The Best Oven-Roasted Dungeness Crab Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to cook Dungeness crab? ›

Cooking & Serving Tips

Place live crab in boiling salted water and cook for 18-20 minutes (after the water returns to a boil), turning the shell bright orange. Immerse in cold water to cool before cleaning. Fresh Whole-Cooks can be served chilled or heated in a steamer, broiler or oven for 4 to 5 minutes.

Preparing Dungeness Crab

All I need to do is open the package, wash the crabs under cold water, and put them on a baking sheet with a little bit of water. That's all. I then heat it up in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. While the crabs are in the oven, I quickly prepare the dip.

Maine lobster or Dungeness crab - 10 minutes. In Oven: preheat oven to 400°. Wrap clean, thawed shellfish in foil, forming a tent. Place in oven for 20 minutes.

- You can clean your Dungeness crabs before cooking. This keeps the mess out of the pot and allows for more crabs in the space. Just pre-chill your crab as described above, follow the instructions from steps 3-9, then cook according to this step's directions.

Boiling Crabs Is The Go-To Cooking Method

Boiling crab is by far the most common method for getting a crab feast from pot to table. It's fuss-free and easy to control using a single large pot, some water, and seasoning to taste. It also preserves the natural, light, sea-fresh taste you want on your plate.

Don't be shy about adding salt, pepper, lemon juice and lemon rinds, or the classic Old Bay seasoning to your pot before boiling or steaming your crab legs. In fact, if you plan to boil, we'd recommend the proportion of 4 quarts of water to 6 ounces of seasoning.

Ships Fully Cooked and Frozen. Tender & Succulent.

Flavor: While both varieties offer sweet, succulent meat, Alaskan snow crab clusters tend to have a milder flavor compared to the rich, buttery taste of Dungeness crab legs. Texture: Alaskan snow crab clusters feature delicate, tender meat, while Dungeness crab legs have a firmer texture that offers a satisfying bite.

Steaming helps to keep much-needed nutrients in the Dungeness crab itself, instead of it washing away into the water or cooking liquid. Another pro of steaming is that it is a gentle process and does not agitate or break apart the crab like another method of cooking might. It is also a fast way to cook your meal.

How to prepare whole frozen Dungeness crab? ›

All you need to do is heat and eat. These crabs are approximately 1.8-2lb each! If you are heating from frozen you will need to boil or steam for approximately 20 minutes. If you are thawing and then heating steaming or boiling for 8-10 minutes should do the trick!

Steaming and Boiling

Steaming portioned, thawed crabs takes five to eight minutes, while whole crabs can take 10 minutes or longer, depending on their size. Boiling is slightly quicker, with thawed leg clusters or half-crabs typically requiring five to seven minutes.

Steaming, grilling, and heating in the microwave are methods for cooking crab legs, but boiling is one of the best ways to cook crab legs and the method highly recommended by the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen. The water gets into the shells, keeps the meat moist, and helps the meat heat through quickly.

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.

Cook the crabs for about 18-20 minutes, depending on size. The crabs are done when they turn orange and the meat flakes when tested with a fork. Carefully remove the crabs from the pot with clean tongs and serve on a platter with a sprinkling of seafood seasoning and some lemon wedges.

Steaming helps to keep much-needed nutrients in the Dungeness crab itself, instead of it washing away into the water or cooking liquid. Another pro of steaming is that it is a gentle process and does not agitate or break apart the crab like another method of cooking might. It is also a fast way to cook your meal.

Dungeness crab need to be cooked while they're still alive, so the clock starts ticking once the crab has been removed from the water. You've got some time as long as you keep him cool - probably a good 6 hours or so, but it's almost never a good idea to wait until the next day to cook a live crab.

Just keep in mind that you can overcook crab legs where the meat will become rubbery.