Dungeness crab is a popular seafood delicacy, especially on the West Coast of the United States and Canada. But if you’ve never bought or cooked one yourself, you may wonder – how much does a Dungeness crab weigh? Let’s break it down.
Average Weight of Dungeness Crabs
The average weight of a Dungeness crab caught along the Pacific Coast ranges from 1.5 to 3 pounds. However, they can reach weights up to 5 pounds.
Here’s a quick overview of common Dungeness crab weights:
- Smaller male crabs: 1.5 – 2 pounds
- Larger male crabs: 2 – 3.5 pounds
- Smaller female crabs: 1.5 – 2.5 pounds
- Larger female crabs: 2 – 4 pounds
- Jumbo Dungeness crabs: 4 – 5+ pounds
So if you’re shopping for Dungeness crab, you can expect around 2 pounds for a typical crab, and up to 4 pounds for a very large one. The jumbo 5-pounders are less common.
Why Do Dungeness Crabs Vary in Size?
Dungeness crabs can grow to be quite large up to 10 inches across. But most of the ones caught for food are between 6 to 8 inches across.
Their final size depends on a few key factors
-
Age – Older crabs have gone through more molting cycles and had more time to grow Dungeness crabs can live up to 10 years.
-
Gender – Male Dungeness crabs tend to grow larger than females of the same age.
-
Food Supply – Crabs with abundant food sources during their development can grow larger.
-
Genetics – Some variability in size is based on genetic differences between crabs.
Essentially, the largest crabs are older males that had ideal conditions for growth. Smaller crabs may be younger, female, or faced limitations in their food supply or habitat.
Average Crab Weight by Location
Dungeness crabs live all along the Pacific Coast, but some regions produce especially large crabs:
-
Alaska – Abundant food sources allow Alaska Dungeness crabs to reach sizes over 5 pounds. 3-4 pounds is common.
-
Oregon – Ideal ocean conditions help support large crabs of 3.5 pounds on average.
-
Northern California – Colder northern waters tend to produce bigger crabs around 3 pounds.
-
Central California – Average weights are closer to 2.5 pounds.
-
Southern California – With warmer waters, crabs here average under 2 pounds.
So if you want to find the biggest Dungeness crabs, Alaska and the Pacific Northwest are your best bets. But large size crabs can be found all along the coast.
Weight Loss After Cooking
If you buy live Dungeness crabs to cook at home, expect them to lose around 1/3 of their weight after cooking.
Why the drastic change?
Raw crabs are sold whole, including inedible parts like the shell, organs, gills, and mouthparts. After steaming or boiling, you crack open the cooked crab and discard the inedible portions.
What’s left is just the crab meat – the delicious part!
So a 3-pound live crab will yield around 2 pounds of cooked crab meat. Here are some examples:
- A 2-pound live crab yields 1.3 pounds of meat
- A 3-pound live crab yields 2 pounds of meat
- A 4-pound live crab yields 2.5 pounds of meat
Now you know what to expect when cooking your own Dungeness crab feast.
Legal Size Limits for Harvesting
To protect Dungeness crab populations, most states have minimum size limits for legal harvesting. In California, Oregon, and Washington, the minimum size is 6.25 inches across the shell.
Alaska has the most generous size limits – only 5.75 inches. Crabbers are allowed to keep any male crabs and females without eggs.
British Columbia in Canada allows males and females without eggs starting at 6 inches across.
Checking your harvested crab with a simple measuring device can ensure it meets the legal limit for keeping. Undersized crabs should be released back to the water unharmed.
Why Size Limits Matter
Minimum size regulations help sustain healthy Dungeness crab populations. Here’s why they are so important:
-
Allows crabs to reach maturity and breed at least once before being harvested
-
Protects reproductive females who carry eggs under their abdomen
-
Ensures crabs go through multiple molt cycles to reach a healthy size
-
Prevents overfishing of juvenile crabs before they fully develop
Observing size and sex limits helps manage crab harvests for the future while allowing ample catches today.
Buying Dungeness Crab from Markets or Restaurants
When buying pre-cooked Dungeness crab from a market or restaurant, it’s sold by the pound in cleaned sections:
-
Whole cooked crab – This is the entire crab after being steamed and cleaned. Expect to pay around $15-$25 per pound.
-
Crab clusters – This is just the body meat, legs, and claws sectioned up. Usually sold for $15-$35 per pound.
-
Crab meat – Picked meat from the body and legs. Ranges from $25-$45 per pound.
-
Crab legs – The long walking legs, sold by the cluster. About $10-$15 per pound.
-
Claws – The meaty claws, often sold individually for $2-$5 each.
So while a whole live crab may weigh 2-3 pounds, prepared crab meat is sold in much smaller pre-portioned quantities. Adjust your recipe accordingly!
Storing Leftover Crab Meat
Cooked Dungeness crab meat only stays fresh for a couple days in the fridge. To extend the shelf life, you can freeze leftovers.
Here are some tips:
-
Let crab meat cool fully before freezing.
-
Portion into freezer bags or airtight containers.
-
Remove as much air as possible before sealing.
-
Freeze for up to 3 months.
-
Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
With proper freezing techniques, you can enjoy the fruits of your crab feast for months to come!
Time to Catch and Cook Dungeness Crab
Now that you know approximately how much a Dungeness crab weighs, you can better plan for your next crab adventure. Keep the averages sizes and weights in mind when harvesting, purchasing, or cooking this delicious Pacific Coast delicacy.
And observe your local size limits when crabbing to ensure you’re following regulations. Enjoy this tasty and sustainable seafood in moderation.
Red Rock vs. Dungeness
Apart from the obvious size difference, what other ways can you differentiate these crustaceans? Dungeness crabs are described to have a sweet and mild flavor, while you can describe the red rock to be sweet and delicate. In both cases, your taste buds are bound to thank you.
Since their size is bigger (fresh), Dungeness crabs are more expensive than their crabby counterparts; however, red rock crabs are easier to cook and find.
If you’re interested in trying both crabs at home, it is recommended to boil Dungeness crabs in salted boiling water while red rock crabs are best cooked in a seasoned broth.
The Red Rock Crab
The red rock crab is a household regular, and you guessed it! It looks like a red rock. These species are native to the North American west coast ranging from Alaska to California. while they are small, they are very mean animals and will pinch when approached.
The size of the red rock crab makes it less common to buy. Smaller bodies mean more difficulty extracting meat from these animals. The female crabs grow an average of 4-6 inches around the shell while the males push out to 7inches.
Also known as ‘Metacarcinus magister’ by the science world, is red, but with more white patches. Along with the red rock crab, they’re usually found on the North American west coast and are very popular with northwest chefs.
Much bigger than the red rock crab, the Dungeness weighs up to 2 pounds on average. Most of this crab’s weight is mostly meat, which makes it the most sought after and is also luckily abundant in numbers.
Facts: The Dungeness Crab
FAQ
How much meat is in a 2 lb Dungeness crab?
A 2-pound Dungeness crab will yield approximately 1/2 pound of picked meat.
How much does a whole Dungeness crab weigh?
How many crabs make 1 lb of crab meat?
That’s when it comes down to more “bang for the buck.” An average blue crab weighs about 1/3 pound and yields about 2 ¼ ounces of meat. Add up the math and you’ll find it takes about 6 crabs to pick a pound.
How much is 1 lb of Dungeness crab?
The price of 1 lb of Dungeness crab meat can vary, but it generally ranges from $50 to $70.