How to Cook Jonah Crab Claws

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 7, 2023 References

Jonah crabs are smaller crabs found around the Northeastern edge of the United States. Despite their size, these crabs still have plenty of delicious meat in their claws. Claw meat has a stronger taste than other crab meat and is often eaten plain or mixed into soups and sauces. Cook the claws by steaming or boiling them in a large pot of water on the stove. Also try spreading them out on a grill for a few minutes for additional flavor.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Steaming Jonah Crab Claws

1
Place a steamer in a cooking pot. Set a tall pot on the stove. Secure a steamer inside of it. Your steamer may be a rack that rests across the length of the pot or a basket that sits inside the pot. As long as it can hold the crab and has holes in the bottom to let out the steam, it will cook the claws.^{[1]
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- Two-piece crab steamer pots also exist. The inner pot is the same as a steamer basket.
2
Fill the pot with water. Add about three cups (710 mL) to the pot. You don’t need much water for boiling, so don’t let the water level reach the inside of the steamer. Use the bottom edge of the steamer as a guide.

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3
Bring the water to a boil. Turn up the heat under the pot. Wait for a little while for the water to boil. You may use this time to wash the crab, but stay aware of the water.
4
Rinse the claws and place them in the steamer. Pass the claws under running water to remove debris. Do this for about two pounds (.45 kg) of Jonah crab claws. Drop them into the steamer.
5
Steam the claws for four minutes. Place a lid on the pot, which will allow the steam to cook the crab faster. After about four minutes, the claws should be warm and have turned bright red with white-colored meat inside.^{[2]
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- You may steam the claws without a lid. It can take up to ten minutes for the claws to cook through, but you’ll be able to keep an eye on them.
6
Remove the crab from the steamer. Remove the steamer from the pot. You can rinse the claws under running water or allow them to rest in the basket for a few minutes to cool them. Crack open the claws and eat the meat plain or serve it with melted butter or a cocktail sauce.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Boiling Jonah Crab Claws

1
Fill a pot with water. Large cooking pots with tall sides work best, especially if you’re cooking lots of crab. Add water so that the pot is about two-thirds full.
2
Add salt and other seasonings. For every gallon (3.7 L) of water, add 1 ½ cup (350 mL) of salt. The salt is a simple but effective starting seasoning and will also cause the water to boil faster. You may also add other seasonings, such as Old Bay crab seasoning, bay leaves, or lemon.
- Claw meat has a stronger flavor than meat from other parts of the crab, so don’t feel obligated to add extra seasoning.
3
Boil the water and remove the pot from the heat. Turn the heat up on the stove. Bring the water to a boil, then move the pot off the heat. While leaving the pot on the heat is useful for boiling whole crabs, Jonah claws are small and will cook quicker. By moving the pot off the heat, you can better control the cooking process.^{[3]
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4
Cook the crab for five minutes. Carefully add about two pounds (.45 g) of Jonah crab claws to the water. Make sure that the crab is covered by the water. Fish out any claws that can’t get into the water. Let the claws boil until they look bright red.^{[4]
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5
Cool the claws. Remove the claws from the water. Use tongs to transfer them to a place they can drain, such as a mesh strainer or dry towel. Because the claws are so small and easy to overcook, it is helpful to then rinse the claws with cool water in the sink.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Grilling Jonah Crab Claws

1
Layer the grill with aluminum foil. Cover a rack on the grill with a layer of foil. Add another layer tight on top of it. You can cook the claws directly on the grill, but aluminum foil makes cooking easier. The foil corrals the legs and helps them cook evenly.^{[5]
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2
Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. You may be able to quickly cook the delicate claws without using spray. However, a non-stick cooking spray like Pam ensures that any crab parts you cook won’t stick. Spray a generous amount over the foil.
3
Season the crab. This is optional since claw meat has such a strong taste. You can melt some butter and mix it with salt, Old Bay, garlic, or other seasonings to add a different flavor. Crack open the claws a little and pour the mixture onto the meat.^{[6]
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4
Spread the claws over the grill. Spread the claws evenly along the foil. The thick parts of the claw should be closest to the hottest part of your grill. You may also choose to grill a few claws at a time, avoiding the spot on your grill that gets hottest.^{[7]
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5
Heat up the grill. Turn on your grill. Using a direct heat setting will cook the claws more rapidly. Get the grill hot enough so that your hand can linger over it for several seconds. Too much heat will overcook the claws, causing the meat to stick to the shell.^{[8]
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6
Grill the claws for several minutes. The claws should cook through in five minutes or less. A whole crab can be cooked on the grill in under ten minutes, but Jonah claws are small and will cook faster than that. Watch for them to turn bright red.
- To ensure they cook evenly, you may flip the claws over after the first minute or two of cooking. Use a long pair of tongs.