Crab is one of the most delicious crustaceans from the sea. With its sweet, briny flavor and dense meat, crab is a treat that seafood lovers look forward to. However, cooking crab can be intimidating for beginners. One of the key factors in cooking crab is knowing how long to cook it for optimal texture and taste. With improper cooking times, crab can end up dry, rubbery, or underdone. Follow this guide to learn exactly how long you should cook crab based on the type and size.
Choosing Your Crabs
For best results, select fresh, lively crabs that are still moving Avoid any crabs that appear lifeless, cracked, or have an unpleasant odor When buying whole live crabs, larger specimens tend to have more meat, but small to medium crabs cook faster. Soft shell crabs are a good option as they cook quickly with their easily penetrable shells. For legs or chunks of crabmeat, choose crab that smells fresh from the sea.
Boiling Times
Boiling is one of the easiest, most common ways to cook whole crabs. Use a large pot and fill with enough salted water to fully submerge the crabs. Bring the water to a vigorous boil before carefully lowering in the crabs.
- Small crabs (1 lb or less) – boil for 10-15 minutes
- Medium crabs (1-1.5 lbs) – boil for 15-20 minutes
- Large crabs (over 1.5 lbs) – boil for 20-25 minutes
The crabs are fully cooked when they turn bright orange and start to float in the pot Boiling takes advantage of the crab’s internal moisture for tender, flaky meat.
Steaming Duration
Steaming is another simple technique for cooking whole crabs that yields delicious results. Add 1-2 inches of salted water to a large pot fitted with a steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil then add crabs and cover.
- Small-medium crabs – steam for 15 minutes
- Large crabs – steam for 20 minutes
Check for doneness by looking for an opaque white color throughout the meat. Steaming locks in flavorful juices within the crab.
Grilling Times
For added flavor, grilling crab imparts lovely charred bits and smoky essence. Grill crab halves or clusters over direct high heat. Baste the crabs with melted butter or oil before placing them on the hot grill.
- Crab halves – grill for 8-12 minutes per side
- Crab clusters – grill for 10-15 minutes per side
Rotate the crabs carefully with tongs as they grill. Grilled crab is done when the meat is opaque and shell has reddish-orange spots.
Baking Durations
Baking crab in the oven is simple and hands-off. Place crab halves or clusters on a baking sheet and brush with oil or butter. Bake at 400°F until the meat is fully cooked.
- Crab halves – bake for 12-15 minutes
- Clusters – bake for 15-20 minutes
Check for doneness by inserting a knife tip into the thickest part of the crab. If the interior is no longer translucent, it is fully cooked.
Microwaving Times
Microwaving is the fastest way to cook crab for busy weeknights or appetizers. Arrange crab legs or chunks in a microwave-safe dish, add a splash of water, and cover.
- Legs – microwave for 2-4 minutes
- Chunks or cakes – microwave for 3-5 minutes
Check frequently and stop cooking when crab is hot throughout. Microwaved crab will not have as much flavor as boiled or grilled.
Tips for Avoiding Overcooking
It can be easy to overcook crab if boiled or steamed too long. Here are some tips to remove crab right when it is perfectly done:
- Set a timer and check pot frequently
- Boiled crab shells will turn bright orange
- Steamed crabs will show opaque white meat
- Watch for legs to easily twist off body
- Insert a knife to check interior color
Err on the side of slightly undercooked when in doubt. You can always cook a bit longer if needed. But overcooked crab turns rubbery and lacking in moisture.
Serving Up Your Cooked Crab
Once your crab is cooked to tender perfection, it’s time to crack and devour! Use mallets and knives to break apart the shell and extract the sweet chunks of meat. Provide small dishes for debris. Serve with melted butter, lemon wedges, and cocktail sauce for dipping.
Some delicious ways to use your cooked crab include:
- Chilled crab salad on croissants
- Crab cakes with remoulade
- Crab dip with crackers
- Hearty crab bisque
- Crab mac and cheese
- Crab fried rice
Follow this handy guide to learn just how long you should cook your crabs. Soon you’ll be able to prepare perfect crab every time whether boiling, steaming, grilling or baking. Get ready for many crab feasts to come!
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How To Cook Dungeness Crab
You have to make a big choice: do you clean the live crabs first or boil them whole? I like to boil them whole because it adds more flavor. Many people like to clean and halve the crab prior to cooking. It is personal preference. More on cleaning crab later. It usually takes 12 to 15 minutes to boil a whole Dungeness crab, but 10 to 12 minutes for cleaned halves.
We all need to be super safe when preparing and enjoying seafood. The information on this post is a mix of my own personal experiences and information pulled from credible web sources. For handling, cooking and serving crab and other seafood, check out FDA Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely.
What Do I Need To Cook Dungeness Crab?
First off, you need fresh live Dungeness Crab – obviously.
You need something to cook them in and a heating element. I like to cook crab outside during summer months. I use a propane burner and a 30 quart aluminum pot. The pot comes with a nice aluminum basket that makes it easy to get the crab out. I can cook about six large Dungeness Crab in the 30 quart. However, the bigger the pot the better (I’ll explain later).
You need salt and seasoning for the boil. The best tasting crab I have ever had was boiled in pure sea water. Dungeness live in saltwater, and if you cook them in freshwater, most of their great salty-sweet flavor will be lost. I use Kosher Salt and Sea Salt and season the water until it tastes like seawater. This isn’t an exact science. I love adding Old Bay Seasoning to the mix as well. Sometimes I just use salt and Old Bay Seasoning because I don’t want to take away from the rich taste of the crab meat.
Tongs or something else that can help you lift the crab out of the water and oven mitts to keep your hands safe from the steam inside the water
When the Dungeness Crab is cooked and ready to serve, a few crab crackers will come in handy, but we sometimes just use a heavy fork to do it. Finish off your table setting with some melted butter and get ready to dig in!.
Prepare an ice bath to quickly chill the cooked crab when they come out of the boil.
How Long Do I Boil Crab? : Seafood & Outdoor Cooking
FAQ
How long do crabs need to be cooked?
How long do you boil a crab for?
How do you know when crab is fully cooked?
Can you overcook crab?
How long does it take to cook crab legs?
Crab legs are cooked and flash frozen right off the boat. The crab legs simply must be thawed and reheated before serving. It takes about five minutes to boil or steam the crab legs and two to six minutes to broil them, depending on the type of crab leg. How Do You Serve Crab Legs?
How do you cook a 1kg crab?
1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil – use 30g of salt per litre of water 2. Place the crab in the boiling water to cook – a 1kg crab should take 8–10 minutes 3. Remove the crab from the water and leave to cool before preparing. Do not put the crab into iced water as this will cause it to become waterlogged
How do you cook a live crab?
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.
How long do you cook a 3 pound crab?
Cover pan and start timing. When water resumes boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-pound crabs 15 minutes, 3-pound crabs about 20 minutes. 3. Drain crabs; to be able to handle quickly, rinse briefly with cool water. This video cannot be played because of a technical error. (Error Code: 102006) 1.