The Safest Method for Cooking Crab
A really simple recipe for cooking crab! This is for you if this is your first time cooking crab or if you just need a refresher. Fresh crab has the best flavor possible, and preparing it at home is incredibly rewarding and simple.
The Easiest Way to Cook Crab
Last Updated: Aug 8, 2022 by Suzy Sakamoto · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments
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A super easy guide on how to cook crab! If you’re cooking crab for the first time or you need a refresh, then this is for you. The taste of fresh crab is unbeatable, and cooking it yourself is so easy and so rewarding.
Cook whole live crab, sections, or crab legs using this recipe! Since we live on the Pacific coast, we love fresh shellfish and cooking Dungeness crab is a regular for us! We love being able to have a catch-and-cook lifestyle with our family and have tested this crab cooking method, as well as opening, cracking, and cleaning crab methods more times than we can count. They’re great tools for a refresh!
Dungeness crab is incredibly delicious and so versatile. Though it’s one of the few foods that I will enjoy plain. This juicy crustacean doesn’t need a dip in my opinion, but I do provide a recipe for seafood sauce that we enjoy with it from time to time. Or go for salted butter to enjoy with it.
If I have leftover crab, I always whip up this Crab Omelet. Or this Hot Crab Dip that makes the perfect snack or seafood appetizer. I could rave about this Cajun Crab Boil forever, it’s filled with the best flavors, and so incredibly easy to whip together using cooked or live crab.
A morning that consists of crabbing in our house, is a happy morning! The morning tides are typically what we aim for when planning a crabbing trip with our young family. Mainly because morning tides are much lower than night low tides, which makes it easier to catch crabs!
After a successful crabbing trip, we practiced various ways to cook our crab. We tried steaming, boiling with no spices, boiling with spices, cooking for longer time and cooling it immediately, etc.
After cooking crab so many ways, we finally found a way to cook crab juuuuusstt enough and let it sit out to cool on it’s own. This is the best way to cook crab without overcooking it.
We have definitely used this method to cook our crab more times than we can ever count!
The Easiest Way to Cook Crab
Last Updated: Aug 8, 2022 by Suzy Sakamoto · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments
Jump to Recipe Share on Facebook
A super easy guide on how to cook crab! If you’re cooking crab for the first time or you need a refresh, then this is for you. The taste of fresh crab is unbeatable, and cooking it yourself is so easy and so rewarding.
Cook whole live crab, sections, or crab legs using this recipe! Since we live on the Pacific coast, we love fresh shellfish and cooking Dungeness crab is a regular for us! We love being able to have a catch-and-cook lifestyle with our family and have tested this crab cooking method, as well as opening, cracking, and cleaning crab methods more times than we can count. They’re great tools for a refresh!
Dungeness crab is incredibly delicious and so versatile. Though it’s one of the few foods that I will enjoy plain. This juicy crustacean doesn’t need a dip in my opinion, but I do provide a recipe for seafood sauce that we enjoy with it from time to time. Or go for salted butter to enjoy with it.
If I have leftover crab, I always whip up this Crab Omelet. Or this Hot Crab Dip that makes the perfect snack or seafood appetizer. I could rave about this Cajun Crab Boil forever, it’s filled with the best flavors, and so incredibly easy to whip together using cooked or live crab.
A morning that consists of crabbing in our house, is a happy morning! The morning tides are typically what we aim for when planning a crabbing trip with our young family. Mainly because morning tides are much lower than night low tides, which makes it easier to catch crabs!
After a successful crabbing trip, we practiced various ways to cook our crab. We tried steaming, boiling with no spices, boiling with spices, cooking for longer time and cooling it immediately, etc.
After cooking crab so many ways, we finally found a way to cook crab juuuuusstt enough and let it sit out to cool on it’s own. This is the best way to cook crab without overcooking it.
We have definitely used this method to cook our crab more times than we can ever count!
Table of Contents
- ABOUT DUNGENESS CRAB
- WHAT PART OF A DUNGENESS CRAB CAN YOU EAT
- WHAT NOT TO EAT ON A DUNGENESS CRAB
- WHAT DO CRAB TASTE LIKE
- HOW DO YOU CATCH DUNGENESS CRAB
- HOW LONG CAN YOU STORE COOKED CRAB IN THE FRIDGE
- CAN YOU FREEZE COOKED CRAB
- HOW LONG TO COOK CRAB
- IS IT BETTER TO BOIL OR STEAM CRABS?
- This is a simple and best way to boil crab!
- For cooking a large amount of crab, you will need
- Don’t forget to try our crab dipping sauce!
- How To Cook Crab (The Easiest Way!)
ABOUT DUNGENESS CRAB
Dungeness crab live on the West Coast of the United States. They are a highly sought-after shellfish in the Pacific Northwest. Thankfully, they are incredibly delicious and provide a generous amount of crab meat. The meat of a Dungeness crab is sweet and juicy.
FOR COOKING CRAB, YOU WILL NEED
- A large pot.
- Water
- Salt
- Seafood boil seasoning. This is completely optional. Use this for a southern twist. We have used Seafood boil seasoning a handful of times, especially when we make our Seafood boil. However, we find that it masks the delicious and fresh taste of a Dungeness crab, so we typically cook crab without seafood seasoning.
HOW TO COOK CRAB
This is the best, fastest and easiest method to cooking them alive. No need to process them prior to cooking.
STEP 1 – To a large pot, pour water and add salt if you’d like. Bring the water to a raging boil.
STEP 2 – Place the live crab in the boiling water and cover with the lid.
STEP 3 – Boil for 12 minutes.
STEP 4 – Remove the crab from the pot and let the crab cool completely on a large plate or in an ice bath prior to serving or storing. It typically takes 15-30 minutes for the crab to cool.
STEP 5 – Store the crab in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. Enjoy it cold, or warm in the oven, microwave or in hot water.
WHAT PART OF A DUNGENESS CRAB CAN YOU EAT
The parts of Dungeness crab that you can eat are the legs and the body meat. Crab legs are firm, while the body meat will be softer. Both are incredibly delicious!
WHAT NOT TO EAT ON A DUNGENESS CRAB
The only parts of a Dungeness crab that you can’t eat are the gills and the shells. Most people don’t eat the “butter” but it is edible. The butter of a Dungeness crab contains the most potential toxins. If you plan to eat it, be sure to check the toxin levels from the area you harvested from.
WHAT DO CRAB TASTE LIKE
Crab has a sweet seafood taste, and it’s incredibly juicy. Though the crab flavor may change slightly depending on where you harvest the crab from. If I were to compare it to another shellfish, I would say that a Dungeness crab is most similar in taste to a Lobster. Both have somewhat similar meat consistencies and similar tastes.
Dungeness crab is desired by many and such a crowd pleaser!
