It’s pretty simple to cook crab at home, but it can be hard to decide what to serve with it. Crab is a treat that many people love, especially during crab season. It has unique flavors and is fun to eat. Not many foods let you crack open and pull out tasty meat to enjoy. The fact that you have to work hard to get to the meat makes it taste even better. You have to earn it. There is not much better than a crab dinner.
First things first, you need a crab recipe. We wrote this post to help you learn how to cook crab so you can make this tasty breakfast.
As good as crab is, deciding what to serve with crab can make or break the meal. Here are some ideas for what to serve with crab.
The most obvious and well known thing is to serve crab with clarified butter. It’s by far the most iconic and widely used. While it is simple, it enhances the crab meat flavor rather than compliments it. The butter transforms them to a new level of delicious. To make this, melt regular butter (not margarine) and let it cool down. This lets the milk solids settle to the bottom. The butter left on top is clarified – which is what you serve. After that, you should make a great dipping sauce by adding fresh lemon juice and garlic to the butter. Other ideas to improve the butter sauce that much more is rosemary, parsley, or Worcestershire sauce.
Pro tip: Clarified butter goes well with warm crab legs. Do not serve this with cold crab legs are it will solidify.
Crab meat is one of the most cherished seafood delicacies. With its sweet succulent flavor and tender texture, crab is delicious but can also be intimidating to cook. Once you’ve prepared your crab meat the next challenge is deciding what to serve alongside it to make a complete meal. The good news is that crab meat pairs well with a variety of side dishes that can take your crab dinner to the next level.
In this article we’ll explore 10 sensational side dishes that complement crab meat perfectly. Whether you want something refreshing hearty, crunchy or creamy, there’s a crab companion here for you. Let’s dive in!
Potatoes
Whether roasted, baked, mashed, or fried, potatoes are a classic go-to side with crab legs. This humble vegetable soaks up all the butter and seasonings beautifully. Roast baby potatoes with olive oil, garlic, and rosemary to complement steamed crab clusters. Twice-baked potatoes also work nicely, as do loaded baked potatoes topped with bacon, cheese, and chives. And let’s not forget the classic pairing of French fries or tater tots with cracked crab and cocktail sauce.
Corn on the Cob
The natural sweetness of corn pairs perfectly with the sweet meat of crab. Grill the corn or quickly boil it to highlight its flavor. Slather with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. You can also spice it up with chili powder or cotija cheese. Pulling juicy kernels off the cob offers a fun, hands-on experience similar to cracking crab legs that makes for an interactive meal.
Coleslaw
A crispy, vinegar-based coleslaw provides texture that balances the richness of crab cakes, crab dip, or crab-stuffed fish. Packed with crunchy cabbage, carrots, and onions, it also offers bright acidic flavors and coolness to cut through the seafood. Try a classic creamy mayo-based slaw or elevate your meal with unique additions like apple, bacon, cranberries, or pineapple.
Cornbread
Buttery, golden cornbread is a quintessential accompaniment for any seafood boil or crab feast. The grainy texture and sweetness stands up well to the crab’s flavor. Serve wedges of cornbread alongside a mountain of snow crab legs for dipping in the garlicky butter. Or hollow out mini cornbread muffins to use as edible cups for creamy crab dip.
Steamed Artichokes
Artichokes have a wonderful affinity with crab meat. Like crab, they require strategic dismantling to reach the tender, flavorful heart. Steam or boil artichokes until tender and serve with melted lemon butter for dipping the leaves. The combination of rich, delicate artichokes and sweet crab is sublime.
Salad
A light salad offers the perfect counterpoint to such a rich protein. The greens, vegetables, and bright vinaigrette will cut through the crab’s heaviness. Opt for a tangy slaw-style salad, or a creamy pasta salad with vegetables. You can also serve crab meat over a bed of crisp greens for an elegant composed salad.
Roasted Vegetables
The sweetness of roasted vegetables naturally complements crab’s sweet profile. Root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and beets become caramelized and sweet when roasted. Brussels sprouts and broccoli also pair nicely. Toss the veggies in olive oil, garlic, and herbs before roasting. They add great texture, color, and flavor contrast.
Pasta
Crab meat mixes beautifully with pasta for a simple yet impressive dish. The rich flavors marry perfectly. Opt for a short pasta shape like farfalle or gemelli to cradle the chunks of crab. Pair with a light sauce like lemon butter, olive oil, white wine, or cream. Fresh herbs, garlic, and cheeses like Pecorino or Parmesan complement the seafood beautifully.
Rice
Rice is a blank canvas that soaks up the flavor of crab meat wonderfully. Use it as a base to stretch expensive crab and serve more people. Opt for white or brown rice pilaf mixes, which add texture and flavor. Bread the crab with panko before sautéing and serve over garlic butter rice for a simple, comforting meal.
Bread
Warm, crusty bread is ideal for sopping up leftover crab butter and picking up any final morsels of meat. French bread, sourdough, rolls, biscuits, and cornbread are all excellent choices. For an upscale presentation, serve slices of toasted baguette points alongside chilled crab appetizers like stuffed mushrooms.
With so many tasty options, the hardest part will be choosing which of these sensational sides to serve with your crab! Whether you opt for something simple or unexpected, these recipes are sure to perfectly complement the fabulous flavor of crab meat.
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What to Eat With Crab?
There are countless side dishes that will pair very nicely with crab. We recommend keeping a pretty straightforward side dish so the crab does not get overshadowed. Below are many side dishes we recommend for what to eat with crab meat. You can find many crab side dish recipes for the suggestions below.
Another side option is a lemon rice pilaf. This is a nice comforting dish that complements the crab flavors in a delicate way.
Salad is always a great option as well. Having crab steamed is a nice light meal, and salad is a great way to keep the whole meal light. You can also serve salad with garlic butter roasted crab to balance out the richness of that preparation. An orange and mandarin salad is suggested because it is crunchy, cool, and sweet in the right amounts. This can also be served as an appetizer before the crab to get people excited about what’s to come.
Since vegetables have refreshing and earthy flavors, they are a nice complement to the sweet meat of crab. Not all veggies are created equal, though. Some of the best vegetables to pair are asparagus, broccoli, bell peppers and onions. Roasting them will caramelize them and bring out the natural sweetness that will pair so well with crab. This side dish can be served with warm or cold crab.
Another type of vegetables that is a really fun pairing is steamed artichokes. For this food, you should use your hands to pull it apart, eat the meat, and throw away the rest. It’s a great accompaniment once you’re already messy and letting your guard down.
First off, everyone loves mashed potatoes. Literally. I’ve never met anyone who actively dislikes mashed potatoes. Can you say, ultimate crowd pleaser? Any preparation of potato, really, pairs well with crab. But we know that mashed potatoes are that much of a widely loved fan favorite.
Another absolute crowd winner is, you guessed it, French fries. They’re absolutely delicious and super convenient to eat. Everyone loves them. And, you can even serve garlic fries to contrast steamed crabs or to complement garlic roasted crab.
Any type of corn can pair nicely with Crab. But to enhance the hands on eating experience, we recommend corn on the cob. Fresh and messy to eat, both of these things are great. You can cook corn on the cob in a lot of different ways, such as by grilling, steaming, boiling, or even microwaving it.
This one is the most obvious. Wine so clearly pairs incredibly well with crab. Especially white wine. Pinot gris, chardonnay and dry Riesling are the top recommendations for wine pairing.
Yes, crab tastes sweet and delicious. But, it is light. Light enough that you’ll still have room for dessert when you’re finished devouring your crustacean. To keep with the light and refreshing theme you can go with a lemon cheesecake. Or of course go for the classic chocolate cake.
What to serve with crab legs
You definitely want to supply crab crackers, crab forks and if possible, bibs. It can be messy and hard to eat crab, but these tools bring the fun back.
Other than butter, you can create all sorts of sauces to serve with crab. For instance, mustard with dill, mayonnaise, lemon and salt and pepper. Another sauce you can try is spicy diablo dipping sauce. Or perhaps a hollandaise.
You can of course consider the most common and popular of all, cocktail sauce. You can even make this sauce at home by mixing together horseradish, Worcestershire, tabasco, lemon and ketchup. Play with different combinations and add pepper to give it an extra kick.
Chinese Buffet Imperial Crab | The Hungry Jawn
FAQ
What is crab eaten with?
What is the best way to eat crab meat?
What goes well with crabmeat?
Crab goes well with any foods that you would normally eat with seafood such as shrimp or lobster. For example, cheddar biscuits and other types of bread are delicious with crabmeat. Other foods that go well with crabmeat are pasta dishes, green salad, vegetables such as corn on the cob, and sausage. Source: thespruceeats.com 1.
What to eat with crab?
One delicious option is to combine Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, lemon, horseradish, and pepper. It’s sweet, refreshing, and easy to make! Here’s another idea: mayonnaise, dijon mustard, dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. It’s thick, creamy, and amazing with crab. 3. Cheddar Bay Biscuits No seafood feast is complete without cheddar bay biscuits.
What goes well with crab legs?
A creamy and flavorful risotto, whether made with mushrooms or roasted red peppers, is a hearty and decadent side dish that pairs perfectly with crab legs. Risotto’s creamy texture and rich flavor make it the perfect side dish to complement the indulgent flavor of crab meat.
Can you eat crab salad with crab meat?
This crab salad recipe can be made with either fresh crab meat or imitation crab meat. It contains Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper, fresh dill, red onion, and celery. You can eat crab salad on its own with a fork, but it’s also delicious to eat the crab mixture with crackers.