Butter-Sautéed Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches With Tomato Salsa Recipe

Updated April 02, 2025

This variation on a Maryland-style soft-shell crab sandwich is topped with an oven-dried tomato salsa. Daniel Gritzer

The classic Maryland-style soft-shell crab sandwich usually comes on white sandwich bread with mayo, sliced tomato, and lettuce. In this variation inspired by the original, we add a delicious tomato salsa made from oven-dried tomatoes, olive oil, basil, and red wine vinegar.

Why this recipe works:

Using a boule in place of regular white sandwich bread makes the sandwiches more substantial, and also helps them stand up to all the juices from both the crabs and the tomato salsa.
Oven-drying the tomatoes concentrates their flavor and reduces their wateriness.
Dredging the crabs in flour that's been seasoned with Old Bay and sautéeing them in butter adds a classic Maryland flavor, and creates a crunchy, golden crust.

Two Delicious and Easy Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches to Celebrate the Season

Recipe Details

Butter-Sautéed Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches With Tomato Salsa Recipe

Prep 10 mins

Cook 35 mins

Active 15 mins

Cooling Time 5 mins

Total 50 mins

Serves 4 servings

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Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, tomatoes halved and seeds discarded
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves, very thinly sliced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Generous pinch sugar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
8 large soft-shell crabs, preferably jumbo or “whale” size, cleaned
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices boule or rustic bread
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
Sliced tomato, sliced white onion, and Bibb lettuce leaves, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Arrange tomato halves on rimmed baking sheet and bake until excess moisture has evaporated and tomatoes are a deeper red color, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Finely chop tomatoes and transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Stir in basil, olive oil, vinegar, and sugar. Season tomato salsa with salt and pepper.
In a shallow bowl, stir together flour and Old Bay; season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge crabs in the seasoned flour.
In a large, wide skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat until foamy. Add crabs, shell-side down, and cook until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes; be careful, as soft-shell crabs sometimes pop in the pan. Flip crabs and cook until crisp and golden on bottom side, about 3 minutes. Transfer crabs to paper-towel-lined plates.
Spread 4 bread slices with mayonnaise, then top with lettuce leaves, crabs, tomato salsa, sliced tomatoes, and onion. Close sandwiches and serve immediately.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1217	Calories
44g	Fat
131g	Carbs
72g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	1217
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 44g	57%
Saturated Fat 13g	63%
Cholesterol 289mg	96%
Sodium 2553mg	111%
Total Carbohydrate 131g	48%
Dietary Fiber 7g	24%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 72g
Vitamin C 24mg	118%
Calcium 360mg	28%
Iron 11mg	60%
Potassium 1210mg	26%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.