How to Cook Whole Crab on the Grill for Succulent Smoky Flavor

This recipe is so simple and works with king crab legs, Dungeness crab legs, and snow crab legs. Grilled crab legs are a great summer treat.

Grilling whole crab is a fantastic way to capitalize on sweet, succulent crab flavor. The smoky essence from the grill provides a perfect complement. Grilling draws out the natural sweetness and allows the crab to absorb that barbecued essence. Follow these tips to learn how to cook whole crabs on the grill properly.

Benefits of Grilling Whole Crabs

Grilling whole crabs has several advantages over other cooking methods:

Enhanced flavor – The smoky grill flavor permeates the crab meat beautifully.
Moisture retained – Grilling cooks quickly, sealing in the natural juices.
Caramelized exterior – The crab shell gets nicely charred and caramelized.
Less messy – Grilling contains the mess versus boiling/steaming,
Fun outdoor activity – Grilling crabs is a great reason to enjoy the outdoors

With minimal preparation, you can enjoy tender grilled crab with loads of flavor.

Tips for Selecting Crabs for Grilling

Choose live crabs or raw crabs that are whole and uncooked. Don’t grill pre-cooked crab.
For live crabs, ensure they are active and strong when purchasing.
Size – Smaller crabs like Dungeness cook faster. For larger crabs like King, cut them in half before grilling.
Weight – Estimate 3⁄4 pound of crab per person. Adjust according to appetite.
Look for crab shells that appear moist. Avoid cracked or dried-out shells.
Make sure the underside area smells pleasant, not overly fishy.
Refrigerate live or raw crabs until ready to grill.

Preparing the Grill and Crab for Cooking

Proper preparation ensures the crab cooks evenly and absorbs maximum smoky essence.

Setting Up the Grill

For best results, use a charcoal or gas grill. The smoky flavor pairs wonderfully with crab.
Heat grill to medium-high heat, around 400°F. The grate should be hot but not flaming.
Clean the grill grate thoroughly. This prevents the crabs from sticking.
Place crabs on the hotter areas of the grill for more charring. Move to cooler areas if needed.

Preparing the Crab

Thaw frozen crabs completely before grilling.
Use a stiff brush to scrub the crabs under cold running water. Clean thoroughly.
For live crabs, place them in the freezer for 30-60 minutes before grilling. This hypothermia makes them unconscious.
Cut bigger crabs in half prior to grilling. This exposes more meat to the grill flavor.
Leave edible innards like the mustard, hepatopancreas and roe intact if desired. Many enjoy these.
Use a sharp knife to cut across the main shell body. This allows heat to penetrate better.
Optionally marinate crabs in olive oil, herbs and garlic. But dry rubs work just as well.

How to Grill Whole Crab Properly

Follow these simple steps:

Place a clean cast iron skillet on the grill and allow it to preheat thoroughly.
Coat the crabs lightly with oil or rub on desired seasonings. Keep it simple.
Place the seasoned crabs directly onto the hot skillet. No grill grate needed.
Grill the crabs for 3-4 minutes per side, depending on size.
Use tongs to periodically turn the crabs. Watch carefully to avoid overcooking.
Insert a knife to check if meat has turned opaque. Cook a bit longer if needed.
For additional smoky flavor, add soaked wood chips to the grill.
Allow the cooked crabs to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestions for Grilled Crab

The possibilities are endless when serving delicious grilled crab:

Serve grilled crab on its own with melted butter or lemon wedges for dipping.
Include grilled corn, potatoes or asparagus as accompaniments.
Add grilled crab to fresh salads, pasta dishes or risotto.
Use grilled crab meat in sandwiches, tacos, frittatas or crab cakes.
Top grilled crab with your favorite sauce – cocktail sauce, aioli, chimichurri, etc.
Garnish with fresh herbs like parsley, dill, chives for extra flavor.
Pair grilled crab with a nice white wine or light beer.

Storage and Food Safety Tips

Eat grilled crabs immediately for the best texture and taste.
Leftover grilled crab meat can be refrigerated for up to 2-3 days.
The grated shell of grilled crabs makes delicious seafood stock. Simmer in water then strain.
Discard any crab meat that has an unpleasant fishy or ammonia smell after being refrigerated.

Grilling whole crab just requires a little prep work, a hot grill, and minimal cooking time. The result is tender, smoky crab that makes a stellar entrée. Gather some friends or family and enjoy an outdoor crab feast from the grill. Just follow these tips on selecting, prepping and grilling whole crab.

how to cook whole crab on the grill

How to Grill Crab Legs

Grilling crab legs is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Put the legs on a grill that is hot but not smoking. Spray them with olive oil spray.
Put the lid on and cook for seven minutes on each side, or until everything is hot.
Cut slits along the side with a sharp paring knife while wearing gloves. This will make it easy to pull out the meat.

In the summer, it’s fun to cook crab legs on the grill for dinner. Grilled crab meat goes great with just about any side. I love serving it with corn on the cobb. Some other serving suggestions are this Summer Tomato Salad, Lemon-Parsley Potato Foil Packets, or Macaroni Salad with Tomatoes.

They are expensive to buy, but cheaper than ordering out so I rather just make them myself. My family likes to eat crab legs with melted butter, but it’s totally optional. On low heat, I melt a stick of butter on the stove while the crab legs are grilling. I then add fresh lemon juice to the butter. You can also add some garlic and make garlic butter. And if you want to skip the butter altogether, fresh lemon squeezed over the crab is perfect.

Grilled Crab Legs

There’s no need to find a big pot or make a mess in the kitchen when you grill crab legs. It’s my favorite way to cook them. Just thaw the legs and heat them on the grill. Then open them up and enjoy! Other crab dishes I love are baked crab cakes, crab cauliflower fried “rice,” and tomato, corn, crab, and avocado salad.

As a treat for my family, I recently grilled red king crab legs. But you can grill any kind of crab leg. Golden King, Dungeness crab legs and snow crab legs are two other good options. Because they are usually the biggest and have the most meat, king crabs are the most popular type of crab. Snow crabs are similar to king crabs but have thinner legs. Dungeness crabs have the smallest legs of the three and are known for their very sweet meat.

Most Alaskan king crab legs are already cooked and frozen, so all you have to do is thaw and heat them up. It’s best to thaw your legs before grilling so they heat up evenly on the inside.

Fill up your sink with cold water and put the crab legs in it for 20 to 30 minutes. This will heat them up quickly. When thawed, rinse the legs well. You can also defrost overnight in the refrigerator, just be careful they don’t leak.

Chargrilled Blue Crabs | Might be my new favorite way to make crabs!

How do you cook crab on a grill?

To barbecue crab, season to taste with your desired flavors. Heat the grill to medium-high. Brush with a little olive oil unless your marinade already includes it. This helps to prevent the crabs from sticking to the grill. Close the grill. Cook for five to seven minutes. Open the grill. Flip each crab.

How do you cook a live crab?

To cook a live crab, bring a large pot of water to a raging boil and add salt if desired. Place the live crab directly into the boiling water, then cover with the lid. Cook for 12 minutes.

How do you cook crabs in a crock pot?

Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil, season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Once the water comes to a boil, remove from heat. Immerse two of the crabs into the water for 5-10 minutes until the crabs are warmed through. Remove the crabs from the water and set aside to drain. Bring the water to another boil and repeat with remaining crabs.

How long do you cook crab legs on a grill?

Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Place the crabs on the grill. Cook with the lid closed, brushing with basting mixture after first 2 to 3 minutes of cooking. Turn crabs over halfway through grilling, at the 6-minute mark, and baste again. The crabs are done when the meat in the leg is opaque, which in total will take about 10 to 12 minutes.