What is Deviled Crab? A Guide to this Spicy Southern Seafood Treat

Not only is my homemade Deviled Crab recipe the best you’ll ever taste, it’s also very easy to make and can be stored for later use!

This Southern seafood treat is packed full of sweet, fresh lump blue crab meat, savory Old Bay and Creole seasonings, and a perfectly balanced filling of veggies, mayonnaise, and crushed Ritz crackers.

This deviled crab recipe sounds like a great way to try something new in the kitchen if you like seafood like I do.

Come with me as I show you how to make the perfect deviled crab in a video with step-by-step instructions.

They caught and cleaned these blue crabs so I could use their shells in this recipe. Thanks, Kara and Adam Godfrey!

Deviled crab is a beloved appetizer and snack in the American South, especially along the coasts of Florida Georgia and the Carolinas. This spicy, crabby delight has a storied history and regional variations that make it a quintessential Southern food. As a seafood lover and aspiring home cook, I wanted to learn more about what exactly deviled crab is, where it came from, and how to make it properly. Here’s what I discovered in my research.

A Brief History of Deviled Crab

While the exact origins are unclear, deviled crab seems to have first appeared in the late 1920s in Tampa Florida. During a cigar factory worker’s strike, unemployed locals began creating snacks from inexpensive ingredients like blue crab and stale Cuban bread. These improvised crab croquettes were spiced with a salsa-like mixture called chilau and became known as “deviled” crab for their spicy heat.

Entrepreneurs soon started selling deviled crab snacks from pushcarts and bicycles around Tampa. Over time, the dish spread along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic seaboard, taking on regional variations. Today it remains an iconic appetizer in Florida and the Lowcountry region of Georgia and the Carolinas.

Regional Styles of Deviled Crab

There are a few distinct regional versions of deviled crab:

Tampa-style – Oblong, handheld crab croquettes flavored with tomato, onion, and peppers.
Chesapeake-style – Crab meat baked lightly in the shell with breadcrumbs and spices. Eaten with a fork.
Daufuskie Island-style – A very spicy mix heavy on cayenne pepper, invented for island timber workers.
Coastal South Carolina – Round, fried crab cakes enrobed in a crisp cornmeal coating.

So deviled crab can take many shapes and forms! Tampa’s iconic oblong croquettes seem most quintessentially “deviled” to me.

What Makes Tampa-Style Deviled Crab So Special

There are a few key factors that distinguish Tampa’s deviled crab and make it so crave-worthy:

Shape – The oblong, rugby ball-like shape was designed for easy eating on the go. It fits nicely in one hand.
Texture – A dense, packable texture prevents the croquettes from falling apart when eaten by hand.
Seasoning – Heady spices like paprika and cayenne deliver big flavor in every bite.
History – Its origins as an improvised street food give it a sense of place.

Tampa’s deviled crab is truly an iconic Southern snack!

How to Make Deviled Crab at Home

Here are some tips for making tasty deviled crab croquettes at home based on my research:

Use fresh, high-quality blue crab meat. Carefully pick through for shells.
Opt for stale Cuban bread crumbs versus fresh bread. They hold together better.
Sauté the crab meat lightly along with an enchilada sauce-like mixture called chilau.
Chili peppers add signature heat. Balance with tomato, onions, garlic, etc.
Chill the mixture thoroughly before forming into oval croquettes.
Dredge the formed croquettes in more breadcrumbs before frying.
Fry in batches until deeply golden brown for maximum crunch.
Serve warm with hot sauce or pepper vinegar for dipping.

Pro tips:

Consider using a food processor to finely grind breadcrumbs.
An egg helps bind the mixture—beat it first before adding other ingredients.
Pack the croquettes tightly so they don’t fall apart when eaten.
Allowing the formed croquettes to chill again helps keep their shape.

Popular Variations

Beyond Tampa-style, here are some other popular ways to prepare deviled crab:

Stuffed shells – Spoon the crab mixture into baked pasta shells for a hearty appetizer.
Stuffed mushrooms – Fill large mushroom caps with the crab mixture and bake until hot and bubbling.
Deviled crab dip – Prepare the mixture as a chilled creamy dip rather than fried croquettes. Serve with crackers, chips, or crudités.
Crab-stuffed tomatoes – Spoon the crab mixture into halved cherry tomatoes for a flavorful bite.
Crab melt sandwich – Top a crab cake patty with cheese and grill on bread for a hot sandwich.

So get creative and play around with different ways to enjoy deviled crab flavor!

Is Deviled Crab Spicy?

Authentic deviled crab does tend to be on the spicier side given its name and history. But the level of heat is flexible depending on your preferences. Some quick ways to adjust the spice level:

For milder heat, remove all seeds and ribs from chili peppers before adding them. Or omit peppers entirely.
Add a small pinch of cayenne at a time until it reaches the desired level of heat.
Serve with hot sauces on the side so guests can amp up the spice themselves.
Rely on paprika, onions, garlic, mustard for flavor over chili heat if desired.

Pairing Deviled Crab with Drinks

Here are some of my favorite beverage pairings for deviled crab:

Light, citrusy beers like lagers, blonde ales, or Mexican lagers. The carbonation and crispness cools the palate.
Cuban mojitos with refreshing mint, lime, and rum are a natural fit.
Sweet tea vodka adds a Southern twist to a vodka cocktail or Bloody Mary.
Chardonnay or dry rosé wine balances out any richness.
A crisp pilsner or kölsch ale lets the subtle crab flavors shine.

what is deviled crab

Ingredient notes and substitutions:

what is deviled crab

Don’t let the number of ingredients scare you. Most are common pantry ingredients and you just combine everything in a single bowl.

The star of this dish is lump blue crab meat, and I always use fresh Crabmeat is typically sold cleaned, cooked, and pasteurized. Grades include jumbo lump, lump, backfin, and claw meat. Jumbo lump is the most expensive. Any of these grades will work in this recipe, but I like using lump.
Butter – unsalted butter is used to saute the vegetables.
Scallions, which are also known as green or spring onions, have a mild onion flavor.
Celery gives it a little crunch and a herb flavor.
Another vegetable that tastes great and looks great is green bell pepper.
The egg and mayonnaise are what hold everything together.
The egg and mayonnaise hold everything together and give it some shape when it’s cooked.
Sour cream – adds a nice creamy tang.
Round buttery crackers – the most common brand is Ritz.
Dry mustard – adds a nice tangy flavor. You can use half a tablespoon of Dijon mustard instead of dry mustard if you don’t have any.
Worcestershire sauce, which usually has anchovies in it, gives this dish its “deviled” taste.
Old Bay Seasoning is a blend of spices that is made to make seafood taste better.
Lemon pepper is made by mixing ground black pepper with lemon zest. It’s often used to season seafood and gives it a citrusy taste.
It gives this dish a great flavor because it is made of dried peppers, herbs, and spices.

Specific measurements are listed in the complete recipe below.

How to make deviled crab

Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions, celery, and bell pepper.

Stir the vegetables around for four minutes, or until they are soft and clear. Remove from the heat and set aside.
You can use a food processor, put the crackers in a plastic bag, and crush them by hand or with a rolling pin.

Carefully pick and feel your way through the crab meat with your fingers to get rid of any pieces of shell or cartilage. Set aside.

Put the cooled vegetables, sour cream, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper, and Creole seasoning in a large bowl. Mix well.

Put in the crab meat and crushed crackers. Gently toss to keep the lumps from breaking up.

Put the mix into six cleaned blue crab shells or six-ounce ramekins that can go in the oven.

Use a food processor to crush the crackers, and then add the melted butter to the topping. Process until the butter and crumbs are thoroughly combined. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the stuffing.

Set the ramekins or stuffed shells on a baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, or until the topping is golden and crunchy.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Seabreeze’s deviled crabs

FAQ

What is deviled crab made of?

The deviled crab is prepared by slowly sautéing blue crab meat with a seasoning sauce made with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and various other flavors. This seasoning sauce is a version of a Cuban-style enchilada / sofrito sauce, known locally as “chilau”.

Why is it called deviled crab?

Lore has it that once upon a time, someone ate one and said it was “hot as the devil” and the name stuck. But through the years it’s kind of morphed into “deviled” crab.

What’s the difference between crab cakes and deviled crab?

What’s the difference in crab cakes and deviled crab? While my Southern Blue Crab Cake recipe is similar, it doesn’t have the same amount of deviling spices and Creole seasonings. It also has far less Worcestershire sauce, a primary deviling ingredient, and includes Dijon mustard instead of dry mustard.

Is deviled crab good for you?

175 g of Crab, deviled contains 171.50 mcg vitamin A, 7.9 mg vitamin C, 1.05 mcg vitamin D as well as 1.80 mg of iron, 140.00 mg of calcium, 390 mg of potassium. Crab, deviled belong to ‘Seafood mixed dishes’ food category.