I’m not sharing every Dungeness crab recipe I’ve ever tried. I’m sharing the ones that actually work when you’re tired on a Wednesday. The ones worth the price of good crab.
These are the only fifteen Dungeness crab recipes from my collection of hundreds that I’ve made at least five times each, even on Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve!
Some take 15 minutes. Others are Sunday projects. I’m about to share the only crab recipes that matter.
Fair warning: Once you find recipes this reliable, this tested, this genuinely good – your Pinterest board is about to become obsolete. Mine did.
15 Delicious Dungeness Crab Recipes
From simple to fancy, there’s something here for every mood and occasion.
Classic Dungeness Crab Cakes
Nothing beats a perfectly golden crab cake that’s crispy outside and tender inside. Mix your crab meat with breadcrumbs, mayo, egg, and seasonings.
Form into patties, pan-fry until golden, and serve with a squeeze of lemon. Pure comfort food magic that never goes out of style.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 crab cake):
Melt butter with minced garlic, add your crab pieces, and toss until coated. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread for dipping.
It’s messy, indulgent, and absolutely worth every sticky finger.
Nutrition Per Serving (4 oz crab with butter):
Rich, creamy, and fancy enough for special occasions. Sauté onions and celery, add crab shells for stock, blend with cream and sherry. Strain, add crab meat, and season to perfection.
This soup will make you feel like you’re dining at a five-star restaurant.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 cup):
Light, fresh, and perfect for summer days. Combine crab meat with diced avocado, cherry tomatoes, and mixed greens. Dress with lime vinaigrette and top with toasted almonds. It’s healthy eating that doesn’t feel like a punishment at all.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 cup):
Because everything’s better with cheese, right? Make your favorite mac and cheese, then fold in generous chunks of crab meat.
Top with buttered breadcrumbs and bake until bubbly. This comfort food mashup will leave you craving regular mac and cheese no more.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 cup):
These little bites pack a serious flavor punch. Remove the mushroom stems, then fill the caps with a mixture of crab meat, cream cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs.
Bake until golden and watch them disappear at your next party. They’re fancy but surprisingly simple to make.
Nutrition Per Serving (3 mushrooms):
Stir-fry crab pieces with ginger, garlic, and scallions in a hot wok. Add soy sauce, rice wine, and a touch of sugar for that perfect sweet-savory balance.
Serve over steamed rice and prepare for flavor fireworks in your mouth.
Nutrition Per Serving (4 oz crab with sauce):
The ultimate party pleaser that disappears faster than you can make it. Mix crab meat with cream cheese, mayo, lemon juice, and seasonings.
Bake until hot and bubbly, then serve with crackers or toasted baguette slices. Warning: highly addictive.
Nutrition Per Serving (2 tbsp):
Chunky, hearty, and perfect for chilly evenings. Sauté onions and celery, add potatoes, corn, and broth. Simmer until tender, stir in cream and crab meat, and season generously. Each spoonful is like a warm hug from the ocean.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 cup):
Simple elegance on a plate. Toss al dente pasta with olive oil, garlic, white wine, and chunks of crab meat. Add fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, and a squeeze of lemon. Sometimes the simplest dishes are the most memorable ones.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 cup):
Your regular deviled eggs just got a major upgrade. Mix egg yolks with mayo, mustard, and flaked crab meat. Pipe back into egg whites and garnish with paprika.
These fancy appetizers will make everyone think you’re a culinary genius.
Nutrition Per Serving (2 halves):
New England has lobster rolls, but we’ve got something special, too. Mix crab meat with just enough mayo to bind, add celery for crunch, and pile into buttered, toasted rolls. Serve with potato chips and pickles for the full experience.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 roll):
Brunch goals, right here. Whisk eggs with cream, fold in sautéed spinach and crab meat, pour into a pastry shell. Bake until set and golden. This quiche is elegant enough for company but easy enough for weekend mornings.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 slice):
Creamy, luxurious, and worth every minute of stirring. Slowly add warm broth to arborio rice while stirring constantly. Fold in crab meat at the end with butter and parmesan. The result is restaurant-quality comfort food at home.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 cup):
A lighter option that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Hollow out zucchini halves, stuff with a mixture of crab meat, breadcrumbs, cheese, and herbs.
Bake until the zucchini is tender and the filling is golden. Even veggie skeptics will love these.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 boat):
Here are my tried-and-true secrets for cooking dungeness crab recipes successfully. These little tricks have saved me from kitchen disasters more times than I can count!
Buy them live when possible: Fresh crabs should smell like the ocean, not fishy. If they’re pre-cooked, make sure the shells are bright red and intact.
Don’t overcook the meat: Crabs cook quickly! Overcooked crab becomes tough and rubbery. When in doubt, err on the side of undercooking for Dungeness crab recipes.
Save those shells: They make incredible stock for soups and sauces. Freeze them until you’re ready to make liquid gold.
Keep it cold: Store live crabs in the fridge covered with damp towels. Cooked crab meat should be used within 2-3 days for the best flavor.
Invest in proper tools: Good crab crackers and picks make the job so much easier. Your hands (and your sanity) will thank you later.
How to Properly Clean the Dungeness Crab
Proper cleaning removes the inedible gills and intestines that can add bitter, muddy flavors to your dish.
The crab butter (yellowish substance) in the body cavity should also be removed as it can make people feel queasy and affects the clean, sweet taste of the meat.
Taking those extra few minutes to clean thoroughly ensures you’re left with only the pure, delicious crab meat that makes every bite worth savoring.
The Basic Steps:
Remove the top shell: Flip that crab over and pry off the triangular flap (that’s the apron). Then grab the shell edges and lift it right off.
Clean out the gills: Those gray, feathery bits? Toss them. They’re called “dead man’s fingers” for a reason, and they taste terrible.
Rinse and crack: Give everything a good rinse under cold water. Then crack the body in half and get ready to dig for treasure.
Extract the meat: Use a crab cracker or the back of a knife to break open those claws and legs. The sweet meat inside is totally worth the effort.
And There You Have It
These 15 are different. They’re meant to be made. Made again. Made until you don’t need the recipe card anymore. They’re the recipes I trust with expensive crab. With guests. With hungry kids on a Tuesday night.
You now have my entire Dungeness crab playbook. The recipes are worth printing out. Worth getting messy. Worth the money and time.
Delete your recipe collection. Keep these ones. Thank me later.
Your turn. Pick a recipe. Buy some crab. Make dinner. Then make it again next week.
Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson, a culinary expert with 8 years in seafood restaurants, brings his passion for wrtiting to our Seafood Recipe Ideas section. Since 2021, Jack has been sharing delicious and simple seafood recipes, from quick weeknight meals to gourmet dishes. He enjoys experimenting with fresh ingredients and exploring different cultural flavors. Jack’s goal is to make cooking seafood easy and enjoyable for home cooks of all skill levels. Outside the kitchen, he enjoys hosting seafood-themed dinner parties.
Jack Thompson, a culinary expert with 8 years in seafood restaurants, brings his passion for wrtiting to our Seafood Recipe Ideas section. Since 2021, Jack has been sharing delicious and simple seafood recipes, from quick weeknight meals to gourmet dishes. He enjoys experimenting with fresh ingredients and exploring different cultural flavors. Jack’s goal is to make cooking seafood easy and enjoyable for home cooks of all skill levels. Outside the kitchen, he enjoys hosting seafood-themed dinner parties.
