How to Make Stuffed Crabs for the Holidays.
Stuffed Crabs is a classic dish that everyone loves. It’s filled with juicy crab meat, and it tastes great with any kind of sauce you’d like to serve on top.
The best part about this recipe is how easy it is to make! You can make these stuffed crabs ahead of time and freeze them for later use or just serve them raw as an appetizer during dinner parties or family gatherings.
What is Stuffed Crabs
Stuffed crabs are a Cajun specialty and are often served as an appetizer. They’re made by cooking the crabs in a spicy tomato-based sauce, which makes them extra delicious and flavorful!
Stuffing the crab is optional but recommended for extra flavor. You can stuff your crab with cheese or breadcrumbs if you want to make it more like a casserole dish instead of just having everything on top of each other like we did here today.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (optional) and dill (optional)
Methods
If you want to try your hand at stuffed crabs, here are the steps:
- First, prepare the crab. Make sure that it’s nice and clean before you start by scrubbing it with an old toothbrush and hot water. If there is any meat that has stuck to the shell or inside parts of the shell (like its legs), remove this using a knife or other sharp object. After doing this, give your crab a good rinse in fresh cold water to get rid of any remaining dirt/dirtiness from previous preparations; then put it back into another bowl so that its juices don’t dry out while being cooked later on!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, celery, bell pepper, onion and parsley. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt if desired.
- Stuff each crab with this mixture then place them in a baking dish or casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray (this keeps them from sticking). Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
Cooking Note
The cooking time for stuffed crabs is also dependent on the size of the crab. The larger the crab, the longer it will take to cook. It’s important not to overcook your steamed crabs because they can become tough and chewy if overcooked. The same goes for stuffing—the smaller your stuffing, the shorter time you should allow between adding more stuffing and serving your steamed crab. The bigger your shell is (or smaller), the longer it will take for all that deliciousness inside to melt out into those delicious juices!
Add-ins and Variations
Add-ins and variations are a great way to change up the flavor of your dish. They’re also a good way to make it more filling and satisfying, as well as more nutritious.
For example, you could add:
- Cheese—in this case, I’d recommend something mild like mozzarella or gouda (both of which are delicious on their own).
- Dill pickles—the saltiness from these pickles adds just enough kick without making it too overpowering for stuffed crabs.
Pro Tip
- The best way to cook stuffed crabs is to steam them.
- You can also bake them in the oven.
- If you are cooking them in the oven, you’ll need to cover them with foil so that they don’t burn on top of your pan.
- The darker the roux—the longer it cooks—the more pronounced its flavor will be. But even a light color can add extra richness to soups or stews because it includes caramelized flour molecules that have released their sweet notes into the liquid being seasoned with them.
Stuffed Crabs is Best to Serve with
You can serve these stuffed crabs with a side of cornbread, rice, potato salad and coleslaw. But if you’re feeling extra fancy, we recommend serving them with macaroni salad or fries.
Our stuffed crab recipe is a classic.
Stuffed Crabs is a classic Cajun dish. It’s a popular dish in the Gulf Coast and it’s great for parties, family dinners and romantic dinners.
We hope you enjoyed this stuffed crab recipe as much as we did. It’s a great way to get your family involved in the kitchen and the most delicious meal that they will make all year long! We love serving our crabs on a bed of greens or with some steamed pasta, but really anything goes with these tasty little guys. Have fun with it!
