13 Crab Recipes That'll Turn That Frown Upside Down

Crab Rangoon (Crab Puffs) With Sweet and Sour Sauce

J. Kenji López-Alt's homemade crab puffs turn out crisp and bubbly, with a molten center of oozy, tangy cream cheese, scallions, and crab. Serve with your favorite cocktail and other apps like coconut shrimp.

Stone Crab Claws With Mustard Dipping Sauce

We're conflicted about this Florida specialty. Stone crab claws were once considered to be a sustainable, low-impact option for crab lovers. After revisiting the subject in 2022, Daniel found studies that paint a dire picture of the fishery's harvesting practices and its ecological health. If you do manage to source sustainably harvested stone crab claws, we recommend serving them with a zesty mayo-based sauce seasoned with horseradish, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, and lemon juice. The sauce is also delicious with other types of crab, as well as boiled shrimp, so you can check for sustainable options on Seafood Watch and make a match.

Singaporean Chili Crab

Chili crab is messy and delicious in nearly equal measure. With Yvonne Ruperti's recipe, deliciousness wins the day: Dungeness crabs are cut up and cooked in a sweet, salty, and spicy tomato-chile sauce. The biggest hurdle here is getting your hands on live Dungeness crabs. If Dungeness is unavailable (or prohibitively expensive), Yvonne notes that any live crab can be substituted here, including soft-shell. For a similar take that's heavier on the spices, consider Denise D'silva Sankhé's recipe for crab masala fry.

Crispy Herbed Crab Cakes

Kenji's take on crab cakes keeps the focus squarely on the flavor of fresh, in-season crab: no starchy binders, minimal seasoning, and only one side of crisp, golden panko crust. If you spent a lot of money on fresh, high-grade crabmeat, this is the purest way to serve it in cake form.

Maryland Crab Cakes

When it comes to crab cakes, Daniel has strong opinions:

"Unfortunately, people do all sorts of things to modify what is already a perfect crab cake. In some cases, they do it to save money [...] In others, they do it to make their version of the dish unique, or to make it seem fancier [...] The Maryland crab cake needs none of that, and it suffers at the hands of those who think it does."

Daniel's mother is from Maryland, and he faithfully upholds his family's culinary heritage with this deeply researched, no-nonsense recipe. The crab mixture has a carefully calibrated amount of mayo, bread crumbs, and classic seasonings, and the cakes are pan-fried without any breading.

Maryland Crab Imperial With Buttery Golden Bread Crumbs

Think of this molten, bread crumb–topped crab dip as a lazy (or smart) cook's crab cake. Skip the patties and the pan-frying. Just mix together the crab, mayo, and seasonings, make buttered bread crumbs, assemble in a baking dish, and wait around for 20 minutes. Weekend readers take note: crab imperial eggs en cocotte is the perfect way to level up your brunch game with sweet jumbo crabmeat.

Thai-Style Crab Fried Rice

Fragrant jasmine rice is seasoned with garlic and chiles, then tossed with scrambled egg, picked crabmeat, and scallions. To ensure the crab flavor dominates the dish, Kenji keeps seasonings to a minimum: a dash of white pepper, a splash of fish sauce, and some minced cilantro.

Seafood-Stuffed Shells

If you're hankering for a baked pasta dish that eschews the usual mozzarella-ricotta–red sauce triumvirate, these stuffed shells are just the ticket. Packed with a creamy herbed filling made with lots of crab and a smattering of shrimp and scallops, these shells are baked to a perfect al dente in béchamel and topped with panko for extra crunch.

Maryland Crab Feast

Daniel again draws on his Maryland culinary heritage to provide guidance for the uninitiated crab-eater. If you're looking to invest in a half-bushel of blue crabs to share with friends and family over a newspaper-covered table, this recipe and crab-picking primer is for you. For a more minimalist approach, see Fiona Reilly's Shanghainese recipe, which pairs steamed crabs with a dipping sauce made with Chiankiang vinegar, brown sugar, and thin matchsticks of ginger.

Sautéed Soft-Shell Crabs With Lemon-Butter Pan Sauce

These fried soft-shell crabs are topped with a quick lemon–brown butter pan sauce with capers and parsley. A light dredge in seasoned flour gives the crabs a crunchy crust without making them stodgy.

Classic Fried Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches With Lettuce and Tomato

Ruminating on what makes a seafood sandwich truly memorable, Daniel concludes that "the greatest versions are almost always the simplest: little more than soft bread, lettuce, tomato, and a mayo-based condiment to accompany the main ingredient." The result of taking a light hand with the batter and components is a satisfying sandwich that does not overpower the crab's delicate texture and flavor. If you prefer your crab sandwich in a more zhuzhed-up form, check out this butter-sautéed version, served on rustic sliced bread with a basil-flecked tomato salsa, or this báhn mì–inspired sandwich.

Pasta With Crab, Tomato, and Chiles

In this quick recipe, fresh pasta and a pound of fresh crabmeat are tossed in a creamy, spicy vodka sauce and topped with crunchy herbed bread crumbs. A thinly sliced fresh red chile is added along with the crab, which gives the dish a pleasant kick.

Cioppino (San Francisco Seafood Stew)

If you're in the mood for a seafood extravaganza, this is the show-stopping stew for you. Daniel's rendition of this classic San Franciscan fisherman's stew combines Pacific delicacies like halibut and Dungeness crab with mussels, shrimp, and crab in a full-flavored broth rich with homemade seafood stock as well as fennel, tomato, Calabrian chiles, and white wine.