresh diced chives all over the pizza, and then add a few red pepper flakes.
Let the pizza rest for about five minutes, and then slice into it. Serve the pizza while it's still hot!
Crab Pizza
Ingredients
- 11 inch thin crust pizza dough (NOT pre-cooked) Jus-Rol Pizza "Round + Thin" dough recommended
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup ricotta cheese
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 8 ounce low-moisture mozzarella, sliced Or use shredded mozzarella
- 6 ounce can lump crab meat, well-drained Or use Dungeness crab meat (~3 legs), steamed + removed from shell
- 1 avocado, diced (optional)
- ¼ cup finely diced fresh chives
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes Use more or less as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place the pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven and allow it to heat up as the oven pre-heats.Unroll the pizza dough and place on parchment paper. (If using Jus-Rol dough, the parchment paper is included.)Stir the garlic powder into the melted butter. Brush dough with the melted butter. Reserve any leftover butter.
- Remove the pizza stone or baking sheet from the oven. (Be careful, it will be hot!) Move the parchment paper and dough onto a pizza stone or baking sheet. Note: If baking pizza on an air-flow pizza pan, you should NOT add parchment paper.Bake for 5 minutes, and then remove the dough from the oven. (Leave the oven on.)
- While the dough bakes, mix together the ricotta, Italian seasoning and salt.
- Spread the ricotta mixture onto the partially cooked dough.
- Top the ricotta with the sliced (or shredded) mozzarella.
- Add the crab meat and avocado.Drizzle any leftover melted butter over the pizza. (If the butter has hardened, simply reheat it until it melts again.)
- Cook the pizza for about 10 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.
- Allow pizza to cool for about 5 minutes. Top the pizza with diced chives and desired amount of red pepper flakes. Cut into 8 slices and serve immediately.
HB
Thanks for confirming you can put canned crab on pizza. I have some leftover Alfredo sauce and bought a can of crab meat to use to make a white pizza. Your recipe looks exactly like what I’m going for! And the avocado idea is gold!
Alisha Trenalone
Let us know how it turns out!
-Alisha at Champagne Tastes