Cooking crab to tender, succulent perfection requires knowing how long to cook it. The specific cook time depends on several key factors:
Crab Type and Size
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Smaller crabs like soft shell and blue crabs cook faster, while larger king, snow and Dungeness crabs need more time.
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Soft shell crabs take just 3-5 minutes to boil or 4-6 minutes to steam.
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Small blue crabs boil in 8-12 minutes or steam in 10-15 minutes,
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Large Dungeness crabs boil for 12-18 minutes or steam for 10-20 minutes
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King crab legs boil in 6-8 minutes or steam in 8-12 minutes.
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Snow crab legs boil in 4-5 minutes or steam in 5-7 minutes.
Cooking Method
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Boiling, steaming, baking and grilling require different cook times.
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Boiling and steaming take 10-20 minutes depending on size.
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Baking whole crabs or pieces takes 15-20 minutes at 400°F.
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Grilling averages 4-12 minutes total cook time.
Preparation Style
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Whole crabs take longer than cut-up pieces or crab cakes.
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Crab cakes bake in 10-12 minutes while stuffed crab legs or shells bake in 12-15 minutes.
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Halved or quartered crab bodies boil faster than whole.
Altitude
- At higher altitudes, the boiling point of water is lower, increasing cook times slightly.
Doneness Cues
Rather than only relying on cook times, check these visual signs of doneness:
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Shells turn bright orange-red when fully cooked.
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Meat changes from translucent to opaque white.
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Flesh feels firm yet flakes apart easily.
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Juices run clear not milky.
Tips for Perfect Results
Follow these best practices for tender, properly cooked crab:
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Use plenty of rapidly boiling water so crabs cook quickly.
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Start timing once water returns to a boil after adding crabs.
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Gently lower crabs into boiling water with tongs or a strainer.
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Check early and cook longer if needed to prevent undercooking.
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Shock in an ice bath to stop cooking once boiled or steamed.
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Cook just until opaque and flaky to avoid overcooking into rubbery texture.
Recommended Cook Times
Boiling Times
- Soft shell crabs: 3-5 minutes
- Small blue crabs: 8-12 minutes
- Dungeness crabs: 12-18 minutes
- King crab legs: 6-8 minutes
- Snow crab legs: 4-5 minutes
Steaming Times
- Soft shell crabs: 4-6 minutes
- Small blue crabs: 10-15 minutes
- Dungeness crabs: 10-20 minutes
- King crab legs: 8-12 minutes
- Snow crab legs: 5-7 minutes
Baking Times
- Whole crabs: 15-20 minutes at 400°F
- Crab cakes: 10-12 minutes at 400°F
- Stuffed crab: 12-15 minutes at 375°F
- Crab legs: 5-7 minutes at 375°F
Grilling Times
- Whole crabs: 8-12 minutes, flipping halfway
- Crab cakes: 3-5 minutes per side
- Crab legs: 4-6 minutes per side
Serving Suggestions
Once cooked to tender perfection, enjoy succulent crab meat:
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As an appetizer with melted butter for dipping.
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In crab cakes, salads or stuffed into mushrooms.
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Mixed into creamy pasta dishes or seafood stews.
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On top of toasted bread or baked potatoes.
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In quesadillas, omelets, frittatas and tacos.
Mastering cooking times helps ensure flawlessly tender texture when preparing delectable crab. With proper techniques, you can serve this sensational seafood at home with confidence.
How To Cook Dungeness Crab
A big decision needs to be made: do you boil the live crab whole or clean them first? I like to boil them whole because it adds a layer of flavor. Many people like to clean and halve the crab prior to cooking. It is personal preference. More on cleaning crab later. Whole Dungeness Crab will take a little longer to cook (usually 12 to 15 minutes in the boil), cleaned Dungeness halves take a little less time (usually 10 to 12 minutes).
We all need to be super safe when preparing and enjoying seafood. The information on this post is a mix of my own personal experiences and information pulled from credible web sources. For handling, cooking and serving crab and other seafood, check out FDA Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely.
What Do I Need To Cook Dungeness Crab?
First off, you need fresh live Dungeness Crab – obviously.
You need something to cook them in and a heating element. I like to cook crab outside during summer months. I use a propane burner and a 30 quart aluminum pot, it includes a nice aluminum basket that makes lifting out the crab easy. I can cook about six large Dungeness Crab in the 30 quart. However, the bigger the pot the better (I’ll explain later).
You need salt and seasoning for the boil. The best tasting crab I have ever had was boiled in pure sea water. Dungeness live in the saltwater environment and if you cook them in freshwater you will draw out most of that great salty sweet flavor that Dungeness are known for. I use Kosher Salt and Sea Salt and season the water until it tastes like seawater. This isn’t an exact science. I love adding Old Bay Seasoning to the mix as well. I don’t usually add much more than salt and Old Bay Seasoning because I don’t want to mask the rich flavor of the crab meat.
Other items include tongs or something else that can lift the crab out of the boil, and oven mitts to protect your hand from the steam of the boil.
Once the Dungeness Crab are cooked and ready to serve, a couple pairs of crab crackers will be helpful but we often use a heavy fork to crack the crab. Finish off your table setting with some melted butter and get ready to dig in!
Prepare an ice bath to quickly chill the cooked crab when they come out of the boil.
How Long Do I Boil Crab? : Seafood & Outdoor Cooking
FAQ
How long does it take to fully cook a crab?
Set a steamer basket in the pot and the crabs in the basket or, if you have a lot of crabs, simply pile them in. Cover the pot and steam until the crabs are cooked through, 10 minutes for small blue crabs and 15 for larger Dungeness and up to 20 minutes for even bigger crabs.
How long will it take to boil crabs?
Bring liquid to a simmer and add crabs headfirst to water. Cook the 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-pound crabs about 15 minutes, and the 3-pound crabs about 20 minutes. Strain cooked crabs into a colander and rinse briefly under cool water.
How to tell if a crab is fully cooked?
You can determine this by simply inspecting the shell. A fully cooked crab claw will look bright red or orange—the color most people think of on crabs.
How long do you boil crab?
That’s an easy answer, we have found that the amount of time you boil crab really matters to get the best tasting meat. If you’re cooking crabs for the first time, you have to be careful to not overcook crab to the point where it becomes rubbery. The perfect amount of time to cook crab is 12 minutes on high heat. Our full recipe is below!
How long does it take to cook a crab?
Different types of crab have varying sizes and shell thicknesses, which directly impact cooking time. Dungeness Crab: This West Coast favorite generally requires 15-20 minutes of boiling time for a 1.5-2 pound crab. Blue Crab: Smaller than Dungeness, blue crab typically needs 8-10 minutes of boiling time.
How do you cook a live crab?
HOW TO COOK CRAB This is the best, fastest and easiest method to cooking them alive. No need to process them prior to cooking. STEP 1 – To a large pot, pour water and add salt if you’d like. Bring the water to a raging boil. STEP 2 – Place the live crab in the boiling water and cover with the lid. STEP 3 – Boil for 12 minutes.
How do you cook a dungeness crab?
The meat of a Dungeness crab is sweet and juicy. FOR COOKING CRAB, YOU WILL NEED A large pot. Seafood boil seasoning. This is completely optional. Use this for a southern twist.
How long do you boil crabs in a crock pot?
Add the crabs and boil them. Carefully lower the crabs into the pot of boiling water. Cover the lid with the pot and set a timer for 15 minutes (if you’re cooking one or two 1/2 pound crabs) or 20 minutes (if you’re cooking larger crabs). Once the water begins to boil again, lower the heat so the water is only simmering.
How do you cook a fresh crab in a crock pot?
Use fresh, high-quality crab: The fresher the crab, the better the flavor. Don’t overcrowd the pot: Cook the crab in batches if necessary. Maintain a consistent boiling temperature: Avoid letting the water cool down too much when you add the crab. Use a timer: Accurate timing is essential for perfectly cooked crab.