Crab is a delicious and versatile ingredient that can be prepared in many ways, from crab cakes to steamed crab legs While crab is great on its own, pairing it with complementary side dishes can take your crab recipes to the next level Here are 15 delicious sides to serve with crab.
Salads
Fresh, crisp salads are a classic accompaniment for crab. The tangy, bright flavors provide contrast to the rich, sweet crabmeat.
Citrus Salad – Toss together segments of orange and grapefruit, avocado chunks, and fresh herbs like mint or basil. Drizzle with olive oil and citrus juice The sweet citrus flavors pair perfectly with crab cakes or crab louie salad
Coleslaw – Creamy coleslaw adds crunch and tang to balance out rich crab dishes. Opt for coleslaw with a vinegar-based dressing rather than mayo-based for a brighter flavor.
Arugula and Watermelon Salad – Fresh watermelon, peppery arugula, feta cheese, and a red wine vinaigrette is a unique salad for grilled or chilled crab legs.
Vegetables
Vegetable side dishes provide nutrition, color, and texture contrasts to crab Grill, roast, or steam vegetables to complement crab’s tender texture
Corn on the Cob – Grilled or boiled corn on the cob is a classic accompaniment for steamed crab legs or whole crab. Slather with butter or spice it up with chili powder and lime.
Asparagus – Grilled or roasted asparagus spears pair nicely with crab cakes or crab stuffed mushrooms. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Brussels Sprouts – Roasted Brussels sprouts caramelize and become sweet, contrasting blue crab beautifully. Toss halved sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper before roasting.
Starches
Starchy sides like potatoes, pasta, or rice help soak up any delicious crab juices left on your plate. Consider rich, buttery potato dishes or bright pastas and grains.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes – Smooth, creamy mashed potatoes are a no-brainer with snow crab legs or whole Dungeness crab. Infuse with garlic and top with melted butter.
Pasta Salad – Chilled pasta salad with crunchy vegetables brings out the sweetness of crabmeat. Toss crab with rotini, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and Italian dressing.
Rice Pilaf – A lemon-scented rice pilaf lends subtle flavor that complements, but doesn’t compete with baked crab cakes or stuffed crab shells.
Breads
Crunchy, warm bread is great for dipping in any remaining crab butter or sauce. Opt for biscuits, rolls, or cornbread with your crab feast.
Cornbread – Moist, golden cornbread is perfect for soaking up the butter left behind from boiled crab legs. Serve wedges alongside a crab and sausage boil.
Garlic Rolls – Soft, yeasty garlic rolls work well with crab imperial stuffed into mushrooms or baked shells.
Hushpuppies – No crab feast is complete without hushpuppies and their crispy outsides and fluffy centers. Fry up a batch with cornmeal, buttermilk, and scallions.
Takeaways
When serving crab, round out your meal with fresh, crisp salads, grilled or roasted veggies, starchy sides to soak up flavorful sauces, and warm breads. Crab can be rich, so bright, acidic flavors help cut through the fattiness. Think beyond just French fries and coleslaw when planning your crab dinner menu. With so many delicious options, you’re sure to find the perfect accompaniments.
What to serve with crab legs
You definitely want to supply crab crackers, crab forks and if possible, bibs. Eating crab is messy and can take a lot of work but these tools make it much more pleasant.
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.
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. Crab is a nice light dish when steamed and thus salad is a wonderful accompaniment to keep the whole meal light. You can also serve salad with garlic butter roasted crab to balance out the richness of that preparation. One recommendation is a mandarin orange salad since it is a nice combination of crunchy and refreshing with a bit of sweetness. This can also be served as a first course before the crab to prepare the taste buds for what is 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. This food is along the same lines of use your hands, pull it apart, eat the meat, and discard 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. Both elements are refreshing and take hands to eat so once you’re messy and getting in there, why not? You can prepare corn on the cob many ways like grilling it, steaming, boiling or even microwaving.
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.
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FAQ
What food goes well with crabs?
- Potatoes. Whether roasted, baked, mashed, or fried, potatoes are a classic go-to side with crab legs. …
- Corn on the Cob. …
- Coleslaw. …
- Cornbread. …
- Steamed artichokes. …
- Salad. …
- Roasted Vegetables. …
- Steak.
What is a good side dish for a crab boil?
- Corn on the Cob. Corn is a seafood boil essential. …
- Boiled Potatoes. Potatoes are non-negotiable seafood boil side dishes! …
- Garlic Butter French Bread. …
- Fried Pickles. …
- Creole Coleslaw. …
- Cajun Mac & Cheese. …
- Spicy Pickled Vegetables. …
- Cajun Dirty Rice.
What food should not be eaten with crabs?
Tea and persimmon contain tannins, which have been found to make protein harder to digest. So when tea and persimmon are eaten with crab, which is rich in protein, we might experience indigestion.
What meals can I make with crab?
- Pork & crab ‘ants climbing trees’ A star rating of 5 out of 5. …
- Crab linguine with chilli & parsley. A star rating of 4.7 out of 5. …
- Crab cakes with dill mayonnaise. …
- Classic California roll. …
- Crab mayonnaise with Melba toast & herb salad. …
- Samphire & crab salad. …
- Crab & saffron risotto. …
- Crab, leek & cheddar tart.