Sweet and flavorful Vidalia onions are baked and then filled with a delicious crab meat stuffing and are finished to a golden-brown perfection in the oven. If you love crab meat stuffing, you must try this scrumptious recipe pairing!
Vidalia onions are one my favorite types of vegetables. I just love how sweet they are to eat both cooked and raw. They are so delicious when grilled, baked, fried, or even eaten raw in a salad.
They are especially delicious baked in the oven. You can choose to follow my recipe to stuff these Vidalia onions with crab meat stuffing, or eat them simply baked which I have provided instructions for.
When you bake vidalia onions they take on a delicious sweetness that is only enhanced with salted butter and a little dash of freshly cracked black pepper.
If you have a recipe you love for crab meat stuffing, feel free to apply my baking technique to your favorite recipe. However, my crab meat stuffing recipe has a Portuguese flair to it. If you love our Portuguese Stuffed Shrimp recipe you will really enjoy these stuffed onions.
Before you make this recipe, here are the basic ingredients you will need on-hand. Be sure to print our recipe below because this will be a keeper!
Ingredients
Vidalia onions – Try to choose the onions that are taller so it will make stuffing them easier.
Butter- This recipe needs both salted and unsalted butter. The butter enhances the baked onion flavor and helps to bind the stuffing.
Garlic- fresh garlic goes a long way in this recipe and provides the perfectly bold flavor.
Imitation crab meat- You can use fresh or imitation crab meat. I personally prefer imitation crab meat which is so versatile and inexpensive.
Crackers- My favorite to use are Ritz crackers. They are buttery and always hold up so well when making seafood stuffing.
Wine- White wine is a staple in Portuguese cooking and provides a depth of flavor to this stuffing.
Herbs & spices- Help create a bold flavor to tie all the ingredients together.
Tips for cutting onions
Since Vidalia onions can be greatly misshapen, it is crucial that they be “leveled off” to sit nicely in the casserole dish. Before you peel your onion, using a sharp knife, and stable cutting board, carefully slice about 1/2″ off the bottom of your onion.
Then, slice off about 1/4″ of the top and then peel the onion. You will then want to carefully use a paring knife to cut about 1 1/2″ deep in the center of the onions to successfully stuff them.
How to bake Vidalia onions
- Carefully cut about a 2″ by 1″ hole in the center of the onion. You will also need to slice off about a 1/2″ from the bottom so they can lay flat in the dish to bake. Reserve the cored out onion, and bottoms which you will need for the stuffing.
- Add onions to the center of a square of aluminum foil, and place a tablespoon of butter into the center of each onion. Sprinkle with pepper.
- Wrap each onion with foil and place them into a shallow casserole dish. You need the foil to steam the onions individually and not dry them out.
- Bake onions for 45 minutes or until tender.
How to eat these
Overall, these baked onions were incredible! You will most certainly need a fork and a knife to eat these. They would pair really well with a salad, or some grilled shrimp. A light side dish is a must since these are very rich.
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out some of my other favorite crab recipes below!
Crab meat recipes
Crabmeat Stuffed Vidalia Onions (Sweet & Savory)
Equipment
- Casserole dish
Ingredients
- 4 large Vidalia onions peeled and cored
- 4 tbsps. salted butter
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Crab Meat Stuffing
- 12 oz imitation crab meat
- 6 tbsps. Vidalia onion (scooped out cores, diced)
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 60 Ritz Crackers
- 3 tbsps. white cooking wine
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. fresh or dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsps. freshly chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp. green onion garnishing *optional
Instructions
Baked Vidalia Onions
- Peel each jumbo Vidalia onion.
- Carefully cut about a 2" by 1" hole in the center of the onion. You will also need to slice off about a 1/2" from the bottom so they can lay flat in the dish to bake. Reserve the cored out onion, and bottoms which you will need for the stuffing.
- Add onions to the center of a square of aluminum foil, and place a tablespoon of butter into the center of each onion. Sprinkle with pepper.
- Wrap each onion with foil and place them into a shallow casserole dish.
- Bake onions for 45 minutes or until tender.
- Allow onions to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Carefully unwrap each onion and place them back into the casserole dish; set aside.
Crab Meat Stuffing
- In a food processor, add the garlic, onion, and crab meat. Process until finely diced, and remove.
- Once the crab meat & veggies are done, remove, and process the crackers until fine, set aside.
- In a large skillet, saute the fine crab meat mixture, spices, wine, parsley, and butter until golden brown and fragrant-about 4 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Turn off heat, and add the crackers directly to the skillet and combine.
- Remove stuffing from heat and carefully scoop into each onion. I used an ice cream scoop and mounded the stuffing evenly into each onion.
- Bake onions at 375 degrees Fahrenheit uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove onions from the oven, and sprinkle with chopped green onion. Enjoy once slightly cooled.
Hello, 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Thanks for stopping by!
When you prepare the foil-wrapped onions and bake them, at what temperature should the oven be set?
Love your innovative recipe. Definitely so unique and special too. Cant imagine eating Crab Meat stuffed and baked to perfection. Super delicious.
I would have never thought of stuffing the onion with crab meat. I love stuffed veggies this is definitely going to be on my list.
This was the best flavor combination! I wasn’t sure if I would get it all into the onion but it worked out perfectly! Definitely making these again and SOON!
These are delicious. I love the stuffing so much I think I’m going to make it often as a dip. :)
What a creative recipe to try for dinner. I can’t wait to make this. Thanks for sharing