Delicious Ways to Cook Spider Crab at Home

Last Updated: November 11, 2020 References

Spider crabs may look a little scary on the outside, but they’re chock-full of delicious meat. You can prepare this tasty shellfish like any other crab—the main difference is that spider crabs are a bit larger and more spindly than their crustacean comrades. Typically, you can boil or grill your crab, and then pick out the meat once it’s cooked.

Ingredients

Boiling

1 spider crab
Water
Several spoonfuls of salt

Grilling

1 spider crab
7 tbsp (100 g) of butter, melted
1 red chili, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 handful of coriander leaves
1 squeeze of lime

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Boiling

1
Refrigerate the crab for a few hours to kill it. It may seem a little gruesome, but it’s always best to work with freshly-killed crab.^{[1]
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Research source} To be safe, take the crab out of the fridge and place it belly-side-up on a flat surface. Stick a large, wide knife through the center to make sure the crab is dead before you start.^{[2]
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- The refrigerator will probably kill the crab, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful!^{[3]
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- Don't boil spider crabs alive. It's not considered humane and the crafty crustacean might shed off its legs in the hot water.^{[4]
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- It’s understandable if you don’t want to kill the crab yourself. Ask the seller to kill it for you when buying spider crabs at a marketplace.^{[5]
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2
Fill a very large pot halfway and salt the water. Grab the largest pot you have on hand—spider crabs are really big, and need a lot of room to soak and boil. Fill up the pot about halfway, so your crab is completely covered when you put it in the water.^{[6]
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Research source} Then, stir several spoonfuls of salt into the water^{[7]
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- Professional chefs recommend salting the water whenever you boil a spider crab.
- Spider crabs can be up to 9 in (23 cm) wide, so it might be a tight squeeze.^{[8]
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3
Weigh your spider crab on a scale to see how long it needs to cook. Place the crab on a digital or traditional cooking scale and take note of the weight. Spider crabs need to be cooked for 15 minutes for every 1 kg (2.2 lb) of weight, so it helps to know what you’re working with ahead of time.^{[9]
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- For instance, if your crab weighs 1 ¹⁄₂ kg (3.3 lb), you’d cook it for 22½ to 25 minutes.
4
Bring the water to a rolling boil and submerge the crab in the water. Turn your stovetop to high heat and place the crab into the pot, leaving the pot uncovered. It’ll be easier to time the cooking if the water is already boiling.^{[10]
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5
Turn the heat down to a simmer and boil the crab for at least 15-20 minutes. Generally, spider crabs need at least 15 minutes of cook time for 1 kg (2.2 lb) of meat.^{[11]
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Research source} Turn the water down to a simmer and let your crab meat cook all the way through.^{[12]
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- For instance, if your crab weighs 1 ¹⁄₂ kg (3.3 lb), you’d cook it for 22½ to 25 minutes.^{[13]
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6
Remove the crab from the water and refrigerate it until it cools. Turn off your stovetop and let the crab cool for a couple minutes in the water. Grab the crab with a pair of tongs and place it on a tray. Then, slide it into the refrigerator until it’s cool to the touch.^{[14]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Grilling

1
Mix red chili, butter, garlic, coriander, and lime to make flavored butter. Pour 7 tbsp (100 g) of melted butter into a small bowl, and stir in a small handful of shredded coriander, along with 3 cloves of crushed garlic and 1 chopped red chili. Add a squeeze of lime juice into the mixture and stir everything together—this will add a lot of flavor to your crab!^{[15]
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2
Set your grill to high heat. Light your coals and wait until they’re red-hot, so your spider crab cooks evenly throughout. If you’re using a gas grill, adjust the temperature to high heat before you start cooking.^{[16]
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- When the surface of the grill feels hot, you can start cooking!^{[17]
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3
Place your whole, uncooked crab on the grill for 10-12 minutes. Don’t worry about tearing your crab apart just yet. Instead, place the whole crab on top of the grill. Cook each side of the crab for 5-6 minutes and then flip the crab over so both sides can cook evenly.^{[18]
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- Leave the grill uncovered as you do this.
- Some people prefer to remove the shell and gills and cut the spider crab in half before grilling it. If you do this, you only need to grill your crab meat for 4 minutes on each side.^{[19]
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4
Brush the flavored butter on both sides of the crab as it cooks. Dip a food brush into the butter mixture and spread it over the legs while the meat grills. Do this on both sides of the crab, so the meat will taste super flavorful and delicious.^{[20]
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5
Remove the meat and dress it up with the flavored butter. Lift the crab off the grill with a pair of tongs and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, twist off the legs and place them on a dish with some fresh lettuce.^{[21]
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- You can also serve it with a lemon wedge garnish.^{[22]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Removing the Cooked Meat

1
Twist and pull off the crab legs and claws. Place the crab belly-side-up on your workspace, which will make it a little easier to disassemble. Grip each leg and claw firmly, and twist it off completely. Set the legs and claws aside as you remove them.^{[23]
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- Spider crab legs may be a little longer than you’re used to, especially if you’re used to preparing and enjoying regular crab.
2
Wrap up the legs and crack them with a mallet to remove the meat. Surround each crab leg with a clean towel, and place them all on a flat surface. Whack each leg once with a mallet or hammer, so you can peel back the shell and enjoy the delicious meat. Don’t hit the legs more than once, or else you might shatter the shell into tiny, impossible-to-find pieces. Now, you’re ready to enjoy all of your spider crab meat!^{[24]
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3
Pull the shell off the head of the crab and remove the inner gills. Press down on the top of the spider crab with your hand and dig your fingers beneath the crab’s main body, right above the shell. Grab and lift the body of the crab to separate it from the shell. Search for multiple gray, garlic-shaped sections along the sides of the body and remove them—these are the crab’s gills, and you won’t be eating them.^{[25]
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- Don’t be afraid to put in a little elbow grease! Spider crabs are pretty hefty.
4
Spoon out the brown meat from inside the shell. Lift up the shell and take a peek inside. There’s probably a little bit of brown meat leftover along the edges of the shell. Grab a spoon and scoop those delicious morsels out.^{[26]
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5
Slice the main body into 2 big chunks and scoop out the white meat. Grab a large, wide knife and cut the crab’s body in half, where you just removed the gills. You’ll probably see a lot of holes and gaps—this is totally normal, and is just the way the spider crab is built.^{[27]
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Research source} Then, take a butter knife and scrape through the openings of the crab’s body. Set the meat aside in a small bowl, so you can enjoy it later.^{[28]
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6
Store your fresh crab meat for up to 2 days. Slide your spider crab meat into the refrigerator if you plan on eating it within 2 days.^{[29]
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Research source} Afterwards, freeze your crab meat for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer bag or freezer-safe container.^{[30]
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- It’s best to freeze your crab meat with other ingredients that aren’t seafood, so your meat doesn’t become stringy.
- Your meat won’t be very fresh if you store it for more than 3 months.^{[31]
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