20 Crab Recipes to Add to Your Repertoire (2024)

Whether you're a fan of lump crab cakes, crispy soft shell crab, or creamy, crabby pasta (join the club), these crab recipes are here to help you make the crustacean-packed meal of your dreams. There are soups, a rich gratin, and a seafood boil, too, which not only features king crab legs but littleneck clams, jumbo shrimp, and andouille sausage. Read on for even more ways we love to cook with crab.

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Baltimore-Style Crab Cakes

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"This is the best crab cake recipe you will ever find," says chef Andrew Zimmern. "If you don't overmix, and don't pack your mounds too tightly, you will experience pure, unadulterated crab cake heaven."

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Shrimp and Crab Gumbo

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This gumbo from chef Donald Link owes its flavor to the roux, a mix of flour and oil that's cooked until it's coffee-colored.

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Open-Faced Crab Empanadas

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Chef José Andrés says: "I love America! Without a doubt, one of my favorite American ingredients is blue crabs, a true delicacy! And a great value, I think." This recipe is his twist on the traditional Basque txangurro (crab simmered with tomato), crossed with a savory Galician empanada. "Part of my efforts to build a bridge between America and Spain," he explains.

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Warm Piquillo and Crab Dip

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For this classic tapa, chef Jose Garces stuffs his delicious crab salad into individual piquillo peppers and roasts them until hot. Make it more easily by spreading the crab mixture in a baking dish, topping it with slices of the peppers, then cooking until warm and melty.

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Spicy Crab Bisque

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Chef Tanya Holland's luscious crab bisque is studded with plenty of lump crabmeat. Thanks to a hit of cayenne and Tabasco, the soup has a sneaky heat.

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"Espaghetti" with Poblano Cream and Crab

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2018 F&W Best New Chef Diana Dávila's "Espaghetti" with Poblano Cream and Crab sums up the essence of her cooking. It's based on a dish her mom used to make, with broken and fried noodles. Dávila turns it up to 11 with sweet crabmeat, crunchy shaved cauliflower, and an oozy egg. The poblano cream sauce stays super-green thanks to the addition of fresh spinach and cilantro.

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Seafood Boil with Cajun Seasoning

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The secret to a seafood boil packed with perfectly cooked shrimp, king crab legs, and clams? Taking it one step at a time. A warm bowl of butter sauce spiked with more Cajun seasoning makes the perfect dipping partner for every delicious bite.

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Cioppino with Fennel and Saffron

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An abundance of seafood and three types of fennel (bulb, seed, and pollen) infuse chef Brandon Boudet's version of this San Francisco fish stew with remarkable flavor, while Calabrian chile paste and crushed red pepper add a subtle layer of heat. Because the West Coast is famous for its Dungeness crab — a large orange crab with meaty claws — it makes a dramatic showing in this seafood-packed dish.

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Crispy Crab Cakes with Tomato Butter

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The late chef Patrick Clark's crab cakes at Tavern on the Green are legendary, taking on a pop of flavor from chopped fresh jalapeño and a crispy exterior from panko. Chopped whitefish provides the structure in these crab cakes, offering more flavor and a richer texture than traditional binders like breadcrumbs. Look for plastic tubs of jumbo lump crabmeat; it's fresh and unpasteurized with the cleanest taste and best texture.

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Blue Crab Beignets

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The beignet batter thinly coats a creamy, warm crab filling with a crispy, light crust. The batter is loose and can be tricky to shape at first; keep frying and practicing, and they'll improve with each batch. These are ideally eaten while still very hot, so make them while enjoying aperitifs in the kitchen.

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Crab Macaroni Gratin

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"A glorious amount of crabmeat baked with shell-shaped pasta in a three-cheese cream sauce — tangy white cheddar, nutty Gruyère, and sharp Parmigiano-Reggiano — is no-joke delicious, and trés riche," recipe developer Andrea Slonecker writes. "That's where the Champagne comes in. The tingly bubbles give your palate an ultrasonic scrub between each creamy, cheesy, blissful bite."

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Summer Crab Carbonara with Lemons and Capers

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2020 F&W Best New Chef Douglass Williams' method for carbonara allows you to hold the cooked pasta before adding it to the garlic oil and pasta cooking liquid emulsion. It makes for a simple, creamy carbonara without the stress.

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Louisiana Lump Crab Cakes

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"My aunt Christine taught me how to make crab cakes over the phone," chef Melissa Martin writes. "And what I learned is that you can use leftover boiled shrimp as a binder instead of breadcrumbs. When you grind shrimp in a food processor, it becomes sticky, and just a small amount will hold crabmeat and smothered vegetables together well enough to form into patties."

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Cold Crab Spaghetti

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Late summer in Louisiana is boggy hot, but this refreshing dish from chef Isaac Toups comes to the rescue with sweet-tart segments of juicy tangerine and just a teaspoon of Dijon to create a creamy, balanced sauce. Thai chile brings a touch of heat, while a flurry of mint, basil, and parsley highlights the natural sweetness of the fresh crab.

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Mini Deviled Crab Cornbread Muffins

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At his dinner parties in Harlem, chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls pairs creamy, slightly spicy, fresh deviled crab with tender corn muffins, barely sweetened with brown sugar and studded with corn kernels, for a quick one-bite appetizer. Choose fresh crab over pasteurized for the best flavor.

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Crab and Shrimp Étouffée

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This étouffée is inspired by 2019 F&W Best New Chef Kwame Onwuachi's memories of his grandmother Cassie Phillips' definitive version of the dish. No flavor goes to waste in it — even shrimp shells are used to make the seafood stock. If using shelled shrimp, ask for six ounces of shells from the fish counter, or choose a high-quality fresh stock.

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Crab Pithivier with Scallop Frangipane

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Perfect for a dinner party or any sort of special occasion, this stunning dish from 2017 F&W Best New Chef Angie Mar is a project that's well worth your time. The crab and scallops lend a delicate sweetness, and the sherry sauce brings nuttiness and brightness. Almond flour is essential, as it holds the filling together and provides texture.

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Hot Crab Dish

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This version of hot dish channels the flavor and fun of a crab boil, with Old Bay seasoning, dashes of Worcestershire and hot sauce, and a hint of lemon, adding layers of flavor to sweet fresh lump crabmeat. Frozen potato tots add crunch to this creamy casserole, making it a hearty and filling dinner.

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Crab Balls with Grapefruit Salad

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The crab and grapefruit in this dish first appeared at the restaurant Spice Market tossed with cold glass noodles. Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten decided it was a "messy pile," but liked the flavors, so he reconfigured them into crab balls rolled in panko and sesame seeds.

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Brioche Crab Melts

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Chef Vitaly Paley created this deliciously indulgent version of the classic tuna melt while competing in a cook-off sponsored by the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission. Pairing moist chunks of crab with brioche, truffle butter, and nutty Gruyère cheese easily snagged him a first-place prize.

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20 Crab Recipes to Add to Your Repertoire (2024)

FAQs

What enhances the flavor of crab? ›

If you plan to boil or steam your crab legs, your first option is to use the water to impart extra flavor. Don't be shy about adding salt, pepper, lemon juice and lemon rinds, or the classic Old Bay seasoning to your pot before boiling or steaming your crab legs.

How many pounds of crab do I need to feed 5 people? ›

As a rule of thumb for ordering, we recommend 1.5 to two pounds of crab per person. We sell snow crab legs in medium, large, jumbo, and colossal sizes and quantities of three, six, and nine pounds.

How many pounds of crab legs for 20 people? ›

As a rule of thumb, if you have crab lovers we recommend about 1 1/2 pounds per person. If you have some big eaters you might want to go with 2 pounds per person.

What is the most popular crab seasoning? ›

J.O.

The #2 Blend is easily the most widely used crab blend. This blend is what most crab houses use every single day. The #2 Blend is certainly a main stay when it comes to Maryland Steamed Crabs. If you haven't had it before or if you need some you can grab some from here.

Why do I feel good after eating crab? ›

CRAB CONTAINS LONG-CHAIN OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

Rich in vitamins and minerals, crab meat is also low in fat and contains Omega-3 polyunsaturated acids. Helps provide protection from heart disease and aids brain development. Some research suggests that Omega-3 also inhibits aggressive behaviour.

What not to eat when eating crab? ›

Tea and persimmon contain tannins, which have been found to make protein harder to digest. So when tea and persimmon are eaten with crab, which is rich in protein, we might experience indigestion.

What vegetable goes best with crab? ›

Some of the best vegetables to pair are asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers and onions. Roasting them will caramelize them and bring out the natural sweetness that will pair so well with crab. This side dish can be served with warm or cold crab.

What flavours pair well with crab? ›

vegetal and green notes. Cooked crab's vegetal aroma is most dominant and best described as being similar to that of cooked potatoes, which makes it a complementary pairing for potatoes (of course), but also eggplant, asparagus, cabbage, chicken, fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves and even kimchi.

How many crabs to feed 20 people? ›

How many crabs to get. A good rule of thumb is about 6-10 Maryland Blue Crabs per person. If you are serving other food, we recommend about a 1/2 dozen crabs per person.

How many crabs can one person eat? ›

If you plan on serving softies as the main dish, average 2 soft shell crabs per person. If soft shell crabs are going to be served as an appetizer, plan on 1 soft shell crab per person.

What's the difference between snow crab and king crab? ›

Here's another tip that helps you distinguish between the two types of crab: the number of legs a crab has can tell you which kind of crab it is. Specifically, king crab has 3 pairs of legs and 2 big claws, while a snow crab has 4 pairs of legs and 2 claws.

What do you serve at a crab feast? ›

Side Dishes For Your Crab Feast

Corn on the Cob is a classic staple side dish. You can also try sides such as cole slaw, macaroni and cheese, hush puppies, and french fries. To complete your feast, you can also add appetizers such as clams casino, steamed shrimp, and buffalo wings.

What goes with crab legs for a meal? ›

Potatoes. Whether roasted, baked, mashed, or fried, potatoes are a classic go-to side with crab legs. Add a little garlic and butter and you'll have yourself the ultimate complementary flavors.

How many people will 10 lbs of crab legs feed? ›

3 lbs = 1.5-2 Servings. 4 lbs = 2-3.5 Servings. 6 lbs = 3-5 Servings. 10 lbs = 5-8 Servings.

What makes crab taste so good? ›

Glycine, an amino acid found in blue crab meat gives off a sweetness when cooked, especially when the meat is caramelized or “golden-browned.” Not only does the amino acid embellish the taste, but it can also improve one's sleep, reduce the risk of diabetes, and maintain strong muscles.

How do you make crab not taste fishy? ›

In a bowl, one cup of milk per 1 pound of crab meat should suffice. Refrigerate crab for a minimum of 20 minutes.

What flavours go with crab? ›

vegetal and green notes. Cooked crab's vegetal aroma is most dominant and best described as being similar to that of cooked potatoes, which makes it a complementary pairing for potatoes (of course), but also eggplant, asparagus, cabbage, chicken, fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves and even kimchi.

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