How to Eat Crabs

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References Tested

Crabs are delicious to eat but they are messy and for many first-timers, they are a puzzle to eat. Here you will unravel the mystery and discover a quick and easy way to eat a crab!

Things You Should Know

Pull off the crab's legs and claws with your hands; save the claws, but toss the legs.
After removing the top shell from the crab's body, break the bottom in half and pick as much meat from the body as possible with a fork.
Use a cracker, mallet, or knife to break open the crab's claws, and enjoy the meat inside.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Preparation

1
Prepare your table. Eating crabs is messy, so the table needs to be readied for splashes and leftovers. Lay down some newspaper or heavy-duty paper to protect the table, to absorb the juices, and to make clean up easier.^{[1]
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2
Gather a crab mallet, dull knife, and a claw cracker if desired.^{[2]
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3
If you haven't already cooked the crabs, do so. Steam the crabs; blue ones will usually turn deep red. Normally crabs are steamed with a layer of seasoning.^{[3]
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- For some ideas on how to cook crabs, see further: How to cook crabs, How to steam crabs and How to season crab legs.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Eating the Crab

1
Pull off all the legs and claws with a twisting motion. You can use a dull knife inserted into the joint to make removal easier. Sometimes a little meat will come out with the leg. Eat it.^{[4]
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2
Toss the legs (fins) and save the claws. (You will get to them in a minute.)
3
Turn the crab over on its back. Open the apron––the apron looks like a tab.
4
Take the top half and the bottom half in each hand, as if you are opening a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Pull off the top shell. Take care and do this slowly. Toss the top shell.
- You will have cleaned out the crab and have removed the gills to show the shell.
5
Take this bottom half and break it in half.
- Now take one of the halves and with a knife (or your hands) cut it in half.
- If you are using your hands, press down to break the chambers and then pull apart.
- Now you should have the meat exposed. Use your fingers to pull the meat out and enjoy! Use your knife to get the meat out of the smaller chambers.
6
Pick away all the chunks of meat in the body. Start with the claws.
7
Crack the claws by using the hinged cracker, hitting them with the crab mallet, or using your knife. The most efficient way to open a claw:
- Lay your knife, sharp side down, on the middle of the red side of the claw.
- Then use the crab mallet to gently hit the knife, until the knife is halfway through the claw.
- Finally, pivot the knife to the side. That will open the claw and make it easier to eat. Then snap the shell open and eat the meat, avoiding the cartilage.

Community Q&A
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Question

Can you eat the yellow stuff in crabs?

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This is actually known as the "tomally" and is considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. This is an organ in the crab that fulfills the role of the liver and pancreas. If your crabs come from an area where there is pollution you should avoid eating it since pollutants can accumulate in this part of the crab.
Question

Can all crabs be eaten?

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No, there are some species of crabs that can be highly toxic and there is no antidote. These crabs are mainly from the Xanthidae family, which is a large and diverse group. Due to this, you should never eat any crab that has not been properly identified.
Question

Is the yellow stuff in crabs poop?

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No, this is called the "tomally" and is an organ special to crabs and lobsters that functions as both their liver and pancreas. It is safe to eat as long as the place the crab was fished is not polluted.

Warnings

Don't attempt to eat a living crab straight from the sea. This will result in much pain.

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As with most sea life, there are small parts everywhere, so do go about this carefully.

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Crabs have many tiny and not so tiny spikes. Be careful of how you handle the crab or it will get its revenge.

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Helpful 69 Not Helpful 46
The claws have a "bone" (cartilage, actually) in the claw, so be careful to slide this off when eating.

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